Hello there ! Here we are : the Shiki incident with our lovely Princess !
As always, thank you every one for your review, it makes me so happy to see this. And also, I would like a round of applause for Haruka24 and her help for this translation !
So for now, I hope you will enjoy this chapter, even if it's so big and see you later !
Also, if you would like to see an art about the kimono, go check this : anna-chan17 dot deviantart dot com /art/Kaizoku-Hime-435650548
Ann kept her face under her hat, spread on her long chair, pertinently knowing that Nami was staring attentively at her.
Who could begrudge her, she was the Kaizoku Hime, after all. The redhead had seen her in the news, or from afar, at Alabasta. But never until now, had they had the occasion to be so near each other. This made Ann rather nervous, since she was scared that the girl would make the connection before the right time.
This had the woman angry. Very angry.
Oh, not against Nami, even if she had tried to flirt more than once with Marco.
No, against Shiki.
This one, if Luffy wasn't implicated, she would take a great pleasure in kicking his ass.
With a terse move, she arranged her hat on her head, masking even more her face, listening to Nami swimming laps in the pool.
She smiled inwardly.
Since Nami was involved, she would let her find a way out alone. It would be a good training for the Shin Sekai. One day, there will be no one able to save her and where she would have to save herself. And Ann knew that the redhead wasn't wasting time. All the while maintaining the appearance for Shiki, she was looking for a way out.
"Ano…" said the hesitating voice of the ginger head, pulling Ann out of her thoughts.
"Nani?" Sighed Ann.
"Is it true what is told?"
"What? That I'm your captain's fiancee? Everyone talks about that, that's tiring, and false, grumbled the young woman."
She pouted under her hat. She had enough of this question.
"No, not this one… the redhead told her. A rumor saying that you are from the East Blue."
"I should listen more often to the rumors… It's partly true. I grew up in East Blue, but was born elsewhere."
"You grew up where, exactly?"
"You'll know another day."
«Very soon, even.» thought Ace.
She heard her coming out of the water and walk toward the hammock to take something.
It was then that a music made them jolt.
There, on the stairs leading out of the greenhouse, there was a white sheet letting only perceive three rather imposing shadows who began a dance show.
Ann sighed deeply. A sigh clearly saying: give me a blade so I can do a bloodshed. This man was putting her patience under duress. She began to tap the armchair of her long chair with her fingers, with a looooooot of annoyance.
She hoped that Luffy would hurry, or she will be the one kicking this man's ass.
The sheet fell, revealing… a pink ape with a yellow hat, a clown in a lab coat, flanking a man that the two women had learned to know, to their biiiiiggest regret.
He was rather tall, with long golden hair like a lion mane, a skull with a dark skin, trimmed with a piece of a ship's bar. He was wearing a long golden blazer on a black kimono, on another of a pale red, almost pink, adorned with a golden chain, which was coming a little down on his hips than the black, plus a green belt that tied on it all, as well as a yellow hakama ending at his knees. The most remarkable ( if we forgot the piece of wood he had in his skull), it was that his legs were swords.
Despite that, he was standing, without problem, dancing like the two other morons, all while coming down the stair, before posing again, one hand held toward the two women.
"So, hmm, I wanted to know too, if you have any interesting story to tell on the adventures you lived, or on your father, or the people you met," said Nami ignoring totally the trio of fool.
Oh, what a smart girl, mused Ann with a malicious smirk. What's better than ignoring them to piss them off!
"Stories, I have a shit lot of them," smiled mischievously Ann under her hat. "I can talk about Edd War, or how my father kicked Shiki's ass!"
"Eeeeh… ehehe… you made your decisions, Baby-chan-tachi?" Asked the man with the lion mane walking toward them.
His swords were clinking in a metallic noise with each of his steps.
"Hurry up and release us," growled Nami.
"Garp, Shanks, Ji-chan, and Shirohige won't be fucking happy to know that you keep me prisoner, Shiki," pointed Ann.
"Don't swear so much, Ann-chan. You're a woman, act like one," smiled Shiki.
For all answer, he was flipped off. Oi! Ann was a man originally, it wasn't because right at this moment, she didn't have anything in her pants, that she had to change her way of talking, even if it was already pointed out to her.
"Jihahahaha! You really are cold women!" Chuckled the man. "I don't hate this sort of women…"
The two women stared at Shiki, then sighed, seeming to say that it was a hopeless case.
"I understand perfectly why my tou-san told you no," muttered Ann.
Luckily for her, her comment was covered by the noise that the clown made walking. This simple noise seemed to exasperate Shiki who gritted his teeth, lowering his head with each step that the clown made before turning around yelling:
"Teme! You can't be more discreet when you walk?! Doctor Indigo!"
Dr Indigo ceased walking, before he began to mimic something, making even more noise with his shoes.
"I'm going to murder someone," hissed Ann while hammering with a finger the armrest of her long chair. "Make him remove his fucking shoes, or I won't answer for my actions…"
"What are you trying to say?" growled Shiki, ignoring Ann.
"I have something to show you!" The clown ended up saying.
"YOU CAN TALK?!" exclaimed Shiki as if it was a miracle, his eyes almost out of their sockets.
The gorilla burst laughing all while clapping.
Shiki turned toward him, jaw dropping, as if hit by surprise saying:
"Mother!"
"Look better! That's a gorilla!" Roared the clown slapping him.
And all three of them posed, as if they had just given a show.
"Even Jozu trying to joke is funnier", sighed Ann standing up.
That meant everything! Jozu wasn't one for talking much, but when he tried to make someone laugh, there, you could be rolling on the ground while laughing for a while. Even Marco laughed at these moments. Too bad that they are so few in between.
She tied around her waist a sarong, and went to join Nami.
"Leave us alone", responded Nami just as annoyed.
"You are as cold as the ice, Baby-chan-tachi! Jihahaha!" Commented Shiki.
The two women walked away at the other side of the glasshouse, putting distance between them and the three morons. She stopped an instant to watch outside the snow fall. It was crazy for Ann. The glasshouse was keeping the influence of her power on the exterior, allowing her to see snow falling from the sky, thing that was, usually, impossible with her around.
The horrible noise from the shoes of the clown pulled Ann away from her thoughts.
-Shiki-sama! We have a new form of evolution on the island! Stated the clown while letting a cage fall on the floor.
Cage containing a sort of big yellow duck with the tail of a peacock (just as yellow). The two women looked at him with curiosity.
"Eh?! A guitar!" Said Shiki.
"Look better, that a bird!" The Dr Indigo told him with a slap.
While they took the pose, as if waiting for cheering for their so called comical show, the bird came out of the cage and flew a little to land on Shiki. In the end, the trio was electrocuted.
Aaah, the karma…
"Son of a bitch!" Roared Shiki throwing the duck far away.
Ann received it in her arm, even if he was bigger than her, so that he didn't hurt himself.
"Shotto!" Nami rose up joining the black haired woman to inquire about the bird's health.
"That's your evolution!" Growled Shiki to the Clown who was still smoking slightly.
"Hai, he is very conductive to electricity…" said the scientist.
"What is this evolution you're talking about?" Asked Nami.
She tried to touch the duck, but Ann kept her hand away.
"I have an akuma no mi that keep me safe from electricity, not you," she told her.
She continued petting the feathers of the bird that had put sadly his head on the shoulder of Roger's daughter.
"Hun?" Said Shiki. "True… I offered you to become our nakama, Nami-chan, and you my wife, Ann-chan, right? So I will tell you. Initially, this island was inhabited with evolved animals. It was very surprising. The cause of this is a plant named IQ. It stimulate the brain of the animals. This evolution make them untamable beast! Knowing this, I gathered the totality of the IQ of the island."
"It's been twenty years that we are on this island," stated Indigo standing up. "And we finally elaborate a new form of IQ."
«Hence his twenty years of absence since his escape from Impel Down» thought Ann.
And the scientist held a vial with a liquid neon green.
"It's name is SIQ! Once the product is injected, the animals become much more aggressive. Like this, the animals of this island will become more and more wild."
"What a horrible thing… whispered Nami. But what do you gain with this in the end?!"
"Do you have a denden, so that I can denounce you to the SPCA ?" Asked Ann between her gritted teeth. "Seriously, there is enough crazy men out there, you should have stayed at Impel Down instead of coming after those poor animals."
