"So...your NAME is Uncle Grandpa...yet you claim to BE every person in the world's uncle and grandfather?" Priyanka sat down and stared at the newest person in Steven's house. "Am I just missing something here?"
The sight of Uncle Grandpa had caused a great surprise in Steven's living room. Though they had hoped that the duel between Zoro, Tashigi, and Connie would yield this exact result, it seemed that nobody expected it to truly happen. It was a surreal experience for the visitors from the Grand Line, but at least they had come from a world where Devil Fruit existed. As for poor Priyanka...
She was utterly lost.
"...you don't look like my grandpa..." Luffy looked the stranger over. "Then again, I don't know if I have an uncle...so it seems legit..."
"You know, a part of me didn't believe you guys when you explained this to me," Usopp blinked. "In fact, I still don't believe it. How is this even possible?"
"Seems simple enough to me," Genevieve shrugged. "You're just the personification of some kind of abstract desire to help the youth of this 'Multiverse,' right?"
"I'm what now?" Uncle Grandpa scratched his head in confusion.
"Who cares about what he is? The only thing I care about is if he has the ability to send us back to the Grand Line," Smoker cut in.
"Woah! Hold on, folks! I'm a bit lost on everything right about now," Uncle Grandpa pleaded. "You want to go to a finish line?"
With that, a finish line appeared in the middle of the room much to the bewilderment of everyone (save Steven, who laughed). "If this is the finish line, where should we begin the race?" Uncle Grandpa asked, stretching his legs out.
"AWESOME!" Luffy and Chopper cried out in awe.
Priyanka stared at the sight and ran her hands through her long hair. "That shouldn't be possible...I did not just witness that..."
"Not a finish line! I said the 'Grand Line!'" Smoker yelled.
"Pork rinds? I don't think you should eat that before a race," Uncle Grandpa replied and shook his head disapprovingly. "It's not really healthy."
"Are you doing this on purpose?!" With that, the Marine grabbed Uncle Grandpa by his rainbow shoulder straps. "This isn't a joke!"
"What's a joke?"
"Gah!" Smoker let him go and threw his hands up. "I don't have the patience for this!"
"Captain Smoker, I think you better let us handle this. We have...ugh, experience with this," Pearl suggested. The Gem took a deep breath and prepared for the worst. "Um...Uncle Grandpa...welcome back to Beach City..."
"Oh! Good Morning, Pearl! It's great to be back! I just flew in and boy, are my arms tired!"
"Yes, yes; that is very amusing," Pearl ignored the comment. "I am not going to lie, we have had a lot of setbacks and we were hoping you would be able to answer a few questions for us..."
"Oh no! You guys couldn't find Steven?!" Uncle Grandpa looked alarmed. "That's terrible!"
"I'm right here, Uncle Grandpa! Good Morning...err...Afternoon!" Steven moved into view, waving happily.
The sight of Steven caused the man to clap excitedly. "Goodie! You made it home safe! That's a relief. But if you are back here, then what setbacks are you talking about...and how come you guys didn't come back to the U.G.R.V. before...and why does it feel like I just interrupted a very serious moment?"
"That's our little problem..." Pearl began. "You see, just as we were about to transport ourselves back to your van using your little badge pin, we accidentally started something called 'P.C.M.' that caused us to return here. We couldn't get a hold of you until Connie decided to duel Zoro and Tashigi..."
"Hello again, Uncle Grandpa," Connie waved.
"...you've MET this man before?!" Priyanka asked exasperatedly.
"Good Morning, Connie! So, we reused that bit already? Hmm...and you said you activated P.C.M.?" Uncle Grandpa tapped his finger to his chin. "Tell me, have a lot of seemingly convenient things been happening just because it seems like it SHOULD happen?"
"Yes...I suppose that is one way of looking at it..." Pearl frowned.
"Whelp; that sounds like P.C.M. to me!" Uncle Grandpa snapped his fingers. "I'm glad we figured that out! Let's return to the matter at hand! Connie, do you want to tell me more about your fight..."
"Actually," Connie hesitated, seeing the impatience etched on Pearl's face. "I was hoping you could explain what 'P.C.M.' was...please?"
"Yes! That would be most helpful!" Pearl agreed.
"Why?" Uncle Grandpa asked.
"...why not?" Connie countered.
"Well-reasoned!" Uncle Grandpa bowed. "In my experience, the greatest asset of all is love. However, the greatest asset AFTER THAT is luck! Thankfully, I know a thing or two about that kind of stuff! The Belly Bag Badge has a way of making sure things happen the way you want them to happen...but it can't be overdone. Do you see?"
"Not at all!" everybody yelled at the same time.
"Uncle Grandpa, I think you need a different approach," the talking fanny pack chimed in.
"The clothing just talked! Why is the clothing talking?!" Priyanka began to freak out before taking a big breath. "You know what? I don't want to know. If I am going to accept this life for my daughter, I don't want to know."
"Good idea," Genevieve told Priyanka as she patted her on the back.
"Poor mom..." Connie sighed.
"Why don't you explain it, Belly Bag?" Uncle Grandpa motioned for his fanny pack to speak. "The floor is yours!"
He bent down and ripped up a piece of flooring, promoting Greg to grab it out of his hands and push it back into the ground. "Not the flooring! I hate installing flooring!"
"While you do that, I'm gonna get caught up on what exactly happened here," Uncle Grandpa said, pulling out a smartphone. "Hmm...oh, here we go! A Gem in the Rough! Seems like a good read!"
"...this is making me want a smoke so badly," Sanji bemoaned as he rubbed his temples, ignoring a dirty look from Priyanka.
"Thank you, Uncle G! To explain rather briefly, the Belly Bag Badge has a setting that allows its wielders to get to things in a much faster, convenient fashion. It does so by subtly altering the world around it to make a new, unique path to its destination," Belly Bag explained.
"I'd like to know why you would withhold information about the badge that could have gotten us to Steven faster than we managed to," Garnet folded her arms, clearly annoyed.
"Simple, Lady Garnet," Belly Bag replied. "Reality itself is very delicate and fragile. Very few people can traverse it and come back sane. You Gems managed to do so the first time you met Uncle Grandpa and since they were with you, Connie and Steven's dad did as well on your second trip! Unless you are a being of pure imagination and magic like Uncle Grandpa, one could fracture reality beyond repair if they overuse the badge! As we had no way of knowing WHERE Steven was, the badge could have gone through two stops in the Multiverse or it could have been fifty-two! The risk was too great...right, Uncle Grandpa?"
"Hehehe! I like the part with the giant catfish!" Uncle Grandpa laughed to himself, disregarding everything around him.
"...is...is he reading a transcript of everything that has transpired on this adventure?" Greg asked, clearly bewildered.
"I'm still wrapping my brain around the fact we are having a conversation with a fanny pack," Damian groaned.
"I think I follow so far," Garnet nodded, returning to the matter at hand. "We probably would have abused the badge given the emotional state we were in. It was wise not to tell us about it."
"That may be true, but there is another downside to P.C.M. You see, prolonged exposure to P.C.M. could make you dependent upon it to make any small choice! Thankfully, it hasn't been used that long here. If you had continued to be exposed to it, you would have questioned your freedom to act autonomously as a whole!"
All eyes turned to Nami, who blushed and stood there wide-eyed. "Oh my gosh. That explains my existential crisis."
"The Belly Bag Badge is like the One Ring mixed with a Boom Tube, a Warp Pad, and Felix Felicis?" Connie asked, trying to piece everything together. "That's a lot to take in."
"Seems simple to me!" Luffy smiled before it turned into a frown. "But I don't know what any of those things you just mentioned are..."
"You're an idiot," Zoro sighed. "So, what now? Did you manage to get here because of the sword fight or what?"
"Ah! I see what happened!" Uncle Grandpa said, throwing his phone out the window and into the sand near the ship just as he was about to answer. "The Belly Bag Badge wasn't designed to bring through something as large as your ship! Combined with the P.C.M. being activated, it would have remained broken if not for you, Pearl!"
"...me?" the Gem asked.
