...
-Unknown;A few days ago(Before Arc1P1)-
The rustling sound of chains fell on deaf ears. The battered jail gate, currently guarded by the only uniformed soldier left, gleamed in the flickering lights. The rest of them, admittedly useless given the numerous locks of seastone currently covering the lone occupant, having left not too long ago. The guard outside frantic as he turned his gaze from and to, his alert eyes worried-
The ground visibly shook, another explosion going off in the lower floors. The soon to be executed warlord not letting out so much as a sound. His leaking head ignored, even as the slightest bit more blood gushed out.
Bartholomew Kuma thought it rather poetic, really.
He'd settled for giving his entire body over to the World Government, willingly, all for the sake of completing one last objective. One last job for his former comrades.
And how does he get repaid? For his endless years of service as Kuma the Tyrant, a warlord in his own name?
They pin the entire Marineford mess on his head, despite the lack of so much as a single hint of evidence. Not even giving him so much as a cursory fix up for his part in their lost cause of a war.
They're whims as changeable as the day he'd signed up for the glorified mess that it was.
Though, in truth, they'd intended to incriminate every one of the warlords involved in the war. He just had the luck to be the only one within their grasps. Taking the blunt of the propaganda released-
Another explosion set off, this time from the same floor. The walls shaking and shuddering as the admittedly useless grunt gulped what he likely thought his last breath.
Yes.
Bartholomew truly thought it poetic.
Here he stood, on the verge of execution, his promises ripped apart without second thought. And as if by divine intervention, it seemed he would at the very least get to witness the fall and burning of Mary Goiss.
He certainly had no whims of fancy about surviving. The current war ground that Mary Goiss was, if anything, only cemented the feeling.
He doubted any of the former slaves currently trying to make their ways out had any notions of rescuing him. A few even having reason to persecute him given his indirect hand in resulting in their employment.
"Everything's gone to shit... My benefits cut... Health-care lost..." The grunt outside cursed, his eyes rapidly closing and opening, a deep sigh coming out of the lone soldier. His fellows having long been re-stationed along the lower levels, their living superiors having demanded they help deal with the insurrection of angry, confused and above all, determined soon to be pirates of the sea. Demanded, while turning tail at the first sign of trouble.
The Marine ethic as it were.
Kuma leaned his battered head back against the barely held together wall, the sealstone cuffs grinding on his hands at the sudden jostle of movement. The grunt, rapidly, turning on his feet at the sound. Wide-eyed, his hands twitching as they etched to pull the trigger.
"...Off all the places to be... Could've taken a post on the east!" The grunt waffled along, his panic dying down the moment he realised there was no danger, atleast from the pirate before him.
Another explosion took off, one largely more destructive compared to the rest. The very walls surrounding the two of them crumbling the slightest, masonry flying in every direction. The grunt before him cursing, almost faltering in his pace, his hands clenching onto the gun as he moved to support himself with it.
"Tch! All this just to have another public execution," The grunt barked, irritation lining his face as he steadied himself, his rhythmic pace coming back as quickly as it had left. "Can't bloody well learn from their mistakes!" He finished, shaking his head all the-
Kuma's head, slowly, turned towards the sudden creaking. The sound coming from the only entrance to the block. The soldier's response, compared to him, taking a far more expressive approach. Clear relief emanating from him at the sight of the gate (Not his cell's of course) opening. Another soldier, from the looks of it, entering. This one, unlike the standard uniform before him, clad in a Marine Haori, the words 'Executioner'blazoned along the back. The hood, barely covering the strangers face as was custom.
The soldier in question, on sight of the clearly superior officer, more or less leapt towards the other. Relief still showing through as he promptly got into a salute, a few feet away.
Kuma didn't so much as raise an eyebrow as he watched on, disinterest showing through his face as he realised it was finally time. The superior officer, ignoring the grunt completely, simply made his way towards him. Time been of the essence as it were. The thought itself promptly followed by a rather rapid series of explosions. The ground visibly shaking for a few seconds before once again letting up.