"You will soon know our objective," announced Shiki. "If you respectively become my nakama and my wife!"
"I told you that…" began Nami.
"Oh yes you will!" Roared Shiki, cutting her. "You will come yourself to beg me to become my nakama. And once calmed, I will tell you everything you want. We must be attentive to the demands of our nakamas, right? You must be able to know this, since your lover is the right hand of Shirohige, Ann-chan…"
"Wh-what? Who told you that!" Roared Ann.
Eh? But what was that shit! Who was telling that? From where came the leak?
"The rumors flow quickly on the sea… the papers say that you are the fiancee of the kid from East Blue, but he isn't important enough for someone like you. You could have chosen Akagami, he is more powerful than the Phoenix."
Ann raised her wrist, making a golden chain that she used as a bracelet shine, to arrange her hat.
"No matter what you say, I live my live with who I want, Shiki. You are not my father to have your word in my sentimental life, and even Ji-chan forgo mixing in my love stories. And I don't have for ambition to consort with the enemies of my father. Shirohige was a friend – even if they were rivals – of Otou-san and Ji-chan. Come back in a century, if you want to have me. I'm way too good for you."
And she tightened her ponytail.
Let it come, she'd be ready. She was the Kaizoku Hime. Finally, she liked this confrontational character, mysterious, to the limit of pretension. She almost felt like Boa Hancock. It was funny!
The man burst laughing before the indomitable character of the dark-haired woman.
"As fierce as a beauty from South Blue! Jehahahaha!" he smiled.
"I'm not from the South Blue, too bad, duh!"
Ann stuck her tongue, then continued to pet the feathers of the duck. The gorilla began to huff and puff while the clown came out of the water in which Shiki had pushed him to come closer to the women.
"'Give me these women', you say? No but stop taking your dreams for realities, pervert gorilla!" Said the scientist.
"Phew! I though it was my grand-mother!" Exclaimed Shiki turning around.
"How many people in your family look like gorilla!" Roared the scientist.
«Garp-jiji does look effectively like a gorilla from afar.» pondered Ann.
Then, she had the ridiculous idea that would allow her to release a little of her frustration.
Ann chuckled and came forward with an evil sway of her hips, after winking at Nami.
"Personally, my jiji look rather like a gorilla," Ann voiced her thoughts.
She came near the animal and smiled at him like a wildcat who trapped its prey.
"I'm not interested in this type of relation and am already in couple."
Bam!
The gorilla fell on his knees, holding his hurting parts after the kick Ann gave in his crotch, making the two other men wince from compassion. Nami, on her side, raised an eyebrow. Ann then turned toward Shiki and told him:
"Marco has many more qualities than you, and of which you are sorely lacking, and those I like the most in him… he is charismatic, caring and humble. You, you are a clown arrogant and sadistic. I understand more and more why otou-san told you no. You are lucky, I decided to leave you to someone as a present. You will regret to not be able to fight me."
And she punched him in the stomach, making him spew all the air in his lungs, before coming back calmly toward Nami who clapped smiling. Ann took a little her hat in lieu of salute, leaving the comics behind her.
" Patience, they aren't here yet because they don't know where you are, and that the beast must delay them," whispered Ann passing close to Nami, before going to the window.
It was more to herself, but it seemed to reassure the redhead who relaxed a little.
And she mechanically fixed her shirt in her back, hiding better her tattoos. It was too early for Nami to discover the truth about her. And much less funny… very seriously. Shabaody was the ideal place for this. Most of all with Ji-chan to explain the things. And she went to lounge once more in her long chair, her hat on her face.
Ann was staring absentmindedly outside of the glasshouse, for one hour, or two. No real idea, she didn't really care, even if she was bored out of her mind. Oh, she did take some time to put her feet in the water, but nothing more.
She raised her eyes when Nami put a hand on her shoulder. She had sensed her come toward her with her Haki, but didn't know what she wanted with her. However, with her serious face, Ann suspected what it was about: Nami knew how to escape.
"I had a feeling that you had an idea," whispered the black haired woman standing from her long chair.
In silence, the two women went to pick their respective bags.
Nami made sure that the denden monitoring them was eating, and so, wasn't watching them, while Ann signaled to the bird to follow them. She waited for Nami to go into the water to take out a scarf from her bag, tied it to her wrist, and then give it to the redhead who tied it to hers.
"Shiki took my bubble-coral", grumbled Ann, sitting at the edge of the water.
"That's fine. You should put your hat off, Ann-nee-san, you will lose it."
Ann sighed deeply and took off her hat, fearing to be recognized.
"You remind me someone… well, it's not important. You have beautiful eyes."
Phew, she didn't recognize her.
Ann squeezed out a smile and put her hat away, while Nami tied the other end of the scarf to her wrist. Ann slid in the water and Nami helped her immediately before she could drown. She swam like that until an edge of the pool, supporting Ann, followed by the bird.
"We dive" breathed out Nami.
Ann held her breath, and Nami dove, taking the blackhead girl with her.
As Shiki was learning that they had escaped, Nami and Ann was doing their best to hold their breath, while the bird was bolting under the water, to finally reach the sea.
"Definitively a duck!" Commented Ann coming back to her senses, once out of the water.
She climbed on the duck, behind Nami and grit her teeth, preparing for the fall.
The two women found themselves once more in the water, in a sort of crater, and saw with some panic that the residents weren't the most sympathetic beings, until the duck electrocuted them.
The duck came out of the water, all happy with what he did, before noticing that Nami and Ann were unconscious. He pulled them out of the water and placed them quickly on the ground.
There, Ann's logia took it from here and she flamed here and there, as the intern damages were healed. She untied the scarf and tried to wake Nami up.
"Oi, Nami. Nami! Nami, tteba! Wake up!" Said Ann shaking her.
"Ehhh…"
Nami half opened her eyes and her eyes flickered.
"Ace?"
Ann jumped away, surprised.
Nami straightened, to the big relief of the duck.
"Ah, sorry Ann-nee-san, I took you for a friend", apologized Nami.
"It's nothing, since Ace is a very cute boy", Ann chuckled nervously. "We have to thank our savior!"
Phew, she didn't really recognized her.
And she watched smiling as the duck was having an electrical crisis.
"Yamette! Contrary to me, Nami isn't immune to this," warned Ann.
"Thank you for saving us!" Smiled Nami.
And the duck cried with joy.
"Anyway, where are we?" Asked Nami.
"Sa na…"
And the duck followed them to come out of the crater.
"Forest. Great," muttered Ann.
This didn't tell them where they were, at all.
"Hey!" Said Nami noticing something. "Sunny Go!"
"Sorry?"
"The ship of our crew!" Explained Nami showing the ship that stood out in the middle of the trees. "How did you came here?"
"I was on a stolen zodiac, when I was captured."
Not bad their new ship, still…
"Come! Luffy won't have any problem with it, I'm sure!"
Taking Ann by her hand, she leads her without even letting her the time to put her hat back. They came down along the crater running to join the ship when an explosion happened near them. Nothing really worrying since with her Haki she could sense her brother playing up around.
"It's nothing," Ann told her while keeping walking. "It's only Lu'."
"Lu'?" Asked Nami.
"You can use the Haki, can't you? Then, focus on it."
"I'm not very good…"
Ann glared at her, and Nami obeyed, leaving the time to the dark-haired girl to put back her hat on her head. What was that! She wasn't Gol D. Ann without her hat, like Portgas D. Ace wasn't himself without his, or Luffy without the Mugiwara Boshi, or still Sabo couldn't be Hanran without his top hat.
"Luffy!" Recognized Nami thanks to the Haki.
"And there you are", smiled Ann. "Let's go"
Luffy showed up in the clearing, a stick in his hand, his sword in the other and noticed the Sunny.
"Luffy!" Yelled the two women.
"Eh?"
He turned around and rushed toward Nami, followed by three scorpion and one lion, all inordinately large.
"Nami! I'm happy that you're alright! You escaped from this guy! Ann! What are you doing here?!"
"Don't come here!" Yelled Nami running away.
"You will never change, Luffy," sighed Ann, with a smile halting between blasé and nostalgic.
She bowed her hat on her face and her Haki expended, knocking the huge beasts out.