"If I read this right, Pearl put the badge in some kind of waterfall when she was told to help clean up a few chapters back! The magic of the waterfall is blocking the power of the P.C.M. itself, which was making it impossible for me to know that you had come back! When she put it in there, I was instantly drawn to Beach City, including picking up on Connie's insecurities about her sword abilities. However, I think Zolo over there did my job for me."
"...Zoro. It's Zoro..." the swordsman growled and twitched his eyebrow.
"Can I ask a silly question? What does 'P.C.M.' stand for anyway?" Petrea asked. "I don't think we ever found out what it meant..."
"Oh, that's easy! It's the 'Plot Contrivance Mode!'" Uncle Grandpa explained, causing the words to appear behind him. "Clever, right?"
"...I guess so?" Petrea shrugged, not really understanding what that meant.
"It seems I was right in thinking that the badge is the reason why a random Devil Fruit appeared in Beach City," Garnet said, nodding toward Greg. "A contrivance all the same."
"This has all been so incredibly fascinating," Robin took everything in. "Reality manipulation, magical aliens, dimensional travel...it is almost poetic. Still, if we are talking in terms of plot, how does this story end? Where do we go from here?"
"...I think we lost Robin," Usopp whispered. "She's taken a book metaphor and ran with it."
"Well, I can at least turn off the P.C.M. setting on the badge, but there's still the issue of getting you folks back to the property line," Uncle Grandpa replied and took a seat on the couch.
"...I think you mean 'Grand Line,' Uncle Grandpa," Steven laughed.
"Yeah; that!" Uncle Grandpa joined him.
The sight of the two laughing made Smoker's blood boil. "This isn't a joke! Why is getting us back to the Grand Line an issue? Can it be done or not?!"
"Did anybody ever tell you how scary you were?" Uncle Grandpa gulped in fear. "It's hard to say! I...oh! I know! I can replay a cutscene back from Chapter Eight!"
"...what the hell are you talking about?!" Smoker growled.
"Sir, please calm yourself!" Tashigi pleaded. Smoker shot her such a terrifying look that it made her stop talking immediately.
Uncle Grandpa picked up Steven's computer and tried to turn it on. "Hmm...seems like you've got a contaminated computer...I think I know what to do! Nurse!"
"Yes, Dr. Uncle Grandpa?" a second Uncle Grandpa in a nurse's garb asked, holding a medical bag.
"I'm going to have to go...under the knife!" Uncle Grandpa declared as he put on gloves and a face mask. "We will find out what the problem is in a jiffy!"
The sight of Uncle Grandpa in a doctor's uniform caused Priyanka to laugh absentmindedly. "Now he's a doctor! Great! Just great!"
"Connie, I think your mom is starting to lose it," Amethyst whispered.
"Do you blame her?" Greg countered.
"Mr. Computer, what seems to be giving you the hardware hardships?" Dr. Uncle Grandpa asked as he opened up the disc drive.
"Oh! It was terrible, doctor!" the computer spoke in a text-to-speak voice, causing even Steven to jump.
"Did...did Steven's computer just talk?!" Pearl pointed to it with a shaky hand.
"Tell Doctor Uncle Grandpa all about it and I'll give you a lollipop!"
"I...it was only supposed to be a search about recipes! Things got out of control fast and next thing I knew...my search engine started blowing up with all kinds of requests!" the computer explained.
"'Recipes?'" Nami blinked and turned her head toward Sanji, who was beet red. "...Sanji, what did you do?!"
"I was told that I could search anything I wanted on that 'internet' thing, Nami-san! How was I to know that...?" the chef started before getting hoisted in the air by Garnet.
"You are banned from using Steven's computer forever," she warned him. "For. Ev. Er."
Sanji gulped and nodded.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that. Want an antivirus sucker?" The doctor held up a lollipop, which he shoved into the disk drive. With that, the computer began to run normally.
"Well, at least I don't have to put out anything for spyware removal now..." Greg shrugged.
"Yay! My computer is fixed! Thank you, Dr. Uncle Grandpa!" Steven was thrilled.
"Don't thank me. Thank medical school," Uncle Grandpa said. "Ah. Here we go! TubeTube never fails! Watch this little recap on what the Multiverse is all about, kids! Mr. Gus explains it better than I could!"
The room fell silent as a familiar scene played before their eyes. The Gems (who were rolling with it and assumed that this was only due to Uncle Grandpa's magic) decided not to press how a video of their actions was on the Internet. When it concluded, Uncle Grandpa just smiled. "So, any questions?"
"What was the point of that?" Damian raised his hand.
"Why hasn't Lion woken up in days?" Luffy inquired.
"Are we ever going to get back to the Grand Line?" Tashigi asked.
"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" Uncle Grandpa joined in, much to everyone's annoyance. "What? It seemed like everybody was doing it! Anyway, my control over the other two layers of reality are rather limited. I can go call up and visit TOM, but I really don't have the ability to send a pirate ship back to your world...unless..."
"I'm going to regret this, but unless what?" Pearl sighed.
"Can you go fetch the Belly Bag Badge and that Rifting-thing? I just got an idea!" Uncle Grandpa said as a lightbulb appeared over his head...and then promptly crashed on the ground and shattered. "Oops! Better clean that up."
Pearl, wishing to get this ordeal over with, rushed to her room and back with the dreaded Belly Bag Badge and Rifting Stone. Uncle Grandpa looked at the badge and frowned. "Hmm...it's been stuck like this for days...can't have that! Ffo Nrut!"
"P.C.M. DISENGAGED!" the badge yelled out.
"...what kind of a language was that?" Steven asked.
"Backwards talk, kid! So, this doohickey managed to warp all the way from your line to our line...and that's the last rift it opened!" Uncle Grandpa exclaimed. "I think we should be okay...but it's gonna need a little tweaking."
Uncle Grandpa picked up Steven's computer again and started to play with it. "Hmm...Photoshop should do nicely...now let's take a picture of these..." The reality warper materialized a camera and snapped a photo of the Belly Bag Badge and Rifting Stone. "...and that!"
He ran over to the Warp Pad and did the same thing, uploading both on Steven's computer as everyone just watched in confusion. "Let's bring that layer down here...give it a salmon color and a yellow star...and save it!" Uncle Grandpa gave a thumbs-up. He pressed open the disc drive and, amazingly, a small salmon colored badge with a yellow star appeared.
"My computer had a baby!" Steven said wide-eyed. "What's it's name?!"
"I present to you the Steven Badge!" Uncle Grandpa bequeathed the device to the half-Gem. "Oh; here's a TM containing Bubble Beam."
"...what?"
"Did you just made a copy of the Belly Bag Badge...and change the colors of it...in Photoshop?" Connie asked, clearly having a better grasp on Uncle Grandpa's tactics than practically everyone else.
"Yup! It is actually designed for a single, solitary purpose: to act as a direct link to their world! This Rifting-thingy is honed in directly to that Band Line, the Belly Bag Badge can create rifts on cue without the aid of magic, and that warp-thing can be used to link to it! I just combined all three of them!" Uncle Grandpa smiled.
"If I am following correctly..." Pearl allowed herself a moment to process the information. "You used Steven's computer...to create a miniature teleportation unit whose sole purpose is to connect the Warp Pad...to and from the Grand Line?"
"Think of it as a personal teleporter!" Uncle Grandpa grinned. "You pirates can attach it to your ship. Though I don't think the Belly Bag Badge could handle sending it through dimensions again, the Steven Badge should have no problem! All Steven needs to do is create a bubble around the ship again and it will go through!"
"But then what would happen? Would we take the 'Steven Badge' back to Beach City through the Warp Pad?" Amethyst asked.
"Nope! The badge would stay attached to Merry, allowing you all to have the ability to come back and forth between dimensions using your warping..." Uncle Grandpa began before being cut off by the combined voices of Luffy and Steven.
"We can visit each other any time we want?!" Luffy asked excitedly.
"And we can get to them using the Warp Pad?!" Steven did the same.
"This is the best day ever!" The two began to hug each other while crying. "Thank you, Uncle Grandpa!"