Holding back another sigh, one filled with emotions he couldn't truly decipher in the moment, Kuma truly resigned himself to being the governments next piece of propaganda-
"The age of Piracy-" A deep voice echoed out, startling the 'Tyrant' for a moment. Confusion seeping through as he failed to recognise the voice. Realisation dawning on him as he realised some sort of modulator was at work. The grunt on the other hand doing a much better job at concealing his own sudden surprise. Seemingly just as bemused.
"-is over," His executioner continued, taking slow mechanical steps towards his cell. "The era of control-"
The stranger took a few more steps towards him, the flickering lights not helping him get an idea of who the man was.
"-lifted," Another step. The grunt from earlier's nervous expression suddenly showing through, his hands stilling the slightest as they held onto his weapon.
"A vacuum of chaos-" With a few more steps, the 'Executioner' reached his position just outside his cell.
"-has taken over," One single hand snaked out of from under the marines Haori, latching onto the gate before them.
Kuma's eyes widened, his mouth hanging open like a fish as he listened on for some strange reason, his attention far more alert then it had been in years.
"Won't you help me, pay for your justice-"
The grunt from earlier quickly seemed to realise something was up, the uniformed soldier immediately starting to make his way towards the two of them.
"-And steer this rift of chaos towards a bright new dawn-" The stranger continued. The grunt's mouth opening to follow, a complaint on his lips before the veil lifted.
"-Kuma?" The hood covering the stranger fell down to reveal-
"Nope. Not today. Just-no!" The grunt immediately stated, not so much as giving the two of them a by your leave as he turned on the spot and ran.
-Monkey D. Dragon.
...
-Vegapunk; Unknown(Time)-
...
"That little stain!" Vegapunk cursed, his hands going through his hair, panic written across his face as he ran the numbers over in his head. Parameters going through every possible scenario before him. The red flags almost ominous as he himself wondered what the pirate in question had done now. He turned a look over towards the chair he'd thrown against his wall, it's broken state bringing a sigh out of him.
He couldn't afford to be wasteful these days.
"He's unbalancing the powers-"
Parameters beeped in agreement, it's eyes changing from flags to the led lighting he'd installed when he'd made the piece of machinery.
"As if Marineford wasn't enough! I had to cancel one of my projects because of him!"
The Devil Fruit powered machine beeped once again, it's cheek earning a twitch out of it's creator.
With another audible curse, he promptly settled down into fixing the broken chair, his mind warring with itself as it wondered what a Dragondominant world entailed...
If Morgan's was to be believed, and given the bird had no reason to lie when he thought none listened, then Joker's plan truly did entail hurting the Yonko side of the balance, his work with the World Government having neared it's completion.
Given all he'd had left, involved the revelry, something he'd warned the marines off. An action he'd never before once did, nor considered.
Joker was the very first to have pushed far too many of his buttons.
From destroying any chance of Marine dominance, and a veritable increase in his resources, during the war... To killing a marine admiral. With Ramen.
To killing one of his. He'd killed one of the few acquaintances he'd enjoyed the company of... An admiral in his own right...
With. Ramen.
The very thought threatened to send him over the bend. And if the situation wasn't as critical as it currently was, he might've indulged in his whims.
Vegapunk sighed, his focus turning pointed as he edged himself back into another seat, his hands mechanically moving as they fidgeted with the machinery spread before him.
"Parameters, odds of Joker," The machine couldn't recall who Doflamingo was,"turning his attention to the Revolutionaries," He idly remarked, his right hand shooting to the side as if it were a snake, grabbing hold of the hidden drink-
"Negligible," The mechanical voice echoed, earning another sigh out of the scientist.
Vegapunk turned around, intended to take a long gulp of his, rather disgusting, drink. The marine cuts, nearing half of what he'd originally contracted, hitting him like a truck. Before Parameters lit up once again, information coming through from-
Morgans.
Vegapunk felt dread build up in the pit of his stomach, his expression turning furious.
"What's that little stain done this time..." He grit through his teeth, Parameter's led light blinking as it confirmed the question, it's robot-like voice changing to match the bird in question.