The duck landed beside Ann and began to scold her because he had wanted to save them once more.
"Each their time of glory!" Smiled Ann to the duck.
As Nami was changing, Luffy, the duck and Ann ate a piece (of scorpion on firewood).
"Where are the others?" Asked Nami, hiding behind a tree.
"I didn't find them yet! It's huge here! I would never have thought of falling on you first, Nami! Anyway, what are you doing here, Ann?"
"Narcolepsy fit on the sea. When I woke up, I wasn't on a zodiac anymore, but in front of this jackass Shiki. And you?" Mumbled Ann.
"I was caught like a noob."
"Seriously, Luffy, you will never change…"
It didn't even surprise her.
"Shihihi!"
"You seem to know each other well", noted Nami as she made sure that her micro short fit her.
"The story is long, Ace will tell it to you", stated Ann.
Better push this subject to later and to not have to find a ridiculous story that would be ripped to piece later.
"Tonikaku, come eat! This scorpion is so good! Na, Ann, Biri?"
"Hn!" Said Ann.
"Couac!" Assured the duck dubbed Biri.
"No thanks! Your clothes are wet, Ann-nee-san, you want me to lend you some?" Turned down Nami as she hangs her swimsuit on a clothesline.
"No way, Marco and Ace warned me about you," refused Ann.
Luffy giggled and took a black fist full of Haki on the head from the child of Roger.
"You said Biri?" Realized Nami.
"This bird send electric shocks!" Explained Luffy.
And he pulled the cheek of the bird, who electrocuted him.
"Na!" Said Luffy unconcerned to the shock.
The bird was very happy with his new friend.
That's right, the electricity doesn't affect you since you're a gomu ningen. And you Ann-nee-san, how do you resist?"
"Because…" began Luffy before taking another blow to his head.
"You don't get such crucial information on the Kaizoku Hime like that" smirked wildly Ann. "And I'm sure that my things are already dry."
She finished her part of scorpion and stood up with her bag, to go hide behind a tree.
"You're acting bashful?!" Luffy threw, mocking.
He had already seen Ann without clothes, more than once, and the only one who had really reacted, had been Sabo, with yell against the lack of shame of the oldest, at first, most of all in front of Luffy, all innocent, then seeing that no one was listening, it had changed to jokes and stupid things.
"I prefer to make sure that no compromising mark is exposed to your innocent eyes, Lu'," responded Ann. "Like badly placed hickey and other."
It was a half-truth but there was too that Ann didn't want to show to Nami her tattoos.
She took her things from her bag and changed.
"Well, we now know where the Sunny is! So, we wait for them or we go search for them?" Said Nami.
"Sagasu!" Yelled Luffy.
"I would have bet", smiled Ann.
Biri was flying, Luffy and Ann on his back, Nami on Luffy's shoulders, when they flew over the Dafts Greens. Biri held back his breath and began to panic.
"What's happening?" Asked Luffy.
"These plants…" said Ann.
Before they could see farther away, they were led to the highlands of the island, on a floating island.
While Biri was venting his sinus, Nami observed their surroundings with a monocular. Ann searched in her bag and took out a handkerchief that she put in Biri's nostrils.
"I already have seen this sort of plant. Marco had to plug his nose to pass through, because he said that the instinct of the phoenix was against him coming near it, because of the smell of the spores. There are two species of these plants. The less dangerous one is the Daft White, the most dangerous, the Daft Green… the one we have here", said Ann.
"You know a lot," stated Luffy.
"It's normal, Lu's I have more experience in the piracy than you. You see something Nami?"
"Yes, there is a village there. Nut there is a lot of these trees around Shiki's castle!" Said the redhead. "Is it the smell that bother you, Biri?"
"Couac…" said the duck sadly.
"Come on, with Ann's solution you won't smell them anymore. It's useful to have a zoan as a boyfriend! Nihi!" Grinned Luffy.
Ann grabbed Luffy by the scruff of his neck and stood up, to show him a place where the air was under their feet, before joining the sea back below.
"Continue to tease me, k'ssou gakki, and I throw you," threatened Ann.
"I promise, I'm stopping!" Said Luffy.
"Let's go."
And they climbed back on Biri like before.
"It's probable that the places surrounded by these trees are places protected from those animals" said Nami.
"It's not probable, that's sure," corrected Ann.
"The others are probably there."
Ann refrained from rubbing her temple in front of the headache that began to show itself.
"I'm happy that you're alright, Nami-san! I couldn't sleep for a week with how worried I was!" Exclaimed Sanji when Nami came stepped down from Luffy's shoulders.
Biri had landed in the village where, conveniently, the majority of the members of the crew was gathered. Sanji stopped his show and fell backward, sleeping. And after people said that Ann was narcoleptic. This made her raised a puzzled eyebrow.
"Luffy, who is this girl?" Asked Usopp pointing Ann with his finger.
Chopper tried to sniff the air but sneezed. The Daft Green was interfering with his sense of smell.
"Ah! We still didn't find Robin-chwan!" Exclaimed Sanji that jolted awake.
"Sanji, the girl with Luffy can't even introduce herself with your silliness," scolded Chopper.
"Will you shut the hell up!" roared Zoro.
"Eh?!"Sanji immediately got worked up.
It was a great remedy for her poor head.
"Tonikaku, I'm happy that you're alright! Her, she's…" said Luffy, sitting crossed leg beside the other D.
"Gol D. Ann, six hundred millions of Berrys," Ann introduced herself pulling her hat in greeting.
There was a lot of jaws that dropped to touch the ground in surprise.
She adores this sort of reaction to the announcement of her name…
"The Gol D. Ann! The Kaizoku Hime?!" Exclaimed everyone minus Sanji and Nami.
Sanji stood up and took Ann's hand to kiss it.
"It's a pleasure meeting you, ô, lovely lady… I am…"
"Kuro Ashi Sanji, yes, I know who you are. Marco and Ace told me about you all, when I asked them how my favorite was doing."
"Favorite?" Said Usopp.
"You know Marco-san and Ace?" Wondered Chopper.
"Yes. Marco is my… lover, that sound like a cheating wife… boyfriend, it's childish… raah… We can say that we're almost engaged, even if neither him, nor me want to ever marry. Mate seems a good word, I think."
And she offered a brilliant smile too Sanji who fell into a depression.
"Well, this roasted chicken doesn't lack taste," commented Zoro with a smile. "Even if I thought that…"
He met Luffy's eyes and preferred to not end his sentence.
"Say, by favorite, what did you mean?" Questioned Usopp.
"Oh, well, this so called challenge that I threw, some years ago, it was in fact a message send to Lu' to tell him that I had renounced taking the place of my father, and that I was hoping that he would take up the baton. At the same time, I even send a letter to this jiji that is Garp to tell him that I was giving up my rights on the loot of Raftell, and that I wouldn't become the Pirate Queen. I, however, wish to conserve my title of princess."
"You know Garp?!" Wondered Chopper.
"It's a looooooong story, my godfather will be pleased to tell you."
"And the One Piece?" Asked Usopp.
"I don't know if it exists. But I believe in it. It's so much more exciting to discover the answer, even if we could be disappointed. That's the adventure!" Smiled Ann.
The two D. burst laughing.
That's when the door behind Luffy and Ann opened, revealing a child that the other knew, apparently.
"Are! They are many!" Exclaimed the kid.
And she lost consciousness.
Her mother caught her in time.
"Well, your number increase without us seeing it", smiled the mother. "If you want, you can rest inside."
"Nami, Ann, go rest," said Luffy.
"Ah, okay," said the redhead.
"Hey, I'm alright," assured Ann with a pout.
"Go rest, before you're struck with narcolepsy."
"Fuck you, Lu'!"
"I have a denden on my boat! I can call your birdie to tell him that you don't want to rest!"
"It's not Marco that will scare me, come back in a century…"
"I also have the number of the Jiji~!"
Luffy whistled innocently, while Ann lost all the colors in her face.
"You are a demon," she hissed following Nami.
"I know…" smiled Luffy.
Nobody noticed the denden mushi spying on them.
Ann opened an eye when she heard the voice of the child, Shao, get excited about a man returning to the village. She had a bad feeling.