"Woah! I didn't say that, sport!" Uncle Grandpa tried to interject. "Dimensional travel is tricky business! If you overuse it, you might not be able to come home! Only use it in great times of need!"
"Gotcha!"
"Well then! Since Connie seems to be feeling better about her abilities and Steven can now visit his friends, my work is done!" Uncle Grandpa began to tidy things up. "Boy, that was fun! Oh, here's your Rifting thingamajig. I'll take the Belly Bag Badge so Pizza Steve can do his thing..."
"But you didn't tell us how to activate the badge!" Nami yelled as Uncle Grandpa handed the stone to Garnet, who immediately bubbled it.
"Oh! Just press the star! That's all there is to it...I think. It will only work for any of you, so use it wisely! Well, I'd see you all off, but I've overstayed my welcome." Uncle Grandpa went to the door and opened it.
"Will we ever see you again, Uncle Grandpa?" Connie asked.
"Not unless the author has completely run out of ideas. Until then, just remember to cherish the time you have with your friends and to always have a GOOD MORNING!"
With a slam of the door, Uncle Grandpa disappeared, hopefully never to be seen again. The occupants of the house were silent for a moment as they took in exactly what just transpired before their eyes.
"...so, does this mean what I think it means?" Tashigi asked. "Are...are we able to get back home?"
"Yes," Pearl sighed in relief. "It seems like we finally have a way to return you all to your proper dimension at last."
"Thank god for small miracles," Smoker grinned to himself.
"WE ARE GOING HOME! WE ARE GOING HOME! WE ARE GOING HOME!" Usopp, Chopper, and Luffy cheered together.
"And this isn't going to be a goodbye, since we now have a way to see each other again!" Steven joined them.
"You heard the reality warper," Garnet pointed out. "We can only use that in times of great need. We don't want to be responsible for destroying the Multiverse."
"I know," Steven gave a small smile as he stopped cheering. "But knowing that we have the ability to see each other even if it is on special occasions is better than wondering if we can see each other at all."
"I'm with the kid," Damian patted his back. "This thing will actually allow us to have a direct link with the Going Merry. The Rifting Stone would have probably dropped you off to Little Garden again or something."
"I didn't even think of that!" Steven realized. "Boy, that would have been awkward!"
"It's time to stop focusing on what might have been and starting acting in the present," Smoker said, grabbing his book and novelty desk item. "I assume you all want to give a proper send-off to this city...I'll be waiting at your ship."
The Marine left quickly to his destination, leaving everyone else staring. "Did he really not have any fun in his time here?" Connie asked, looking dejected.
"I wouldn't be so sure," Garnet gave a faint smile. "He's more emotional than he lets on."
"How can you tell?" Tashigi asked. "Your Future Vision?"
"Nope. If he didn't care, he wouldn't have taken his souvenirs."
*AGITR*
Tashigi was relieved to know that she was finally returning to the Grand Line. In her opinion, this entire trip was a more rewarding experience for her than her superior. As Smoker had hoped, they had managed to keep the Straw Hats somewhat in line...but their strategy to arrest them upon their return had hit a small roadblock, at least for her. The Marine had something she needed to do before she left...something that could and probably would hurt her pride.
"You! Roronoa Zoro!" she yelled to the former pirate hunter as the Straw Hats went their own ways to say their respective goodbyes.
"What do you want?" Zoro asked, clearly irritated. "Come to yell at me for striking the kid in the back of the head?"
"As much as I hate to admit it, you did the right thing in the moment..." Tashigi bit her lip before getting her nerve back. "But I do want to talk to you about the fight...or at least the aftermath. What was that about?"
"What was what about?"
"Your little speech to her! From what I know of you, it isn't something you would do! I want to know what prompted it. Why her? Why then?"
Zoro gave a single chuckle and continued to walk away. "Is that what's bothering you? Did I shatter your little perception of me?"
"Stop ignoring the question! You went out of your way to make that girl feel better about herself and appealed to her mother's better judgement through an apology! What prompted it?" Tashigi demanded with increased passion.
"Do you really want to know? Fine! Remember what I told you about my friend...the one with your face? She reminds me of her!" Zoro stopped walking and regarded her. "Kuina had the same fire that the kid has...and if it killed her, I would feel like I lost her again."
"Is that what happened to your friend? She got too carried away with her training?" Tashigi asked, curious as to where this was going.
The Marine noticed a shift in Zoro's demeanor. He was guarded before, tense and agitated. Now...now he seemed like he was in pain. "'Training?' It would have made sense if it involved her training. She was a master swordsman even at her age...but no. Do you want to know how she died? She died falling down a flight of goddamn stairs! She was going to be the greatest swordsman in the world...but she never got that chance."
Zoro's eyes were now burning red with tears. He clutched his Meito blade and looked down at it. "All I have left of her is this blade...and my dream. She made me realize that it will take willpower and determination to make that dream come true...and I see that in Connie. She might not have as much experience as you or me, but damn it, I know that she is destined for great things!"
"So, that sword...you hold onto it in memory of her?" Tashigi pointed to the Wado Ichimonji. "After all this time?"
"Always," Zoro replied curtly. "Does that answer your question?"
"Yes...yes, I think so..." Tashigi whispered. "Thank you..."
The green-haired swordsman walked toward the pirate ship, leaving Tashigi alone to contemplate what she had just learned. In the past few days, Tashigi had gotten to know the real Roronoa Zoro more than she ever had. He might be a pirate, he might deserve to go to prison, he might deserve to be brought down by her blade...
But she found herself reevaluating her perception of him; something she never would have expected in all of her life. It went against every belief that she ever had, every conviction she stood for as a Marine; but she now realized that there was a morally grey line that she found herself in. Between "Straw Hat" Luffy's actions in Alabasta, Robin's desire to help Connie and to bring down Peridot, and now Zoro's actions earlier in the day...Tashigi was forced to admit that she was wrong about these pirates.
As long as they continued to break the law, Tashigi would be forced to hunt them...but damn it if she didn't respect them while she did it.
"Aww! You care for him!" a familiar voice called out from seemingly nowhere.
Tashigi looked around to trace the source of it but could find nothing. She chalked it up to her own imagination and made her way to the pirate ship. As she walked away, she failed to notice a small purple robin flying above her.
*AGITR*
One by one, the pirates returned to their vessel. It was an event that was necessary and caused for mixed feelings in each of them. Damian and Petrea gathered their things and brought them off of the ship, but returned to see them off again. As they were doing so, Genevieve gave them the money she earned painting with Vidalia since she would have no use for it. The two were shocked and grateful for the action, which was no doubt hard for the lazy painter to do. Yes, it was a hard time for the Straw Hats, both temporary and permanent. However, the one who was taking it the hardest was (obviously) Steven.
Though he was a Crystal Gem first and foremost, he now considered himself to be a bonafide Straw Hat pirate. Luffy and the others accepted him without hesitation and even extended that kinship to the Gems, his father, Connie, and Lion. The fact that he would eventually see his friends again softened the blow, but he hated saying goodbye.
"Lost in thought, Steven?" Genevieve asked, sneaking up behind him as he waited on the Merry. He was sitting down and clutching his Cheeseburger Backpack, which he brought just in case.
"Hmm? Oh! It's just you, Genevieve," Steven sighed. "I'm just thinking about how sad it's gonna be when you guys are gone."
"I know what you mean. I just caught up with Vidalia and Onion," the painter said and sat down beside him. The two of them looked out to the Atlantic Ocean and took in its beauty. "They were on their way here to answer our questions about your dad's Devil Fruit. It turns out it was attached to the hull or something...who knew?"
"That's weird."
"Yeah. I'm gonna miss her. It was nice having a painting partner."
"You know..." Steven started hopefully. "Petrea and Damian are both staying after seeing everybody off...do you want to as well?"
The painter gave a small smile and sighed. "As temping of an offer as that is, I have to decline. You said it yourself, Steven. I want to be the greatest painter in MY world, not yours. It seems like that role has already been filled by the likes of the painters in my book. Besides, I couldn't write to my parents if I was here."