"Big Mom. Ran. Away-" The quoted words cut off.
Vegapunk blinked, his ears ringing as he took in the information. Information that would, at the very least, injure the Emperors of the Sea's image for the next half a decade, if not longer. Which would in turn... Only further Dragon's reach-
He froze, his gaze locking onto Parameter's, the robot's eyes lighting up red, the tell-tale sign of it's replication of Haki. It's recalculating... Why is it recalcul- Jokers plan needed Big Mom...
Which only brought the better question out... Vegapunk's fingers twitched, the urge to pick up and call the nearby snail increasing. What does a Joker do, when his plans don't align.
The man's chaos had gauraenteed that, chaos. But the fact of the matter was, at the very least, with it on course, it meant there was atleast one person who knew where it was supposed to head. Which meant that, in some form or way, it could be expected.
Even if that person was Doflamingo, it promised the hints of a safety net... And with that gone...
Vegapunk's breath hitched, Parameter's eyes dimming down, the robot sagging the slightest, it's voice muffled.
"Revolutionaries spotted heading for Dressrosa, travelling through -Error- Warlord -Error-" He really had to fix that particular bug... "Bartholomew Kuma,"
"...Which Revolutionaries?"
Parameter's dull stare back towards him didn't bode too well for the scientist. Though what Dragon might've possibly wanted interfering in something that, if left alone, would only guarantee him more power over the board-
And then the final bomb dropped as he realised exactly what it was Dragon was going for.
The one thing that could possibly outweigh any potential benefit.
And without skipping a beat, Vegapunk immediately snatched the top of the snail beside him. The line going through without a hitch. The screen before him lighting up as it showed him the highest office of the world government, his audience's surprised reaction not mattering in the least.
"Vegapunk?-"
"Revolutionaries. Hobi Hobi No Mi. Dressrosa." He interrupted one of the five elders, not giving them the chance to respond as he closed the link.
...
-Sugar; current(Continues directly from 'Part 1')-
...
Sugar trudged on ahead, her gaze focused on Straw Hat Luffy. The grinning buffoon currently marching, movement and all, towards the supposed restaurant. Her mind running as it tried to figure exactly what was going on, the Young Master's advice echoeing through every few steps. Her eyes narrowing the slightest as she shifted her focus towards finding a suitable excuse for what ever it was she was about to walk into. The unknown as it were, rather unimportant in the grand scheme of things.
Withholding a sigh, the pirate promptly sped up, catching up to the eager captain. Her gaze scouting over the area they'd just entered. Her mind for a moment going blank as it registered their likely destination.
One of Kaido's hotspots. Some of the best food in the country no less. Run by pirates, for pirates.
Currently however, it should've been closed. Given she'd toyed the owner of the establishment.
Her focus quickly tuned out the sudden thoughts, having reached said restuerent. The hat shaped building, a chef's hat at that, coming into view. It's Wild-West styled door swinging open.
...
Sugar had to hold in the urge not to twitch as she stared at the chef in question. Her earlier worries having disappeared entirely. Even if apprehension, worry for human kind and a mild sense of wariness replaced them. All around her, the Red-hair pirates spread out, each taking a seat and table to themselves. Incoherent babble and laughter filling the hall.
Though the relief at having her true captain nearby helped, she couldn't help but wonder what he'd been thinking. She idly took a few steps into the establishment, towards the chef in question. Though she gave Luffy's direction a glance. The Straw Hat himself heading straight for the biggest table, his focus on the veritable feast on top of it. Though the mountain of food was slowly been devoured by one of the Yonko's crew mates.
Sugar almost missed a step, her eyes widening the slightest, her urge to throttle the morons rising as she palmed her face. The sniper, having noticed her expression, promptly started laughing.
"See! Told you we got the right ones!" Yassop roared, between his hands a few very dangerous toys. Toys that really, in her honest opinion, should've been locked in a chest and thrown into the deepest part of the sea.