"He said that Shiki was leaving!" Said the kid with a huge smile. "They're bringing all the animals toward the sea of the ploys! East Blue!"
Shit!
Ann stood up went out, followed by Nami's eyes.
Sprawled in front of the door, Luffy opened his eyes and lift his straw hat to look at Ann. The silent exchange took only some seconds, but the two D. nodded, then Roger's daughter went back in the house.
In the house, Nami was shaking as she realized what was happening. She stood up, the eyes full of tears.
"Luffy…" called Nami.
She broke down in Ann's arm who removed her coat to put it on her shoulders, when the red-haired woman collapsed against her.
"I just told him, don't worry," murmured Ann hugging her.
The three villagers were so happy that they didn't even realized what the two pirates were doing.
It didn't matter, they couldn't hold it against them, they had lived through hell for a long time, probably twenty years, Ann could understand very well.
She waited for Nami to calm herself before taking her coat back and went out of the house with her. Well, she wanted to keep her from going out, but to his biggest regret, it wasn't possible.
Outside, the sun was setting.
The men weren't in view anymore, there was only their bag behind.
"Luffy?" Nami inquired.
And she walked forward, before Ann caught her to keep her from going further. If she couldn't keep her away from this, she would at least do that.
"Stay away, Nami!" Yelled Luffy, further away.
On the side of the village, all the men were lined up, facing Shiki who was standing on a monolith.
"Ann, don't interfere, I saw him first," hissed Luffy.
"I'll protect Nami, don't die, please. Else, I'll bring you back from the death to be able to kill you with my own hands", Ann told him.
Sabo and Rayleigh risked to do the same, too.
"I don't except any else from you," assured Luffy.
Ann wrapped her arms around Nami, to keep her from coming closer, but also to reassure her.
Everything was going to be alright;
"Baby-chan-tachi! I saw you!" Smiled slyly Shiki to the two girls.
"Shiki!" recognised Nami, scared.
"Shh… everything is alright," Ann whispered in her ear.
She tightened her hold around her, wrapping slightly her Haki around her, almost like she would have for a weapon, but just enough to produce a feeling of protection, of security, to reassure her.
"That's not nice, Baby-chan-tachi! You ran away without saying anything! It hurt me deeply!" Continued Shiki.
"Shut up, asshole! You lied to us and you kidnapped Nami-san!" Growled Sanji. "On top of that, you went after miss Ann!"
"Stupid narcolepsy", muttered "miss" Ann under her breath.
"Jihahaha! Two beautiful women, so beautiful, it's almost impossible to not kidnapped them! If you didn't want me to take her, you should have protected her!"
«If only you knew» thought the two D.
"Although if you asked for my opinion, I think that these women already can't leave me, that's what I think! Isn't is the truth, Baby-chan-tachi?" Continued Shiki.
"First, you are old enough to be my father", hissed Ann.
"No comment", muttered Luffy
"Shut up, Luffy! So secondly, I see very well where you're going, but I'm the Kaizoku Hime, teme! If you want me, you will have to up the ante! Little three, I believe I already told you that I wasn't interested! Oh, and little four… Shirohige and Shanks-nii-chan won't be happy. You really want to have two Yonkous against you, when you're coming back after being absent for twenty years?!
"Jihahaha! You excite me more and more!" Exclaimed Shiki. "You bark as well as you bite !"
«I'll show you how I bite. » though Ann.
He was lucky that she couldn't use her akuma no mi like that, unless she blew up her cover, which wouldn't make a good effect, if Shiki was later caught, then interrogate.
"Teme…" growled Sanji.
"Hey! Rod-man!" Roared Luffy.
Ann found the nickname very appropriate.
"Don't think you can come out of this unscathed, after you went after my nakamas and my family!" Hissed Mugiwara.
Nobody twitched at the use of the word 'family'.
"Oh, and what are you going to do?" Demanded Shiki with an arrogant smirk.
"KICK YOUR ASS!"
And he rushed forward to attack, followed by the crew.
"Luffy!" Yelled Nami.
"No, Nami, let him do it…" breathed Ann tightening her grip around the redhead.
"Jehahaha! Try it, I'd like to see that!" Snickered Shiki as the crew was running toward him.
And the fight began, and everyone tried to strike a blow against the pirate, but none really hurt him. Until…
Sanji hurled himself in the air and sunk his foot into Shiki's chest.
"Poitrine Shoot!"
Unfortunately, a hand intercepted Sanji's foot, leaving smoke on the way.
A hand of a metallic black.
"Haki," whispered Luffy.
«Ohoh» though Ann.
Her brother had underestimated their opponent. He was going to pay dearly for this.
"You make a good team," complimented Shiki with an arrogant smirk. "I can't believe that I'm force to use the Haki and my hands against some Rookies! It's been about twenty years that I didn't use it, that's not bad at all! But don't expect me to held back now that I'm here."
And he raised one hand.
Everyone panicked one moment.
"Sanji!" Cried out Nami.
"Don't go, Ann told her. "It's between them and him."
She was sensing it in her guts… it was the end… they could only pray that they would came out of it alive.
"But…"
"I'm dying to punch him in the face of this idiot, but I won't. It's about honor. Luffy wouldn't forgive me."
Luffy stretched to the maximum for a rocket, while Shiki was telling that he was going to begin with the blondy.
Shiki turned his head but wasn't fast enough to avoid Luffy who send him away, his head blackened by the Haki. Sanji freed like that fell with Luffy.
"Well, what were you saying the two of you?" Asked Luffy to his cook.
"Nothing important," Sanji answered him.
And they landed perfectly. Luffy took out his sword;
"You're awake Funkfreed?" Asked Mugiwara.
The sword trumpeted as an answer.
The rest of the crew came to join them, and all the men fell into a line to face Shiki, floating in the air.
"That you think yourselves able to fight on equal foot with me, that's fucking annoying," growled Shiki.
He wasn't smiling anymore. His face was showing a disgusted face that was reveal his teeth.
"I'm going to dispose of you"
And he raised a hand.
"He prepares something" mused Zoro.
The trio of monster activated their Observation Haki, monitoring their surroundings.
A rock rolled at Luffy's foot and sometime later, the ground exploded a little farther away. The ground itself raised, circling them.
Nami was struggling in Ann's arms, but she holding her, not releasing the redhead. The black-haired gritted her teeth, trying to control her logia which was already reacting to her panic.
"Shishi Odoshi Chimaki! "Announced Shiki closing his fist.
Several jaws of lion formed itself in the dust and the earth advanced toward them.
«Check, brother» bitterly though Ann.
Luffy used his gomu gomu no canon to create an opening, followed by Zoro and Sanji who offered an 'armée de l'air power shoot' which projected Zoro toward the heights. Usopp aimed and shot:
"Hissatsu Atlas Suisei!"
Four projectiles rushed toward Shiki, while Zoro was continuing his ascent.
"Good shot, but useless," said the ancient.
He avoided the projectiles which met in a green smoke.
"Santoryuu Gyuuki Yuzume," hissed Zoro while trying to release his demonic spirit.
A first blow was blocked by Shiki, the second too.
"It's not even worth it killing you," commented the man.
And with a punch black with Haki, he sent Zoro back into the pit.
Luffy went for it and released all his King's Haki on Shiki. He was swallowed alive by the earth before the Haki reached its target, annulling it on the way. Ann sensed the tentative, it made some of her hair out of the ponytail stand up, but that's was all it did.
There was an explosion of earth and a sort of earthy cyclone raising, before it hardened, forming a sort of ornate statue of the members of the crew.
Without thinking, Ann and Nami rushed toward the column of earth.
"LUFFY!" Screamed Ann.
His Voice was weak. Too weak. She couldn't help but feel scared for him. Make it so he was alive… she wouldn't forgive him if he died on her.
She climbed the column and rushed toward her brother. She narrowly avoided a flying blade which left a gash in the earth where she had put one of her hands, as if Shiki had wanted to keep her from climbing.
"I leave them to sleep in the earth for some time", announced Shiki. "Mataku, it's ridiculous to be trapped this way. Especially at the moment where you had finally understood the situation, and that you were going to come with me. Am I wrong?"
Ann began to climb again, checking the pulse of every members of the crew, then came in front of her brother. She couldn't hold back some tears back from relief when she sensed that he was alive.