"'Parents?!'" Steven asked excitedly. "You never told me about your parents! Why haven't you ever told me about your parents?!"
"Yeah...it just never came up. They live out in the West Blue. I always plan to write them more...but I get lazy about it. I typically write them at least once every two months," the painter replied and shrugged.
"Did they know about...you know..." Steven began to ask.
"Baroque Works? Yeah. I didn't tell them for about six months and they reamed me out for it in their reply three months later. Of course, two months after that, they sent another letter telling me to follow my heart. They were just happy I was out doing something productive while being happy," Genevieve chuckled. "I'll have to let them know what I'm up to next."
"What are you going to do? Start up an art gallery?"
"Nope; I'm taking Luffy up on his offer to be a permanent part of the crew."
"That's...that's awesome!" Steven gave her a high five and a grin. "You are sure to see some amazing things with the guys!"
"I'm sure I will, but they will not be as amazing as you, Steven Universe. You've been a great inspiration to me..." she blushed. "It's going to be weird painting without my muse."
"Well, I'll be a great inspiration to you in the future too! Next time I see you, I want to see everything you've painted, including the stuff that's based on the pictures Connie is printing out for you right now!"
"It's a deal," Genevieve shook his hand.
"What's a deal, kids?" the familiar voice of Greg said from behind him. "You guys didn't do, like, some kind of freaky blood oath or something, right?"
"Dad, stop being weird!" Steven laughed it off.
"We are just saying our temporary goodbyes, Mr. Universe," Genevieve explained.
The elder Universe nodded. "You want my advice? Never say 'goodbye.' 'Goodbye' implies that you'll never see each other again. Say 'until the next time' instead."
"Well then, until the next time it is."
"Are we done with the preparations yet?" Smoker yelled from the other side of the ship. "Every second I stay on this pirate ship is an insult to my uniform!"
"We are just waiting for the Gems and Connie!" Luffy folded his arms. "We will not leave without them! Captain's orders!"
"Enjoy that cocky attitude while you can, 'Straw Hat.' It'll be the last order you give as a free man!"
"I thought I told you all to play nice," Garnet called from the shore. Joining her were Pearl, Amethyst, and Connie. Surprisingly, they were not alone. Priyanka, Sadie, Vidalia, and Onion were all beside them. Several of them had things in their hands: Connie had the pictures she promised Genevieve, Sadie held a box of doughnuts while Garnet carried what appeared to be a large staff.
"We are just having fun. Right, Smokey?" Luffy nudged him playfully.
"...fun...right..." Smoker's eyebrow twitched before he noticed what Garnet was carrying. "Is that my jute?"
"I found it yesterday under the ocean. I figured you deserved it back," Garnet told him flatly. She tossed it to the Marine, who caught it with one hand.
"Well, I think it is time to get this moving along!" Pearl said quickly. "I just hope that this 'Steven Badge' will do its job..."
"Stop worrying so much, Pearl! It'll all be fine!" Amethyst reassured her. "Yo, pirate-dudes! Look who I found who wants to see us all off!"
"Figured you guys could use one last round of doughnuts on me and Lars!" Sadie held up the box, which was instantly grabbed by Luffy's stretched hand. "Gah!"
"Alright! Food!"
"Down, tiger!" Nami took the box away from him immediately. "No food for you until everyone gets one!"
"Meanie!"
"Thank you, Sadie!" Steven waved. "You are awesome!"
"It's for them, Steven! You can eat them any time you want," Sadie laughed. The girl then locked eyes with Smoker, who gave her a little nod. She smiled and returned it with a wave. "You crazy pirates and sea cops get back safe, you hear?"
"And don't be strangers! Genevieve told me you guys can come back here, so you better get your butts back here for more fun sooner than later! This past week has been a hoot and a half. Isn't that right, Onion?" Vidalia waved to them with Onion doing the same. He folded his hands like a heart and held it up, causing Petrea to merely smile and nod.
"Aye-aye!"
"Come on, Connie!" Pearl ushered her. "We have a mission to finish! Dr. Maheswaran, I am sure this will be a quick little excursion and..."
"I'm coming too," Priyanka put her hand on Connie's shoulder.
"WHAT?!" Connie jumped, clutching her still-wounded side. "What do you mean by that?!"
"I told you I want to take a more vested interest in your training; I don't see the harm in seeing your friends off with you," Priyanka explained as she gave her daughter a strict look. "Besides, you are still wounded rather badly. Unless you would rather stay here with me..."
"Dr. Maheswaran, I am not sure if that is a good idea..." Pearl started to explain. "The Grand Line can be rather dangerous and..."
"With Marines, pirates, alien warriors, and enhanced humans by my side? I think I will be fine," Priyanka said as she boarded the ship. "I see no reason why I couldn't be here with my daughter if it is safe enough for her."
"I...I..." Pearl wanted to argue but looked into Connie's pleading eyes. It was clear she wanted to go back to the Grand Line at least one last time. Pearl still had strong objections to the matter, but if Priyanka wanted to begin to experience Connie's life, it was not her place to stop her. All it meant was that she would do her best to protect her for both Steven and Connie's sake. "I think you are right."
With the Gems, Connie, and Priyanka's presence, everyone who was coming along on the trip was now on board. Nami did a last minute check to make sure any and all possessions were on board and that the final preparations were made.
"I think we are good to go if you all are," Nami concluded, patting the mast. "Any objections?"
"None whatsoever," Smoker cracked his knuckles and examined his jute.
"I think we are as ready as we are going to be," Usopp nodded after looking over the ship. "Merry looks like she's ready to be seafaring again."
"Are you sure you want to come, Priyanka?" Greg asked one final time. "Who knows what will happen out there..."
"I'm a doctor, Greg. I deal with life and death every day. I will be fine and that's the last I'll hear of it," she stated with finality.
"...okay..." Greg gulped, not wanting to incur her wrath.
Searching through his pocket, Steven pulled out the badge that was named after him and handed it to Luffy. The pirate held it up and saw it instantly snatched by Nami, who was the sensible member of the crew.
"Wherever we put this badge is where it is going to stay. I think that it would be safest in the storage deck. It would be well-hidden there and would go with all of the other important things we have collected," Nami smiled. "Namely treasure!"
"Of course," the Straw Hats groaned as they rolled their eyes.
"Then it is decided. Navigator Nami, set up the badge. Steven, prepare yourself to bubble the ship. When the ship is bubbled, we will press the star and see ourselves off," Garnet ordered.
"Sounds good to me!" Luffy started to jump up and down. "I'm getting excited!"
Steven prepared himself in the center of the ship. He looked out to the beach house one last time, happy to think about the fun times he had in the past week. In fact, all of his recent adventures with the Straw Hats were moments he would cherish for years to come. Though he was afraid when he first landed on Damian and Petrea's boat, he ended up having a wonderful adventure. Painting with Genevieve, making snow angels with Chopper, dancing with Luffy, training with Zoro, playing the ukulele Nami bought him, eating Sanji's cooking, and fishing with Usopp were all things he would look back on fondly.
But even Steven knew all good things had to come to an end.
"Ready, Steven?" Luffy called to him.
"Ready, captain!" Steven nodded, focusing his energy from his Gem. At once a giant bubble surrounded Merry, forcing Steven to concentrate as hard as he could to keep everything together. He closed his eyes, ready to open them when they reached the Grand Line.
*AGITR*
"GAH! WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" Priyanka yelled moments later.
Steven felt his bubble get bombarded, causing his eyes to jolt wide-open. Through the pink lens of his creation, Steven saw the vast ocean of the Grand Line once more. However, it wasn't the only familiar sight he recognized...
"Is that Luffy's grandpa?!" Steven asked worriedly.
"Damn it! We returned literally right where and when we left!" Smoker cursed, bracing himself.
"It's just like when we left Beach City..." Garnet told herself.
"We really should have asked Uncle Grandpa how time worked with that thing before he left," Amethyst shrugged.
"Now isn't the time to think about that, Amethyst! Stay focused!" Pearl yelled at her.
"Speak for yourself! I missed this last time! This seems like a blast!" Amethyst laughed.