Sugar spared Kaido's commanders a brief look before shaking her head and resuming her walk to the chef. Her captain as silent as ever as he watched the scene play out, amusement filling his uncovered eyes. The disgraceful tattoo plain for all to see. Though, at the very least, her captain hadn't dared risk putting them all in danger. As he'd elected to cover the rest of his, now that she noticed it, somewhat physically different, face entirely in bandages, a tattered marine cloak covering the rest of his body, his blonde hair barely peaking out from under the layers of the wrongly used first-aid care.
Pica was going to have a fit. That much she was certain of.
"I didn't doubt that! I asked you why you thought it'd be a good idea to collect them in the first place!"
"Hey princess!" A drunk Shank's suddenly called out, his voice cutting off whatever retort the sniper had prepared, peaking his head from behind the mountain of food, a goofy grin on his face as he held onto a staggeringly large cup.
Sugar blinked, briefly halting in her step as she turned towards the emperor. Her bemused-
"Thanks for the food! And drink!"
"..." Sugar stared at the utterly carefree emperor, unsure how to respond, for a second more, her mind wondering how it was possible he'd managed to gain such a dangerous reputation. Enough to be considered one of the four most powerful pirates in the sea and yet be... Idly turning her gaze back towards her captain. The silent pirate staring at her, amusement still lighting his features as he feigned to wash a dish.
"Right..."
"I told you! We've got at least three billion beli on this table!" Yassop answered, beli signs covering his eyes. The look sending the gorging Straw hat into another laughing fit.
"By that logic, we might as well just take the damn Yonko himself..." Benn Beckman replied, the man in the process of lighting another cigar.
"We considered it, Shanks said no,"
And with that the 'princess' promptly turned back towards the chef, giving her captain an affectionate look, one followed by a questioning one as she wondered, the urge to ask almost overwhelming her enough to break protocol.
If Doflamingo wanted to speak, he would've made a sound by now. Which... Likely meant he wanted silence, from himself at the very least. The where and when he'd gotten his current marine outfit at the back of her mind.
Likely because... And frankly the biggest issue in all of this was the ridiculous, glaringly obvious fake moustache on his face.
Currently stuck onto the bandages covering her captain's face...
She tipped her head the slightest, her gaze lowering as she thanked him for his hospitality. Her captain not skipping a beat as he returned the silent gesture, before to her surprise, turning on his feet and star-
Sugar froze on the spot, her eyes widening as she stared at the emblazoned R, stitched to the scruff of the marine cloak. Her mind connecting the dots, the urge to gulp held down as she turned on her feet and started on towards the Emperor's table.
Her next order, finally, clear enough. And lo and behold, Red-hair didn't disappoint. The first question on his lips as she reached them-
"So, who was that? Not every day you see a marine actually working for the civvies."
Holding in the urge to snort at the man's words, Sugar promptly settled down, her aura screaming peaceful to the Haki-proficient in the hall. A fact that seemed to set them all in ease. The emperor, genuinely smiling as he stared at her admittedly cheerful face.
And without a wasted second, she started spinning the modified tale of Donquixote Doflamingo's marine brother and how he'd survived.
...
-Doflamingo-
...
Sugar's butchered story of Rosinante had started off in canon territory. The 'princess' choosing the moment Law had met him for the first time.
I barely spared the crying few, Shanks for whatever reason had a large beer glass covering his expression, all pirates in their own right, earnestly listening to the story, Luffy of course included.
The in door straw-hat wearing captain was barely a few feet away from me, on the other side of the bar. His rubber head turned a complete 180 towards Sugar.
My attention, as it were, was currently focused on making one of the few recipes I'd learned in the last world. Before unceremoniously crashing the Marineford party.
Luffy, after 'accidentally' finishing the last dish by himself without sharing, elected to move away from the main table. So as not to do it again, of course.
Sugar thankfully didn't freak out over my ability to cook. The woman electing to ignore it entirely, though her deadpan expression regarding it was almost unsettling.
Smacking Luffy's hand away, 'Don't be rude.' I signed, for the first time since putting on the fake-moustached cover (Aizen Sosuke was a tutor from hell) towards the aloof captain.