"I keep an eye on your prey, don't make me wait. And don't scare me like that again…"
"A… Ace…" said Luffy.
"Sleep."
She kissed his forehead and let herself fall on the ground.
"I don't need to ask you if you're responsible for the attacks on East Blue, Shiki", hissed Ann joining Nami who sought refuge in her arms.
"Yeah, that's right!"
"I won't accept that anymore…" hissed Nami between her teeth.
She pushed Ann away and screamed:
"I won't accept you touching my nakama or East Blue anymore!"
Shiki took his cigar and made the ashes fall, still smiling.
"You're not doing things in the good order," he said. "I told you, didn't I, Baby-chan-tachi? I must be attentive to the demands of my nakamas… The only things that can modify my plans are those cyclones and the Yonkou. So, I need a gifted navigator and an influential wife. You understand, no?"
Nami looked at the crew, then one of her bangles. Ann put a hand to the chain at her wrist.
"A mirror?" Asked Shiki to the two women.
"You're stupid," muttered Nami. "It's a jewel that my sister gave me before I went."
"And yours, Ann, is it a new mode for the women in the Shin Sekai for the jewels?"
"After a mission that led Marco in the Paradise, when he returned in the Shin Sekai, I gave him a golden chain, that had belonged to a giant, as a bracelet, swearing to him that I would only ever love him… of course, the chain was too big for a bracelet. He cut it in two, and conserved one half around his wrist, before giving me this one, saying that like that, we will always link, and that he would love only me…" murmured Ann. "I won't marry you. I don't want to marry anyone. But I can think about giving you my support, following what you propose. East Blue stay dear to my heart, and Marco would never forgive me if I leave him for you…"
"You negotiate well, like Silver did…" pointed Shiki. "And you Nami…"
Nami glanced at Ann who winked at her. There were still hope, they had to play along.
"If… if I become your nakama, you will leave East Blue alone?" Asked Nami lowering her head.
"Jihahaha… well, I'm a man who cherish his nakamas. Which means that I won't touch the country of my nakamas."
"Stop immediately these thoughts, girls…" said Usopp form the earth prison
"He is still conscious?" Wondered Shiki.
"Usopp!" Yelled Nami.
"None of you… should sacrifice herself… to save our islands… if you do something like that… Luffy will never forgive you!" Continued Usopp.
"He won't forgive them?! What do you mean by that, brat? It seems like you still don't understand the situation!" Chuckled Shiki.
And he lifted one stone of the monolith above the sculpture of earth were everyone was imprisoned.
"Matte! I understand the situation! Don't hurt my nakamas anymore!" Yelled Nami.
"In that case, give me your answer, Baby-chan!" Smiled Shiki.
"I'll talk to Luffy," said Ann to Nami.
Nami breathed deeply and turned toward Usopp.
"Usopp, we don't have any other choice. Ann and I will protect East Blue. That's why, you must continue your trip without me. I'll be alright, after all, I have Roger's daughter to keep an eye on me. Wherever I go, I'll continue to live."
"Stop with your bullshits!" Cried out Usopp. "Who would be okay with your sacrifice?!"
Shiki had raised a smaller rock to shut Usopp up, but Ann was quicker and grabbed the stone, destroying it with a punch.
"Shut up, Usopp," hissed Ann.
She removed the present her uncle had left for her and her brothers, for the day when they would enter the Grand Line and climbed to the shooter.
"You'll give this to Luffy. He'll understand", she whispered.
And she put the log in his mouth, gagging him at the same time.
And she jumped again.
"You're faster than you seem. You hide your game well," smiled Shiki."Saa, Baby-chan-tachi, let's listen to your answer."
Nami tightened her fist then breathed deeply.
"I'll become your nakama," she stated.
"So that is it… hoho…" said Shiki as he made his ashes fall. "And you, Ann?"
"I will offer the backing of my name, Shiki… but touch the islands that are dear to me…" answered Ann.
And she glared at the cigar of Shiki, briefly tightening her eyes.
Shiki spit it out when he burned down spontaneously.
Bingo!
"And you'll be in the same state as your cigar. You're playing at a very dangerous game of chess", she continued.
Nami held herself back from crying and put a knee on the ground, while Ann simply bowed, all while keeping an eye on Shiki.
"Accept me as your nakama", asked Nami grudgingly.
"Accept me as an ally" asked Ann.
These words on their tongue was like the most corrosive poison.
"So ka… Jihahahaha! You did well, Baby-chan-tachi! To understand that there are unbeatable opponents is a proof of maturity."
Shiki send them a Tone Dial.
"I'm not a kidnapper, even if you can think the contrary, Ann. Even in the world of pirates, we respect a moral code. Nami, why don't you make to your nakamas, who shared joys and pain with you, a beautiful goodbye. If you want, I can give another one to you, Ann, that you will send to Marco, that he knows what it is to you two.
"I am Roger's daughter, if I have something to tell someone, I tell it to their face, not via a Tone Dial" growled Ann. "Do it, Nami".
Nami took the Tone Dial and straightened.
She looked her nakamas, avoiding Usopp's eyes who couldn't say or do anything, and relayed her message in the dial.
"A beautiful goodbye," smiled Shiki when Nami had finished her message. "With this, I won't have any problem. Your nakama will end up accepting this."
Usopp had ceased his agitation, having heard the whisper that had escaped Shiki. Nami threw him a glance, and the shooter didn't let anything show.
Ann had problem not letting her laughter out. This guy wouldn't see anything coming.
"If they come out of this alive, of course! Jihahahaha!" laughed Shiki.
Nami held the dial against her heart and put it on the ground.
Ann saw Shiki turn toward a denden camera but didn't show anything on her face. She took Nami by the shoulder and embarked her to follow the pirate.
"Everything will be alright," whispered Ann. "Keep this, it can be useful."
She searched in her bag and took a fingerless glove with an impact dial, plus a handkerchief. Everything disappeared quickly in Nami's bag, before Shiki could realize that anything was happening.
It was time waiting a little. The Hero always appeared at the best time.
In the shadow of a corridor, Ann really wanted to commit a murder. Nobody should ever see her like that! It was bad for her reputation.
"Welcome back with us" greeted the Doctor Indigo when Shiki took place in his chair, not far from her and Nami.
Shiki rejected a cloud of smoke and turned toward the entry of the control room.
"Oi, what are you doing, join us", called Shiki.
Nami entered first, wearing a beautiful strapless and black ball gown, which expand from her knee to her ankle with a purple tulle, matching her tights. She also had small heel shoes and a sort of scarf in pink ermine.
"Jihehehehe! The more I look at you, the more I find that you are a beautiful woman! And you, Ann, you join us?!"
«Hell no…»
There, she really wanted to end the Portgas/ Gol D. line, immediately, to save herself from this shame. Even the time as an oriental dancer hadn't humiliate her that much. She had done that for the glory and the success of Oyaji… or for a carnal delirium with Marco, but there, she had to force herself to put on such a vulgar thing to please a guy that was thinking that he was the master of the world.
Ann entered in turn, red with shame, just because she was wearing a kimono good for a prostitute. Even Izou wouldn't wear this kimono! Maybe Ivankov would be alright wearing this? And even that…
Shiki had made her put on an orange kimono with red motifs, gold and black, depicting dragons. The clothe was very low-cut and low on her shoulder, letting show the birth of her breast. Her sleeves were worthy of a furisode with how long they were. It was a miracle that the back wasn't too low, and that she had the hairs long, because otherwise, they could have seen the symbol f the Shirohige, and it would have caused a lot of questions, or even burst her cover… Plus, the bottom of the kimono was a sort of gradient, very short, dreadfully short on the front, to sweep the ground on the back, as such she had to be careful with not stepping on with her gêtas. Sole positive point, she had a pointed straw hat (a sandogasa), which was, on this one, hiding her face and her eyes.
"I'm almost jealous of Roger! Such a daughter! I have two heartbreakers at my side! Jehahaha!" Laughed Shiki.
The two women came to stand beside Shiki.
Ann being his 'ally' and so more or less Shiki's equal, she could sit on one of the podium step where Shiki was sitting.
"Look, you did the good choice," Shiki told them. "Be happy that your countries avoid this."