"We are GOING to be blasted if you keep that kind of attitude!" Usopp panicked. "Steven! For the love of all that is sacred and holy, keep that bubble up!"
"It's...it's hard!" Steven winced as another cannonball hit and bounced off of the pink sphere.
"IS THIS A TYPICAL SITUATION YOU YOU WOULD FACE HERE, CONNIE?!" Priyanka ran to look for cover.
The young girl blushed and gasped as she watched the cannonball fly away. "Mom, this is the only time this happened! Even in the civil war..."
"'CIVIL WAR?!' YOU NEVER MENTIONED A CIVIL WAR!"
"Yes, I did! We saved Alabasta from the clutches of the tyrannical Crocodile and..." Connie tried to explain herself.
"I don't think now is the time to be arguing about this!" Sanji yelled to them. "Luffy's grandfather is literally trying to kill us right now! That takes priority!"
"Well what do we do? If we retaliate it can be considered an act of war..." Pearl panicked. "The last thing we want is to further disrupt interdimensional affairs!"
"Can't we just talk it out or something?!" Petrea asked worriedly. "There has to be a way of getting his attention!"
"Wait..." Greg interjected. "Get his attention? I can do that!"
"Mr. Universe, I don't think playing your air guitar is going to..." Tashigi started to say before getting blown backwards.
"HEY! STOP FIRING! THERE ARE INNOCENT CIVILIANS AND MARINES ON BOARD!" Greg yelled loudly. The Straw Hats and Gems covered their ears in agony. Greg's voice was so loud and powerful that it popped his son's bubble and knocked back the final volley of cannonballs into the ocean.
The musician started to pant as he took a knee to catch his breath. The bombardment had momentarily ceased and it seemed that both ships were caught off-guard by the outburst. "Holy...it worked!" Greg laughed and wheezed at the same time.
"WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" Priyanka began to freak out and clutch her ears.
"I'M DEAF!" Chopper clutched his ears and rolled around on the floor. "I NEED A DOCTOR!"
"ISN'T THAT YOU?!" Pearl shouted to him.
"AH! YOU'RE RIGHT!"
"A LITTLE WARNING NEXT TIME WOULD BE NICE!" Amethyst moaned.
"DAD, WHAT DID YOU DO?" Steven yelled, clearly a byproduct of his father's wailing.
"Simple, sport! I can control my sound waves right? Well, if messing around with Adobe Audition has taught me anything, it is that sound can not only be manipulated but AMPLIFIED! I just increased the decibels of my voice and blamo!" Greg blushed, clearly proud of himself. "I really don't know HOW I did that, but I did!"
"THAT...THAT IS AWESOME!" Steven cheered loudly to compensate his temporary loss of hearing. "...THOUGH I WISH THIS RINGING WOULD STOP!"
"You did well, Greg," Garnet gave him a thumbs-up. "And it looked like it worked. It seems we are about to get company..."
The few members of the Straw Hats who were able to looked to Garp's ship. Sure enough, a small boat was floating toward them containing one lone occupant. He was a tall older gentleman wearing a dog hat. Luffy pulled himself together to take a peek and found himself backing up in horror. "GAH! GRAMPS IS COMING!"
"The famous Marine himself..." Smoker muttered. "You all need to pull yourselves together. I advise you Gems to get back to Beach City and let us take care of this..."
"NO! WE AREN'T LEAVING UNTIL WE KNOW THE STRAW HATS ARE SAFE!" Steven stood his ground while trying to clear his eardrums with his pinky.
"Don't be an idiot, kid! Did you forget that you have a bounty?! You all could be killed!" Smoker tried to reason with him.
"Look, we will be fine! We'll just say that the Straw Hats are holding us hostage and that you and Tashigi was going to return us back to Alabasta!" Greg tried to explain his plan. "What? It's the best idea I have! I don't see anyone else doing anything productive at the present moment!"
"That is preposterous!" Pearl argued. "He would see through that in a second!"
"Not necessarily," Tashigi got up and shook her head. "I think we can pull this off...but it won't work with everyone on deck..."
"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?" Nami asked loudly.
"If the vice admiral were to come on board, he would no doubt question the appearance of a short purple woman and a tall...I don't even know what color your skin is, Garnet, but it's not natural," Tashigi explained.
"I have no idea," Garnet folded her arms.
"You're cerise," Genevieve pointed out.
"There you go," Garnet shrugged.
"NO, SERIOUSLY...WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?" Nami tried again. "I CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING!"
Tashigi regarded her and sighed. "Listen, there is no time to explain this again. Pearl, I think you could pass for a human, but you need to hide that gemstone..."
"Does Luffy really look like the kind of person who would hold a hostage?" Zoro asked. "He's an innocent idiot!"
"We don't have a choice, Zoro! He's getting closer by the second!" Tashigi pointed to Garp, who was surveying the situation.
"Fine. Amethyst and I will hide ourselves. Pearl, put on a hat. Tashigi and Greg's plan is our best shot to get through this," Garnet started toward the cabin, grabbing Amethyst with her.
"Aww, no fair! I want to be here for a fight!" she pouted.
"...where does one find a hat on this vessel?" Pearl asked, looking around.
"Wear my headband," Zoro untied it from his arm. "It'll hide it better than a hat would."
The Gem looked at the headband and shuddered. "...this is degrading."
"There's only one thing left to do..." Tashigi sighed and walked over to Robin, who was doing her best to stay toward the back. "You should stay out of sight as well. You are one of the most wanted criminals on the Grand Line. I'm sure you'd be arrested on sight..."
Robin raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Isn't that what you want?"
"Think of this as my way of apologizing after the other night..." Tashigi looked down at her feet.
"...thank you," the former Miss All Sunday responded. She gave a small smile to the Marine as she joined Garnet and Amethyst.
Tashigi sighed and began to question whether she would regret her choice. Regardless, she was brought back to reality when the ship started to shake. Tashigi looked and saw that Garp himself had jumped up from his little boat onto the deck of the Going Merry. He crossed his arms and had a giant smile etched on his face. "Vice Admiral Garp!"
"Ah! Captain Smoker! Master Chief Petty Officer Tashigi! I see that you're the Marines that the loud, booming voice was talking about!" Garp laughed. "What was that anyway?"
"That would be me, sir..." Greg weakly raised his hand. "Sorry about that. I'm still learning how to use my Devil Fruit and..."
"Don't worry about it, son. Strange though...my men and I just busted up a major Devil Fruit black market ring and had confiscated all of their cargo. I thought that there was a sound fruit in that haul..." Garp thought about it and shrugged.
"Could...could it be possible it got knocked overboard during the cannon fire?" Greg asked curiously.
"Could be. I don't know...whatever; that's not important. The point is that if you didn't do that, I'd still be pelting these cannonballs at you. Still, how did two Marines end up on my grandson's ship?"
"...that would be a long story, sir..."
"Speaking of, where is my idiot grandson?!" Garp yelled, looking around the ship until he found Luffy hiding behind the mast, silently praying to himself. "GET OUT HERE AND GIVE YOUR GRANDFATHER A HUG, BOY!"
Garp jumped over the Straw Hats, making his way to Luffy. In one quick movement, he grabbed the pirate by the collar and raised him in the air.
"GAH! SAVE ME!" Luffy yelled fearfully.
"DANGER! LUFFY HAS BEEN CAPTURED BY HIS GRANDFATHER!" Chopper wailed.
"Please don't hurt him! Family shouldn't hurt family!" Steven pleaded with him. "Your grandson may be a pirate but...are they sleeping?"
Sure enough, both Garp and Luffy had fallen asleep while standing up. Steven began to laugh at the situation while the others just stood there in bewilderment and shock.
"Words fail me," Usopp said.
"Is this a normal experience for you all in this universe?" Priyanka whispered. "This is utterly insane!"
"Are you okay, mom?" Connie asked.
"I can't say yet, honey...why don't you ask me later?"
After a moment, Garp awoke and looked at the slumbering form of his grandson in his hand. "Impudent brat!"