I couldn't very well speak, now could I? Very few who'd known the younger Donquixote knew he wasn't in fact a mute...
Still to my surprise, the fact I could use sign language in the first place startled Sugar and Shanks much more than my ability to seemingly cook.
Sugar, admittedly was understandable. Doflamingo didn't seem the type to bother learning the language, and she certainly had a better understanding than anyone else here.
Shanks... I wasn't really sure on.
The thought that perhaps he'd met the blonde himself before did make itself known... Though I doubted it.
"Sorry." Luffy, who I was certain hadn't turned his head back around towards me and so couldn't have possible seen the language (I was pretty sure he didn't know it in the first place) replied without missing a beat.
'No you're not.' I signed again, this time paying attention to see if it was a fluke or Oda-bul-
"You're right."
I blinked, wondering how the idiot was doing it- Focusing my gaze back down on the near-complete dish, I held in the urge to twitch at the empty plate. Luffy's bawling face uninterrupted, even as he blatantly chewed in front of me.
What even was he?
...
Rolling my eyes, broom in hand, I (failed at) swept a path towards the restuerents door. Idly noting Sugar get up from her seat, likely to get a refill while she waited for the Red-hair pirates to settle down.
I was admittedly more interested in the group of strangers currently trying to, and successfully, cloud their presence. Intent on sneaking in.
I do not recall opening the island up for so many strangers.
I mentally counted five just outside, even if I was certain at least one of them was electing to stay back.
Reaching the door, I idly glanced towards Sugar, intent on telling her to prepare-
I blinked, my eyes thankfully not showing anything, idly wondering when Sugar had changed seats- Red-hair's lone arm wrapped around her shoulder almost protect-
"Princess, that was a beautiful story... But I want you to be honest with me-"
Fully turning to face the alert Yonko, one who had moments earlier looked completely intoxicated.
"What, and I want you to be specific, does Joker have over you?"
Of course, that was the moment the door behind me was suddenly pushed ajar.
"Yo! Luf-" Sabo's voice filtered through, the young man's voice hitching the moment his gaze landed on the marine coat on my back.
"Shi-Set up! We've been set up!-" He yelled off, immediately back-stepping out of the resuterant.
This, quite frankly, couldn't get any better.
...
I locked gazes with the Yonko- even as Sabo's posse who I didn't have a clue on in regards to identity all surrounded the main entrance. Well, all but who I assumed was Koala.
-and continued sweeping the floor.
Benn Beckman, right beside Red-hair himself, buried his face in his hands.
Luffy, of course, chose that moment to rocket past me. Crashing through the main entrance, his yell thankfully not effecting my string-made body in the slightest. Even as most of the drunk pirates around me all covered their ears. I could make out inchoerents streams of Luffy echo through the entrance. His previous bawling seemed to intensify.
Not that I could blame him. Brat's had a hell of a month.
While Shanks, to his own surprise, suddenly found himself getting yelled at by Sugar. The woman/child shrugged off the man's arm, pinning him with a glare.
"What are you talking about!?"
"Eh- huh?"
"You said Joker was dead!"
I held in the urge to whistle the moment Shanks turned back towards me, a confused look to his face.
"Oi Sabo don't worry, he's a tired marine!" Luffy's voice finally started making sense.
"Retired!" Sugar snapped back, turning away from the confused Yonko. Locking gazes with me for a second, sheer panic showed in her eyes. The Revolutionary strangers admittedly not a good sign for her- Or me for that matter, at least under any other circumstance.
On-Luffy's good side, of course, been the current circumstance. I sincerely doubted the straw-hat would turn against either of us any time soon. Nor let his brother in all but blood do the same...
Still, had to admit, the fact she was going so far above and beyond made her by far one the best underlings I've ever had.
Noticing my deadpan expression, thankfully, prompted her to simply ignore the commotion outside."Well!?" Sugar crossed her arms, turning back towards Shanks as she did. "He's dead right!?"
Shanks blinked at the question, idly scratching the back of his head. "Well... We're not really sure-"
"What do you mean you're not sure!?"