The two women raised their head and watched with horror, even if they didn't let anything show, the giant screen, the destruction of the village. The flames raised with the destructive passing of the animals. The people were running away everywhere.
"It's only a little example of what happen when the Daft Green is removed around the village", announced Shiki.
Ann stood up and went out, without a word.
Alone in the corridor, away from any camera, or any witness, her arms flamed brutally under the anger, before she leaned against a wall, and breathed deeply.
She would kill Shiki…
With a lot of efforts, she managed to get her control back on her akuma no mi, just on time for Nami, which had come to join her, couldn't see anything.
Later in the evening, Ann could be found at the window of her room, keeping an eye on Nami from afar, staking her all destroying the Daft Greens.
Unfortunately for her, the handkerchief wasn't enough to protect her, and Shiki showed up faster than planned.
Ann opened her window seeing the one-way confrontation and let herself fall on the ground smoothly and soundlessly, when the man turned away from Nami, without noticing that the snow had stopped falling the moment Ann had opened her room. She put on her gas mask and waited for Shiki to go away.
Taking advantage of the absence of the old pirate, Ann appeared. She easily put down the two guards that were keeping an eye on Nami, took their masks off, and threw them in the line of bushes. There, she put a mask on the redhead navigator's face. She pulled her off her metallic prison, and in her arms, run to put her somewhere safe, rushing toward the place where she had landed in the snow. There, she climbed the building to the window of her room and slid into it.
"Don't make anymore foolish things like that", hissed Ann laying her out on her bed, after having removed Nami's mask.
She removed hers and opened her bag where she had hidden the antidote to the Daft Green, antidote stolen from this dear Indigo. She disinfected Nami's arm, the injected the antidote, after having found the vein with some difficulties. With the number of time she had to see a doctor, when she was still at Dawn, she was capable of doing this sort of things correctly, even if it made her grit her teeth.
She bandaged the hurt arm. Apparently, she had wanted to use the Impact Dial.
"I failed", whispered Nami.
"No, you did your best, don't worry... Now, rest. If the urge to do this sort of foolish thing strike you again, you take my coat, and the gas mask. You really are too fragile for the Impact Dial."
Someone knocked on the door and Ann signaled Nami to be silent.
"Yes?" Called the black-haired girl.
"Shiki-sama would like you to honor him with your presence," someone stated.
"I'm coming."
Ann looked at Nami smiling, as she arranges her high ponytail, then her hat.
"Rest."
And Ann left the room putting on her back a cloak worthy of a pirate captain that was given to her. What a stupid idea to mix two styles so different…
Shiki and Ann passed some sliding panels to enter in a room with tatamis. A whole lot of captains were there, sitting with crossed legs and a cup of sake in front of them. They were watching them as they passed with looks of respect and fear.
Shiki took place on a stage where was a black and gold throne. Ann came at his side, her most dark, fierce and indomitable expression on her face.
"Congratulations for your success in coming here. Before beginning the ceremony of the alliance, I would like to introduce to you our guest of honor that you probably all recognized… the Kaizoku Hime Gol D. Ann! Jehahahaha!"
«You will regret» that mused Ann.
After a moment, only whispers could be heard, Shiki cleared his throat and announced the beginning of the ceremony.
"Ah and if you ever betray me, I will kill you", stated Shiki with a smile. You're warned. Saa, let's get to it. Let's go to the tragic sea of East Blue!"
Ann refrain from covering her ears under the clamor. She had to be patient.
The silence came back for the moment they served the sake. Well, without talking about the horrible noise from Indigo's shoes.
«Patience...» she encouraged herself.
She did her best to neutralize her murdering intent toward Shiki.
Almost everyone was served, now. Ann tried somehow not to smile like a mad woman, having sense the arrival of her brother, with her Haki stretched to the maximum. This would have seen suspected if the fierce daughter of Roger that was scowling at them began to smile suddenly.
"Like you all know," said Shiki. "East Blue is the weaker of the five seas…"
"Hum hum," cough Ann.
"…And give some times one or two exceptional people, of course my dear," said Shiki. "Nobody will cry its disappearance."
"Hum hum."
"What?" Asked Shiki with all the patience he could muster.
Oh, things were beginning to be funny!
"I'm just pointing out what is wrong, that's all. But do continue, please," smiled innocently Ann.
Shiki looked at her, then went back to what he was saying.
"Do what you want to it!"
He stood up and brandished his cup of sake.
"Kinjishi no Shiki's crew is fully formed!"
As the pirates were going to put their cup to their lips (minus Ann), the doors of the room brusquely opened.
"Shiki-sama!" Yelled a servant.
"Bastard, what are you doing at such a time?!" Roared Shiki.
"I apologize, but it's an urgency!"
He stopped in front of Shiki and whispered something to him. Ann had to make an inordinate effort not to smile.
"Eh? Eight people are coming toward here?" Repeated Shiki.
"That's…
And the servant whispered something else.
Shiki smirked and looked at the door in front of him.
Some slashes from a sword destroyed the golden fabric panel. This time, Ann allowed a manic smile to show itself on her lips. Her patience had just been rewarded!
The door was cut into piece, letting a blinding light enter. The other door was kicked open.
The Mugiwara lined up in the back of the room, all in very posh and formal clothes, armed to the teeth. Between Zoro and Sanji, an empty space was quickly filled by the calm arrival of Luffy, with a huge black cloak, his straw hat on his head. For a moment, he could almost have been taken for Roger.
«It's time for him to enter in the big league. » mused Ann.
"Ah, you, what a surprise," muttered Shiki with a smirk.
The Mugiwaras slowly walked forward, Luffy still behind. He searched in his pocket and took out Ann's log, without taking his other hand from the handle of the big weapon tied to his back.
Luffy waved his hand, and everyone stopped.
Kzziing!
"Oh, shit! I broke my cup!" Said Ann with a face that was deceiving no one, her broken cup of sake at her feets.
To accentuate the idea, she squished the piece of broken porcelain with her gêtas, a more than satisfied smile on her lips.
It felt sooo good!
She lifted a hand and caught the log that Luffy was throwing at her, and put it back to her wrist, before kissing it. A present from Ji-chan was too precious to be damaged. Shiki frowned, assisting at the exchange silently.
"Too bad I don't have what is need to take a photo, Sabo would have laughed so hard if he had saw you like that, Ann. But you are very stylish," said Luffy. "It's just a little short."
"Thanks. You look cool, too," smiled Ann.
She walked toward him with calm steps and put a knee on the ground, lowering her head in sign of respect and tribute.
"It's a pleasure seeing you like that, Kaizoku Ou."
All the pirates almost choked. The Mugiwara jerked up but did nothing else.
"Can I entrust Nami to you?" Luffy asked Ann.
"Consider it done… too bad I can't see the rest of this scene. You will retell the story to me, ne?" Smiled Ann standing up.
"Of course."
"So this is this side you chose, Baby-chan?" Asked Shiki.
"To want to destroy East Blue was a big mistake. You'll say hello to Garp if you see him again. Ja na!"
Shiki, angered, cut his cigar in two and that was the last thing Ann could see of the stage.
Ann found Nami outside with Biri, his nose still blocked. The two women had a mask on their face.
"You're stubborn… you know that the cavalry is here, Nami?" Inquired Ann.
"The guards woke up, and Biri stunned them," explained Nami.
Ann noticed the bodies of the two guards and smiled.
"You changed," noted Nami seeing Ann in bag pants and a black shirt, her jewelry in place, and her hat on her head.
"I stained my kimono with my cup of sake… no, in fact, the kimonos, when they are so shorts, it's not for me!" Chuckled Ann. "And now?"
"I have an idea," stated Nami. "Biri, I need your help."
"What are you going to do?"
Nami showed the stack of explosive which pulled a maniacal smiled from Ann's face, even with her mask on.
Quickly, the two women put in place the majority of the Daft Greens, and tied the dynamites sticks in one unique detonator, in front of which Biri was standing, gathering the maximum of electrical enregy that he could.
"Whenever you want, Biri!" Yelled Ann. " Come here, Nami!"
Ann caught Nami's arm, and they found a cover.
Biri pecked the knot which flamed up, before going himself to hide with the girls. The embers rushed toward the dynamites sticks. That's when Ann's Haki sensed something and she didn't think anymore.
"Soru."
And she disappeared, leaving some embers behind.