The Marine hit him, causing him to awaken quickly. "OW! Whatcha do that for?!"
"For falling asleep and being a disrespectful pirate!" Garp yelled. "Look at you! It's bad enough you took all the training I gave you and became a pirate, but kidnapping? Luffy, I'm disappointed in you!"
"'Kidnapping?' What are you...?" Luffy started before getting interrupted by a cough from Greg. "Oh! That. Right..."
"I have to say, you seem to be rather generous with your hostages' accommodations..." Garp narrowed his eyes.
"That would be because of us, sir!" Tashigi quickly interjected. "We were negotiating with the pirates to return the hostages back to their home!"
"Were you now?" Garp asked suspiciously. "Regardless, though I am touched at the prospect of a family reunion, I actually have a job to do...something you wouldn't know since you are a damn pirate!"
"Being a pirate is a job!" Luffy argued. "I've told you since I was a kid that I was going to be the Pirate King!"
"And I told you that you were going to be a great Marine!"
"Connie, this is exactly why I want us to have open communication," Priyanka told her daughter.
"Wait, if our idiot captain wasn't your mission, why did you open fire on us?" Sanji asked.
"Besides the fact that you are pirates? To say hello, of course! I wasn't expecting that pink bubble though..." Garp looked over at Steven, who gave an awkward wave. "Anyway, I've been sent out in search of a pirate that has been rumored to be spotted with you, Luffy...something about a giant woman..."
"What?!" Pearl stammered shaking her hands around. "There's no giant woman here! Nope! Just all of us humans!"
The vice admiral regarded her as several of the Straw Hats face-palmed. "...I can see that, missy. It's a shame too. I was hoping to meet her. She was pretty funny-looking if you ask me."
"I have never seen that giant woman, but I doubt she would be considered 'funny-looking' by any means..." Pearl's face began to turn blue.
Garp merely smiled. "It's true! I know you are just a civilian and all, but wait until you see the new wanted poster for her. Gave her the epitaph 'Giant Onigiri Magician' myself since her head just reminded me so much of food."
"I am sure it does NOT look like food!" Pearl got defensive. "I am sure it was a perfectly symmetrical and well-adjusted giant head!"
"Even so, I wonder if she would taste like onigiri..." Garp licked his lips. "Mmmm, I'm starting to salivate..."
"He's totally Luffy's grandfather," Usopp tried not to laugh.
"Could you speak up? It's still hard to make out whispering!" Nami groaned in frustration.
"Why would you WANT to eat a Gem...giant woman? That sounds barbaric!" Pearl asked in a shocked, offended voice.
"Eh, doesn't matter now does it...since she CLEARLY isn't here at all..." Garp said staring directly at Pearl. "Still...if she was, I'd ask her about that ridiculous outfit she was wearing. Who wears a tuxedo in the desert?"
"Maybe it was just a part of her body and not her clothing!" Pearl snapped.
"...so, you are saying the giant woman was naked?" Garp began to laugh. "You picked a hilarious hostage, Luffy."
As Garp began to laugh, the other Straw Hats looked at Pearl and tried to wrap their heads around the idea that she might technically be naked. As for Greg, he did everything he could not to bury his face in his arms due to embarrassment.
"So...what do I do now?" Garp stopped laughing and got serious. "On this ship alone we have three people with bounties; two of which jointly brought down a Shishibukai. That's not even counting the hostages and the pirates that DON'T have bounties yet..."
"Sir, if I may speak?" Smoker made his way to Garp. "My subordinate and I were in the process of handling the situation before you arrived. If you wish, we can continue to do so."
The Marine hero glanced once more at the crew of pirates and locked eyes with Pearl, who still seemed a bit heated. After a moment his gaze landed on Steven, who again noticed with a smile and a wave. Finally, his eyes widened and seemed to have made his choice. "Hmm...well it does seem like you two have this handled...and my target clearly isn't here..."
"You have my guarantee, sir, that Justice will be served," Smoker nodded.
"HOWEVER!" Garp yelled loudly, causing everyone to jump. "There is one final piece of business I have here...something that I expect you all to comply with or else you will have to face the consequences!"
"Wha...wha...what is it?" Luffy gulped.
The Marine pointed to a discarded box and made a very serious face. "I want a doughnut!"
The crew fell backwards in shock at the request. However, Luffy jumped up and confronted his grandfather. "You can't! Those doughnuts were gifts! They weren't meant for you!"
"You think you can tell your grandfather what he can and cannot have?! I raised you better than that!"
"You didn't raise me at all!"
As grandfather and grandson locked heads, Steven walked over and picked up the box of doughnuts Sadie left them. He did a quick count and counted all of the Straw Hats and Marines. "Since Zoro isn't eating his doughnut, we have enough for your grandfather, Luffy! Here!"
The half-Gem held up the Big Donut box to the feuding Monkey family and waited for them to notice. Garp finally looked over and adopted a large grin. "Hmm...the 'Tiger Millionaire' has manners, eh? Good for you," he said as he grabbed a chocolate frosted doughnut. After a bite, tears appeared in his eyes. "This might be the best doughnut I have ever eaten! Thank you, brats!"
He made his way to the side of the ship that his boat was docked on and prepared to leave. Before he did so, Garp turned around and regarded his grandson. "The next time I see you, I won't be alone. I've got a couple of trainees who are just dying to see you, Luffy. Let me tell you; they have potential to be great Marines. They'll bring you to Justice in no time."
"Bring 'em on, gramps! Nothing is going to stand between me and my dream!" Luffy stuck his tongue out at him.
"Nothing but me, my idiot grandson," Garp couldn't help but smile. "They are all yours, Captain Smoker. Give 'em hell!"
With that, Garp jumped off of the ship and started to go back toward his own vessel. As soon as he was sufficiently far enough away, everybody let out a joint sigh.
"How. The. Hell. Did. That. Work?" Damian asked, wiping the sweat from his brow. "I just had a panic attack."
"Pearl, what were you thinking?!" Greg yelled at the Gem. "You nearly gave everything away! He was clearly provoking you!"
"He was insulting Sardonyx! She means quite a lot to me!" Pearl defended herself.
"...so..." Usopp decided to ask. "Are we going to address how you are basically naked?"
"I am most certainly not naked!" Pearl stamped her foot down.
"Are you wearing clothing that can be removed from your body?" Genevieve asked.
"...no...I technically do not...it IS my body..."
"Then you're naked," Genevieve observed. "Congratulations."
"Wait...if you are naked...how do you poop?" Luffy asked curiously. "Wait...CAN you poop?"
"WHAT A VULGAR QUESTION!" Pearl yelled angrily.
"...you people are so juvenile," Priyanka shook her head. The doctor looked to the Marine returning to the ship and started to laugh. "I cannot believe that I just survived that."
Connie started to laugh weakly. "This wasn't actually that bad, mom."
The doctor opened her mouth to speak but decided against it in order to keep herself calm. As she did so, the Gems and Robin returned to the deck and surveyed the situation.
"Aww, you guys didn't even throw a punch? Lame," Amethyst sighed. "I was hoping for a good fight."
"...that is the exact opposite of what we wanted," Steven pointed out.
"Lame," she reiterated dejectedly.
"Disregarding Amethyst, I'd like to say that was a job well done. Good plan," Garnet acknowledged Greg and Tashigi. "But now that this situation is resolved, it is time we returned home."
"Aww! Do you have to?!" Luffy asked with puppy-dog eyes.
"I don't want you guys to leave!" Chopper sniffled.
"We have to, reindeer-doctor. This was only ever us seeing you off...until the next adventure that is," Garnet pulled down her sunglasses and winked one of her three eyes.
"'Adventure?'" Steven asked. He smiled and pulled out the ukulele Nami bought him in Alabasta from the Cheeseburger Backpack. "You all know what they say about adventures, right?"
"Are we being treated to one last song from our musician?" Nami smiled. "Sounds like my hearing came back at the perfect time."
"Who said you could sing a song? We have business to attend to, 'Straw Hat!'" Smoker growled, knocking his jute on the floor of the deck. "I told you that you'd be arrested when you got back here!"