I turned my attention from the two, stopping my sweeping as a shadow covered half of me from behind. Turning around and lowering my gaze, my eyes met a pair of goggles attached to orange hair, covered up in a dark coat, likely to hide any assets. The woman, after ogling the panicking Yonko in the bar, calmly turned her gaze towards me. Her head tilted the slightest at the sight of the fake moustache on my face.
I watched, with disinterest, as the woman calmly removed said moustache.
"Could you remove the bandages?" She questioned.
With a shrug, I released the hold on them, albeit making a show of doing so with my hands. The bandages covering my face fell without a hitch. Allowing the woman a complete look. My mind idly noting it had gone completely quiet at the Yonko's table.
I watched, almost amused, as the woman reached a single a finger out towards my configured face (To resemble Rosinanate, of course), likely to check for any kind of effect. Her expression wavering as she took in the scar over my eye.
"...I see, thank you." She stopped, just before finding out the truth for herself and instead watched as I wrapped the bandages around my head again. The woman patiently waited to put the moustache back on, herself, before she turned on the spot and calmly walked out of the restaurant.
I held in the urge to laugh out loud the moment I heard her start chewing off Sabo on the wrong location. Three single words that didn't help the Yonko in the slightest.
"That's not Joker!"
"...That's not possible..." Shanks remarked, almost resigned as he settled back onto his seat.
And to that I said nothing, instead electing to continue my sweeping.
"...You still haven't answered my question..." Sugar remarked, pointedly.
And truly, that was the moment that I finally caught a glimpse of it. The light at the end of the tunnel as it were. For Benn Beckman finally dared to ask the one question I'd been waiting for. To give Sugar the opening she needed.
"Why is Joker's death so important? Shouldn't you be more worried about the Yonko in your castle?"
"..." Sugar chewed on her lips as she feigned consideration. Her gaze fleeting to and from the table before her.
Luffy, in much more control of his emotions, chose that moment to push the door open. Sabo, Koala? And the three I didn't have a clue on right behind him-
"When I put the Yonko's crew under my power... There were some conditions that needed to be met... And as long as Joker's dead... They can't be-"
Shanks, to my surprise, was the first one to get it. Beckman practically on his heels- Though both admittedly too late.
I held in the urge to grin as I dramatically stopped sweeping. My power, albeit as silenced as possible, practically hummed.
The Ito-Ito No Mi was about to break devil fruit history.
"Did we leave anyone-" Shanks started to question, even as he grabbed onto the three billion beli collection of toys (Kaido's commanders) mess before his crew's sniper.
I more or less felt the drain on my willpower, my haki likely down for some time as mounds of strings formed together. Far away from this establishment, rather in the 'empty' castle on the hill.
I held in the urge to wince as I felt a pounding headache start to form, the technique not remotely as refined as I'd hoped. The toy in Sugar's hands, it's eyes at any rate, seemed to dim even more of life. Naught but a hint of Doflamingo's and I's soul left in it.
A point of return as it were.
Akin to my own body, more or less feeling the moment Dofllamingo's voice disappeared, the strings in the castle collected together and form another. The majority of Doflamingo's soul shoved in as planned.
Of course, the one stipulation was that Doflamingo's 'body' was heavily dependant on the existence of my current one. Meaning should he be vaporised from existence, his soul would immediately return here, as opposed to the toy itself. And should my body break apart, his would immediately follow.
The biggest down-side been that Haki was near on as much as three times harder to use. Conquerors was out of the question. Any attempt to overdo it would land with everything back into the toy, in the best of scenarios.
His one job in the matter?
To stop Kaido from immediately rampaging the moment he 'woke' up. Sugar's devil fruit, admittedly, had a terrible weakness when it came to waking allies up and hoping they follow through with a plan.
Given the moment Kaido got his vices back, he'd forget everything to do with Doflamingo. And given his level of knowledge on the matter, he was just as likely to forget who Joker was too.
In truth, the only reason Sugar had managed to effect the Yonko in the first place was entirely due to the fact he'd been in the worst hangover of his life. And who knew when that was going to end?
...