Usopp and Chopper went through the wall of Daft Green the moment the explosion went off.
"Everyone is alright?" She asked.
"We're alright, sort of…" mumbled Chopper.
Ann released them and walked a little away to find Biri and Nami that were coming out from their hiding place.
"Nami!" Called Chopper.
"Thank you for coming to my rescue," smiled Nami.
Chopper jumped in her arms crying.
" I don't want to cut short your reunion, but we have to evacuate and quick" pointed Ann out.
Indeed, we could hear a huge noise spelling the coming of big troubles
"Ko-kore wa…" panicked Usopp.
"What did you think we were doing by making the Daft Green exploded?" Ann asked calmly.
And everyone took off running to not have to fight the gigantic beasts coming toward them, and who rammed into the walls of the palace.
"Everyone duck!" Yelled Ann.
The Mugiwaras threw themselves on the ground in the snow, as some sort of missiles were coming toward them, thrown by Shiki.
Ann deflected them from their trajectory with a bô that she had picked up who know where.
"Your plan came to pass, young ladies…" growled Shiki. "You really want to die so much? I don't need you anymore! I'll make sure that East Blue be destroyed no matter how much you fight!"
And he used the snow to make a giant lion roaring behind him.
"Find a place to hide somewhere, I'll cover your backs," hissed Ann. "Chopper! Give your jacket to Nami, I need my coat! Quickly!"
Nami removed Ann's coat and threw it at Roger's daughter, before accepting the jacket from Chopper.
The time of the exchange, lions made of snows had appeared all around them.
Ann took a deep breath and made her bô, darkened with Haki, swirl fast between her hands. The end of the weapons flamed at the contact with the rather special buttons of Ann's coat, making the bô even more dangerous. It was her technique to use her akuma no mi without a problem while she was Ann.
And the lion of snow ran toward them.
And poof!
Ann ceased what she was doing and pouted, seeing one of the lions disappear. Her brother was stealing her pleasure.
In no time, all the lions of snow were reduced to nothing.
Luffy was now standing beside Ann in gear second.
"You're stealing my fun," huffed Ann.
"I thought that you would only give explanations to my crew at Shabaody and not before?" Asked Luffy.
"I hate you, Lu'."
"I love you too, Ann."
"You still want to fight?!" Growled Shiki.
Luffy looked over his shoulder to Nami and told her:
"Nami, I will rip him a new one and we will go home together! I'll take care of this! Ann, this is our thing, you're outnumbered here!"
"Tch, if you want," muttered Ann going back with the others."Ne, I have a game to suggest to piss Shiki off, what do you say?!"
"Good luck, Luffy!" Said the other three pirates, before following Ann.
Shiki watched them do, annoyed.
" No matter where you run away, the only fate that await you, is death!"
Luffy took the Horse Riding Stance and concentrated his energy.
"It's not your place to decide our fate!" He roared.
Ann reclined her hat on her head and knocked out a guard with a flaming bô. Oooh, no, it wasn't for Shiki to decide… even more so if it was about a D.
"Where are we?" Asked Usopp.
"The lab. That's the greenhouse where the IQ is grown," pointed Ann making them enter a strange greenhouse.
"They use the moonlight to make them grow," remarked Nami.
"There, it smells of medicine!" Pointed Chopper.
Ann pushed the door that Chopper was showing and everyone entered.
Indigo was there, from what her Haki was telling her. And Zoro was quickly catching up to them.
"That's where the researches on the IQ are done. Chopper, take everything that could be useful, me, I'll take care of Indigo."
"Oh, darn, I thought I was going to surprise you! Said the clown," startling the Mugiwara.
"Nami, on a battlefield, always keep your Haki activated," said Ann. "Zoro, you want him?"
"With pleasure… we will have to talk, your aura remind me of this dear Ace…" chuckled Zoro coming from the other side of the room.
Well, for him, he had found him out.
"If you want…" sighed Ann.
"So, I have to do it so he doesn't bother you, while you search the room, that is, right? Move, I'm going to take him out…" continued Zoro.
Zoro, his swords unleashed, the Wadô Ichimonji between his teeth, faced Indigo.
"You can cut his feet, his horrible shoes made me live a torment… pretty please…"
Ann made her sad puppy eyes and Zoro nodded, pulsing with demonic energy.
"So you followed me here," noted the scientist, still sitting on the guardrail.
"Blow some steam off while we poke around, but don't kill us!" Nami told him.
And the quartet dispersed, getting out of his way on the field.
"Oi, Ann, you protect them?" Asked Zoro.
"No problem," assured Ann.
The Doctor Indigo let himself fall on the ground in a big noise, partly because of his shoes.
"I'll take care of kicking his ass, say?" Repeated the scientist with his air of clown. "A weak man from East Blue? Anyway, a sea so weak, even if we destroyed it, the world wouldn't care!"
Bad idea.
Boom!
Indigo went through the wall under the blow of Zoro and fell outside. The kenshi followed him.
"Chemical juggling."
And some strange fluorescent ball came out of the hands of the scientist.
"Burn!" Yelled the clown.
Zoro didn't even bothered to counter with his sword, only balancing slightly between the shots, always coming nearer his target.
Ann who was observing the fight from a window, smiled. Marco was going to have fun with the kenshi, from his level. He was better.
"I don't have time to play with you," grumbled Zoro, when the clown didn't have any more ball.
The scientist opted for the XXL size with a Mass Juggling.
Zoro breathed deeply and took a blow, knowing that he wouldn't be hurt.
"He took it full on the face!" Snickered the clown.
The demonic aura increased made Ann shiver. The cold pulses of Ashura that began to come from Zoro was of a level even darker and bad than the level she knew.
In the pink light of the chemical fire we could perfectly see the six arms, the three heads, and most of all, the nine swords of the infernal purple demon with red eyes. Hell's doors themselves had opened.
"Amazing…" breathed Ann.
And Zoro spouted from the fire growling, surprising the clown who prepared himself to throw another chemical fire at him.
"If he is a weak man from East Blue, and that he can cut you so easily, then you…" said Ann.
"Ugui!" Yelled Zoro swirling on himself.
And he properly cut the clown.
The explosion that the clown made as he touched the ground destroyed the stones and finished him off.
"What sort of guy are you then?" Concluded Ann.
Ann whistled, catching Zoro's attention and allowed herself to clap while the demonic spirit withdrew.
I'm going back, you're taking care of them, or you explain yourself to me now, Hiken?"
"Yell it a little louder, the others didn't hear you. And you will have your explanations at the same time as the others, at Shabaody, so be patient, Zoro-kun! Don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on them," assured Ann.
Zoro went away, running, and stopped again when Ann whistled.
"It's the other way!" She reported to him.
Zoro grumbled and ran in the good direction, as Ann was going back in the lab shaking her head trying not to laugh. Well, he was still the same marimo she knew.
After having realized that a storm was coming, Nami had an idea that Ann liked, a lot. Thus, everyone came back toward the castle to see the navigators.
A navigator hung up his denden, and asked in a stuttering voice:
"Is it good like that?"
Usopp and Chopper stayed on their guard, while Ann, slumped on the instruments, making a gun swirl between her finger, a smile on her lips.
"That's perfect," assured Nami. "Ann, would you do the honors?"
Ann properly knocked out the scientist and went to join Nami.
"It's really good to go toward the storm?" Worried Chopper.
"Of course not," Nami told them.
"EEEEEH!"
Nami assembled her Perfect Clima Tact (this surprised Ann who had never seen the new version) and ripped the bottom of her dress, unveiling her socks tied a garter belt.
"I think we don't have any choice," stated Ann. "Let's go on the roof, Nami. You two, I'm sure that you have an idea to make yourselves useful."
Usopp and Chopper nodded and ran off.
On the roof, Ann kept a hold on Nami so that she stayed poised, and warm. Nami tightened her grip on her weapon, even if Ann's bô was on her way.
They really were going toward the storm.
Finally, passing like a breeze, Luffy (on Biri) and Shiki appeared, fighting.
"SHIKI!" Yelled Nami, distracting the man from Luffy.
The pirate turned toward her.
"It's game over for you!"
Ann turned when she sensed something tapping her shoulder.
She saw one of Robin's hand and a mouth on her coat.