"Oh. You want a fight, Smokey?" Luffy asked dejectedly. "Could it please wait until after the song? If this is the last time we see Steven for who knows how long, I'd at least like to hear one last song!"
The Marine was about to respond when his eyes found the Beach City doughnut box. As he stared at it, Tashigi put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed. He sighed and put the jute away. "...'Straw Hat,' I WILL be the one to arrest you. Do you understand me?"
"Wait...what?" Luffy asked, confused. "So, you don't want to fight?"
"Not now. Not like this," Smoker grabbed a cigar and went to light it. "I might have told you that I would arrest you when we returned here, but I also said I would consider letting you idiots go. After everything that happened...it wouldn't be right. Besides, Tashigi and I have a farcical ceremony to prepare for."
"...are...are you serious?" Luffy stood there with his mouth wide-open. "SMOKEY, YOU ARE THE BEST!"
"Thank you, Captain Smoker!" Steven ran over and gave him a giant hug. "Can you at least stay for a goodbye song?!"
"Please, captain?" Connie asked too, joining Steven and Luffy. All three of them gave him puppy-dog eyes at the same time; a force to be reckoned with for sure.
"...one song. Then I'm grabbing my Billow Raft and leaving before I change my mind..." Smoker rubbed his temples, clearly a defeated man.
"Told you he was more emotional than he let on," Garnet whispered.
Steven took his ukulele and began to strum a calm and upbeat melody as happily as he could. "The greatest adventure is what lies ahead. Today and tomorrow are yet to be said. The chances, the changes are all yours to make. The mold of your life is in your hands to break."
Greg, knowing the song, joined his son with his own instrument: himself. "The greatest adventure is there if you're bold. Let go of the moment that life makes you hold. To measure the meaning can make you delay; It's time you stop thinkin' and wasting the day."
"The man who's a dreamer and never takes leave, who thinks of a world that is just make-believe, will never know passion, will never know pain. Who sits by the window will one day see rain," the two Universe boys sang in harmony as the Straw Hats and Marines; Gems, humans, and reindeer; everyone on the Going Merry stopped and listened in the moment.
"The greatest adventure is what lies ahead. Today and tomorrow are yet to be said. The chances, the changes are all yours to make. The mold of your life is in your hands to break," Greg sang solo once more, bowing out to let Steven finish the song.
"The greatest adventure is what lies ahead..." Steven smiled, looking up at his friends. The group gave him and Greg well-deserved applause, resulting in them taking a bow.
Upon completion of the song, Smoker and Tashigi took their leave. They made sure to thank Steven and the Gems for their hospitality one final time before they departed. At last, the Going Merry was occupied by only pirates and their allies once more.
"Steven!" Genevieve called to him as he took one last walk around the ship with Connie. "I meant to give this to you before...but it was really hard to find the strength to."
She handed him a canvas painting that made Steven's eyes turn to stars.
"Wow! It's you, Steven!" Connie exclaimed.
"The painting you made of me in Little Garden! I...I can't take this!" Steven started to tear up.
"You can and you will," the painter smirked. "Next time I come over, I expect to see that and the Snow-Garnet painting hanging up."
"You got it, dude!" Steven laughed, wiping a small tear from his eye.
"Connie, I owe you a painting of you wielding that sword of yours..." Genevieve turned to her and opened her arms up for a hug. Connie saw that she too had teared up. "I owe you for the pictures. Thank you for being a great friend. You two take care of each other, you hear?"
"Of course, Genevieve!" Connie started to join her and Steven in the crying club. "We'll see each other again before you know it!"
"I'm holding you to that!"
As the trio laughed one last time, Pearl motioned everyone into the storage deck. Though it was not designed for such a large group of people in one siting, their temporary discomfort did not bother them. Everybody knew that this moment had to come eventually...
It was time to return to the status quo. It was time to go home.
"Just push the button whenever you all are ready," Nami explained to Garnet, who was looking over the embedded badge. Everyone else was taking small sips of the drinks Sanji brought out to share one last time before they departed, focusing on it instead of what had to happen next.
"Gotcha," Garnet nodded, her eyes focusing on Steven. "The floor is yours, Steven."
"I...I have something to say," Steven gulped and regarded each of his pirate brethren. "The last few weeks have been nothing short of amazing. I've learned so much from each of you...and I can't wait to learn and do more in the future! We can't be upset that this is happening, but we should get excited for what comes next!"
"Well-spoken," Robin smiled.
"Each of you are family to me, and you will be for the rest of my life..." Steven wiped away the stream of tears and snot pouring down his face. "That's why I can't say goodbye to you guys...because family never says goodbye. Until the next time...Straw Hats and Crystal Gems for life?"
One by one the Straw Hats lifted their glasses toward Steven and his family. They, in turn, followed their lead until everyone was prepared to toast not only to Steven's belief in them all, but to the bond that they now shared together.
"STRAW HATS AND CRYSTAL GEMS FOR LIFE!"
*AGITR*
Night in Beach City was very similar to what it was on the Grand Line: cold, yet inviting.
The Steven Badge had worked perfectly. The Gems, Universes, Maheswarans, Petrea, and Damian had all made it back in one piece. At this point, they could not tell for sure if the badge would reconnect them to the Going Merry like Uncle Grandpa said it would, but Steven kept his hopes up.
Steven had bid Connie and her mother a fond goodnight upon arrival as Priyanka wanted to go home and process the experience she just underwent. Connie assured Steven that she would be okay and only needed to sleep it off. The half-Gem expected to talk about it in the morning.
As for Greg, he returned to his beloved van to catch up on some much-needed rest. The extended use of his new gifts had worn him out, but not enough to give his son a goodnight hug. All that remained were the Gems and Beach City's newest residents.
"Petrea and Damian, I suppose we will sit down and figure out your living situation in the morning," Pearl sighed, taking a seat on the couch. "This entire ordeal was far too exhausting for my liking."
"Does that mean they can stay here for the night?!" Steven asked, eager to snuggle up in bed himself.
"Well, we can't just throw them out," Pearl explained.
"Unless you want to be," Garnet added.
Petrea chuckled slightly. "I think taking the couch would be preferable if you are offering. I know this wasn't the most thought-out plan in the world, but I know it will all work itself out in time."
"It always does," Steven smiled.
"I really want to thank you all for...you know, putting up with me," Damian shifted nervously. "I know this might be uncomfortable and..."
"Chillax, dude! We like you guys. You'll have a blast on Beach City. Heck, you are good friends with the Frybos and blondie has her own fan club with Vidalia's son," Amethyst laughed.
"Oh my gosh. I never even thought of that," Petrea whispered. "Oh my gosh! I'll be living in the same town as him!"
"Now isn't the time to be thinking of such things. The Straw Hats are home safe and sound, Captain Smoker didn't arrest anyone, Steven is back, the Rifting Stone is secure, and Peridot is bubbled in the Burning Room," Garnet listed as she folded her arms and joined Pearl on the couch. "I think that constitutes as a series of missions well-completed."
"Peridot..." Steven whispered to himself. His mind raced back to the previous night where she kidnapped him, mentioning something about a "Cluster."
"I don't know about all of you, but I am beat!" Amethyst yawned. "I think I'm gonna search my garbage pile for a quick bite to eat and then I'm heading to sleepsville!"
"I think that is a good idea...garbage excluded," Damian yawned. "Tomorrow is going to be a long day of figuring out the mess I got you all in."
"Hush, you," Petrea sighed, letting out her own yawn. "It will all work out. The only mess you need to worry about is the one that you will make helping set up new linens for the couch and sleeping bag. I'll be in the bathroom changing into my pajamas."
"Have fun, Petrea!" Steven waved. "Come on, Damian. I'll help you set this up."
"You're such a charming host, Steven," Damian chuckled.
"Hey, you took care of me...so now I'm going to take care of you!"
*AGITR*
One by one, the beach house seemingly emptied. The former "Mr. 5 Pair" had settled down for the night and fell asleep in their new dimension peacefully. The Gems had retreated into the Crystal Temple. Steven...