"Chopper and I are finished with the bombs, Taïshou-san."
And the hand disappeared.
"And the bombs are put, Nami," relayed Ann.
"Bomb?!" Exclaimed Shiki hearing them.
"That's right"! Said Nami standing, managing to resist the storm thanks to Ann who was keeping her steady. "Your factory, your castle and this island… there won't be anything anymore! Your plan failed totally, Shiki!"
"Don't screw with me!"
And he threw waves of energy on the girls, he almost took a blow to the head because of Usopp who made a blue dragon made of lightning come out.
"You're weak!" Roared Shiki.
And he sent two pieces of the island on the two girls.
One glance to Luffy to reassure him, and Ann was ready.
Boom! The tower was reduced to ashes.
"Nami-san! Ann-chan!" Cried out Sanji.
When the dust cleared, Ann was balancing on her bô that she had planted in the ruins, Nami in her arms. None of them had any scratch.
"Biri! Yelled Ann. Express delivery!"
"Quack!"
And Ann threw Nami to the bird who caught her by the skirt of her robe, despite the yells of the redhead.
"Bastards!" Swore Shiki.
"I'm your opponent, Shiki!" Roared Luffy, high in the sky.
Shiki raised his head to see Luffy put his thumb in his mouth.
"Gear Third!" Stated Luffy. "Hone Fuusen!"
Ann almost felt nostalgic, remembering the chibi Luffy which resulted from this, at a time when her brother hadn't mastered all of his capacities yet.
She watched Luffy make the air pass in his abdomen, bursting his shirt, without occupying himself with Brook who was telling them to join 'Lion-chan'. The air transited again, toward one of Luffy's foot who lifted it in a storm, still in the air, far from Biri who went who knew where.
"I see what you're doing, baka," smiled Ann.
She understood what he wanted to do. It was evident.
"What's that?" Asked Shiki looking at the huge member. "You're going to be hit by the lightning and fell!"
"The one who will fall, it's you Shiki! I won't let you go to East Blue!" Screamed Luffy.
And the thunderstorm blew up.
"Jihahahaha! I am the man who control the seas from the sky!" Roared Shiki taken in his delirium, convinced of his victory.
"You control neither my family, nor my nakamas, nor the sea!" Retorted Luffy. "Because I won't let you do it!"
"Lesson for you… rubber, it's conductor or insulator?" Asked Ann to Shiki.
"Eh?!" Said the old pirate.
"Giganto Thor Axe!" Roared Luffy.
Finally understanding the danger, Shiki send everything and anything between himself and Luffy's leg, before taking the blow fully on his face.
Shiki's last sentence was:
"Am I going to be stopped by a man from East Blue, again… ROGER?!"
"Yes", answered Ann.
And Luffy's leg touched the island, destroying it, making the creatures and the buildings fall.
The thunder propagated in all the cracks of the ground, even going to the Sunny who avoid the biggest of the damages because of a Coup de Burst.
"LUFFY! ANN!" Screamed Chopper and Usopp.
Biri took off from the deck and joined the two D. in the sky
The fall of the ship was stopped by one of Shiki's sail which served as a parachute for a safe landing, leaving the crew worried.
"There!" Pointed Robin.
"Yosh!" Exclaimed Franky.
Indeed, coming out of a cloud, we could see Luffy and Ann straddling Biri.
"You were wonderful, bro" smiled Ann.
"Thanks, Ace" whispered Luffy with a huge smile.
"Ji-chan will be proud of you. You saved our home and your nakamas'."
Luffy burst laughing, followed by his eldest.
"He may have saved East Blue, but his outfit is lame" mocked Zoro. "Oi! The D.! You don't know that it was formal wear mandatory?!"
The two D. stuck their tongues at him.
That's where they assisted Shiki's fall, then the islands since the powers of the pirate had ceased their effects.
And the strangest miracle happened:
The villagers flew, using the feathers of their arms to escape from the falling island.
"I love the Grand Line for this sort of surprise," smiled Luffy arranging his hat on his head to better see the show.
"It's beautiful, really" smiled Ann. "That's what I like most in this sea, too. And the Shin Sekai, that's even better."
And Biri landed on the desk.
"You want us to drop you off, since we have the same destination?" Zoro proposed to Ann.
"No, I have to go first. My little finger told me that this Jiji of Garp will be on Shiki's way, so I would like to announce to him who really beat the man. After that, Shirohige is worried sick right now. Ace went to make sure that everything was alright, and since troubles find him easily… anyway, I'll have to take him back to Shabaody with me, as fast as possible, but we will see each other again. Oh and, Sanji?"
"Hai, Ann-chwan~!" Inquired the cook, happily.
"Don't fantasize too much about me, you'll fall from a great high. Biri, you agree to drop me off somewhere? After, if you want to see Lu' again, you can wait for his return with me."
"Quack!"
"On this, I'll see you soon! Oh, and wonderful ship, it measures up to the Merry."
Ann jumped on Biri's back who flew off.
The Marine made a mass arrest of the pirates who had run away before the fall of the island, assisting at the fall of the island.
"Shiki is there!"
"It's Kinjishi no Shiki!"
The marines watched Shiki's silhouette falling from the sky, to be caught by a yellow flash.
"I will only give Shiki to Genkotsu no Garp!" Stated Ann halting above the ships, standing on Biri, Shiki impeded by some kairoseki under her arm.
"Roger's daughter!" Recognized a marine.
"Don't tell me that it's her who did this," whispered another.
"Don't be foolish," Ann told them. That's the Mugiwara doing! I was a nice little spectator! Nihi! Well, you call Garp, or I run off to the Shin Sekai with Shiki? Shanks will be happy to play with him!"
"The targets are Roger's daughter and the Mugiwara! Prepare the canons!" Yelled the officer.
"You can go fuck yourself," sighed Ann. "We're going Biri!"
"Quack!"
And Biri shot off toward the horizon.
Garp was surprised to see Ace sitting in his chair, in his office, Shiki in a corner of the room… dead.
"Konnichiwa, Jiji" greeted Ace, his foots on the desk. "I allowed myself to deliver this present to you. I killed him, I didn't want him to have his fun revealing one or two info about me… about Ann, you see… well…"
"In what honor do you do the delivery, Ace?" Asked Garp.
"Because I wanted to be sure that, unlike at Alabasta, you don't attribute this victory to a marine, but to Luffy, as it should be, and also because I wanted to wish you a happy birthday in advance."
Garp sighed.
"Once again, you didn't do anything, right" said Ace, as if he was reading his grand-father's thoughts. "How does Sengoku take it?"
"How do you want for him to take it?"
And the two D. cracked up.
"Come on, go, I promise that your brother will have a new bounty for what he did… what do you think of four hundred fifty millions of berrys?"
"Wonderful! Thank you for letting me go away without troubles!"
"Hurry before I change my mind!"
"Once again, happy birthday in advance, Jiji!"
Ace stood up from the desk and walked toward the window.
"BIRI!"
The bird came immediately and Ace jumped on his back to take off. Now, he could bring the new to the Shin Sekai and to his uncle.
Once Ace was taken to Shabaody, Biri went off to live on the fallen islands where the harmony between human and beasts was back, and where the peace returned.
Ace entered in the usual bar and smiled at Thatch, sitting at the counter, and to his godfather, who was drinking a cup at a table.
"You saw the newspaper, I suppose?" Said Ace taking a seat at the table of his uncle.
Shakky came to give him a cup.
"Yes, it's surprising," confessed Rayleigh.
"Seriously, I don't know how you raised them, but you made some super warriors" chuckled Thatched sipping his whiskey.
"They'll be soon there… that's crazy…"whispered Ace.
"I'm extremely proud of you brother. I'm surprised, however that the Marine didn't grant the success for themselves", commented the ex-pirate.
"Oh, that, well, I went to Marine Ford to deposit Shiki's corpse in Jiji's desk, and I send a letter to the newspaper with a denden that had recorded everything that had happened there. They couldn't hide it!"
"Which explain the liftoff of the bounty of your brother," commented the barmaid. "It's my round. Let's take a toast to the Mugiwara Kaizoku!"
"KAMPAI!" Said the men.
The toast found an echo in the Shin Sekai with Shanks and his men, but also with the Shirohige and his crew.