Steven was wide-awake.
The boy shuffled around in his favorite banana pajamas and looked around his room. He stared at the drawing Genevieve left him (the one they bonded over in Little Garden) and felt sadness. He missed his pirate friends and he missed the fun adventures they went on. Yes, he would see them again eventually, just as the proverbial carnival returns to town, but it would only be at times of great need. Who knew when that would be? The amount of memories he had from his adventures in the Grand Line could have filled dozens of books, but he stopped himself from getting to emotional.
In the process, he allowed his mind to drift elsewhere. Garnet had reminded him about Peridot, which caused him to replay those moments in his mind over and over again. The Homeworld Gem was frightened to the point of abducting him to try to get off the planet. Whatever this "Cluster" was, it meant the end of the planet as he knew it.
And the Gems had brushed it off.
Nine times out of ten, he believed that the Crystal Gems knew what they were doing. However, the recent incidents with Sardonyx and even Pearl being unable to foresee how far Connie would go in the duel showed him that they were just as fallible as any person...or even talking reindeer for that matter. Who was to say that they weren't right about Peridot?
Looking under his bed, Steven pulled out a small green and black boot. The half-Gem recalled how he retrieved the item not too long before he found the Rifting Stone. He was trapped with the Gems in a trap laid out by Peridot, but now Steven had to ask himself why she had acted that way.
Why didn't Peridot want help facing this "Cluster?" What WAS a "Cluster?"
"If only I could sleep...if only I knew..." Steven said to himself. "I should be able to move past this...but why was Peridot so scared? I wish I could ask her..."
At that very moment, Steven's gem glowed bright pink. Steven looked down, surprised at the sight and confused as to why it was happening. Suddenly, the Temple Gate opened up, showing a glimpse of the clouds that adorned his mother's room.
"Hmm...I think I know what I'm doing tonight..." Steven told himself as he jumped down to the floor and ran past his sleeping guests and into the room of Rose Quartz.
"Room! I want to speak to Peridot!"
*AGITR*
Smoker was irritated beyond belief at his present situation. He thought it was bad enough to be stuck for a little under a week with the Straw Hat pirates, but if there was one thing Smoker hated more than pirates, it was self-righteous bureaucrats. Only days after his return to the Grand Line, he and Tashigi were summoned by Admiral Sengoku himself to Mary Geoise: the capitol of the World Government.
It was assumed that the reason for such a summons was due to Crocodile's capture. Though it was covered up by the outside world, the fact that pirates were responsible for the liberation of Alabasta was an insult to the World Government as a whole. Despite his dedication to Justice, Smoker was not happy about their decision to promote him and give him all of the glory. As such, he and Tashigi decided to use their waiting time rather productively in a way benefiting how they felt about the situation.
"Calm down, Tashigi," Smoker scolded as he looked up from his book. "You are going to make me lose my place with your damn moaning."
"This puzzle game is really frustrating, sir!" Tashigi growled. "The blocks are not working my way at all!"
"It's only a game. Don't lose sleep over it," Smoker shook his head and returned to his "light" reading.
After a few moments of waiting, the door opened up and the Marines were ushered into a room. Tashigi turned off her gaming system and put it in her pocket while Smoker put his bookmark in place and prepared for the worst case scenario.
Waiting for them in the room was Sengoku himself and five other men. Sengoku was easy enough to be around for the few times he met him and Smoker had to admit that he respected the man. But the others...
They were the Gorosei: the leaders of the World Government. Despite being summoned to Mary Geoise, Smoker didn't expect to have them included in this meeting. It made him curious and (truth be told) excited.
"Ah, Commodore Smoker and Ensign Tashigi," the bespectacled Marine Fleet Admiral acknowledged them. "I apologize for keeping you waiting. It seems you were more prepared for that than I was. Is it any good?"
"Is what good, sir?" Smoker asked, deciding not to show his annoyance of his new rank.
"That book you are carrying," Sengoku clarified, pointing to the book under Smoker's arm.
"It is eye-opening to say the least," he admitted. "I assume we weren't summoned here to discuss literature, correct?"
"Unfortunately. Recent events have forced all of us to reevaluate a great many things...especially considering the void left by Crocodile's...arrest," Sengoku sighed. "As it stands, I'll be meeting with the other Shishibukai and other higher-ups to discuss THAT issue in a few days. But today is not about Crocodile as much as it is about you and your experiences."
"Oh? I'm afraid I don't follow. I thought I was very clear in my report," Smoker furrowed his brow.
"Yes, you were clear, but apparently our hosts here are rather concerned by some of its contents."
"We will take it from here, Fleet Admiral Sengoku," one of the Gorosei spoke up. He was an older gentleman with grey dreadlocks and a scar on the left side of his face. "Would you please leave us."
"Now hold on, Elder Noda! These are my people and..." Sengoku looked alarmed.
"That was not a question. This matter involves only these two and these two alone," Elder Noda frowned.
Sengoku shot them an angry look before resigning himself to the futility of the situation. He left the room, locking eyes with Smoker before he did so. He gave the man a small nod of appreciation and awaited what was no doubt about to be an interesting conversation.
"Let's not waste any more time than we have to, commodore...ensign. When you first reported Crocodile's treason, you spoke of, and I quote, 'magical alien female invaders.' Am I correct?" Elder Noda asked plainly.
Smoker kept a neutral face and was pleased to see Tashigi doing the same. He should have known that the appearance of beings like the Crystal Gems would cause a stir for the bigwigs. "It sounds right."
"Based on this image captured on your vessel, may I assume that the wanted criminal known as 'Sardonyx' was among them?"
"What gave it away? Was it the multiple arms, the astounding height, or the rock on her forehead?" Smoker sarcastically asked.
"This is a very serious matter, Commodore Smoker!" a bald elder with glasses scolded him. "We are talking about the stability of the World Government as a whole!"
"Calm yourself, Elder Ogata," Elder Noda requested. "Commodore Smoker, it is vital that we learn everything there is to learn about this pirate and others like her. Vice Admiral Garp reported that she was not a part of the Straw Hat pirate crew. Where did she go to? How many other Gems were there?"
"'Gems?'" Tashigi asked, a bit surprised to hear the term. She thought in her head and gave an answer to mask it. "There were three I believe...the tall one, the dainty one, and the one with the afro..."
"So, that makes three Gems all together...interesting. Thank you, Ensign Tashigi. Do either of you know of their current whereabouts?" the scarred elder asked.
"Nope. I think they went back to their dimension or wherever it was that they came from. They just vanished without a trace..." Smoker kept his best poker face on, wanting to ride this out as long as possible.
"I see. Regardless, we will keep our eyes and ears open. I suggest that you report any further sightings directly to Fleet Admiral Sengoku himself. We will make sure you receive no delay or skeptical questions on the other end," Elder Noda closed his eyes and gripped his walking cane.
"Of course, sirs. If we can do anything to assist in these matters, please keep us in the loop!" Tashigi saluted quickly.
"And you, Commodore Smoker?"
"If that's what you want, then that's what I will do," Smoker forced himself to salute as well. "Is there anything else my subordinate and I can do for you?"
"There is one final thing: keep this meeting to yourself. This conversation never happened. You never met with us. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal," Smoker nodded and started to walk out with Tashigi in tow, appreciating his own private last laugh.
After exchanging trivial banter with Sengoku about Crocodile, Smoker found himself alone with Tashigi as they continued toward their ship. "You did the right thing by describing Pearl and Garnet. They could have learned about their appearances from the people of Alabasta. Don't beat yourself up about it."
"This doesn't add up, commodore," she frowned. "Why are they more concerned about the Gems than Crocodile's uprising?"
"The better question is how they know that they ARE Gems," Smoker snarled as bit down on his cigar. "I never used that term in my reports. The only other people who knew that were Crocodile and Hina. I trust Hina implicitly and I doubt Crocodile would be cooperative with his former overlords..."
"So what does that mean?"
"It means this wasn't the first time this world has encountered Gems..." Smoker took a large drag of his cigar. "...and something tells me it won't be the last..."
END OF PART ONE
