Vivi
"We're leaving tonight?" Nami asked.
"I think this is the right time to go," Zoro said. "What do you think?"
"The marines have started to move, too," Sanji said.
"Luffy. It's up to you," Usopp said.
"Right. We should have another Alabasta meal before we go," Luffy said.
"We must go now, idiot!"
"I'm beyond ready to go. I hate this place with a passion." Cade stretched. "I need the ocean. I've been away from it for far too long."
A knock on the door. A servant walked in with a transponder snail. "You have a call from someone named Bon Bon."
"Bon Bon? We don't know anyone by that name," Cade said.
"But, he says that he's your friend."
"Is it a trap?" Usopp eyed the transponder snail.
Sanji picked up the receiver.
"Hey! Hey! It's me! Okama!"
Sanji hung up.
"Why did you hang up?" Cade asked.
"It's that idiot ballerina guy I fought with before. We're better off ignoring him," Sanji said.
The snail rings again.
"What's with you?!" Sanji demanded.
"Hey! You're that okama!" Luffy said. "What do you want from us?"
"What? Isn't this Straw Hat Luffy? Still alive? Okama is so happy!"
"Wait. Isn't this the Mr. Two guy?" Cade asked.
"Don't call me that. The marines might have tapped into this call. I might get into trouble," Bon Clay said.
"You just said it yourself," Chopper said.
"Get straight to the point," Zoro said.
"Oh, yeah. Your ship. I took it away," Bon Clay said.
"Don't joke around!" the crew said.
"You jerk! Where are you now?!" Sanji said.
"Aboard your ship, of course. Aren't we friends? Listen I moved your ship upstream of the Sandora river. Hurry up. The navy is moving in fast."
Click.
"Can we trust him?" Sanji asked.
"We are friends," Luffy said.
"Since when?" Cade asked.
"Since we met him on the ship." Luffy grinned.
"You make friends in the weirdest ways." Cade sighed.
"Doesn't matter. We still have to go. He's got our ship." Sanji stood. "If this is a trick, we'll just have to kill him."
"It's decided then. Let's pack up," Zoro said.
"Everyone," Vivi said. "Please tell me what I should do?"
"Vivi, listen up." Nami turned to the princess. "We'll give you twelve hours. When we get our ship back at the Sandora, at midday tomorrow we'll pass by the east coast. I'm afraid that we can't stop there, but forget about that. If you'd like to come with us that's the only time you can come aboard. When it's time, we'll welcome you. Because you're a princess, we can only do it that way."
"You must come, Vivi!" Luffy said.
"Luffy, don't be like that."
"What you don't expect her to come?"
"Of course not! It's her decision!"
...
Scaling down the side of the palace, they landed to find the duck squat waiting for them. Cade climbed up behind Luffy.
"This is comfortable," Zoro said.
"We're going to say goodbye to the sand kingdom, I won't forget this battle," Usopp said. "Hey, Luffy when are you going to finish eating?!"
"The food from Alubarna is great. Sanji, next time cook them," Luffy said munching on his meat leg.
"I planned to. That's why I asked Terracotta for some recipes and spices," Sanji said.
"Nami, are you okay?" Chopper asked.
Cade glanced at the navigator. Nami had been quiet since they left.
"Nami, I'll give you one of my meats. But just one, okay?" Luffy said.
"Nami, you're thinking about Vivi? I understand your feeling... but however worried you are it's still useless. Get your spirit up, Vivi didn't want to see you troubled," Sanji said.
"I thought about it. For Vivi, I forgot about the ten billion berries," Nami said.
Cade about fell off the duck. She tightened her legs to hold on.
"You are really a natural money loving witch!" the boys shouted.
"Hey! Usopp fell off!" Chopper said.
"Please don't joke around!" Zoro said.
"I wasn't joking! It's true! About Vivi I don't have to worry about it!"
"Ah! Usopp fell off!" Chopper said again.
"He deserved to, who ask him not to hang on tight?" Nami said.
"It's all your fault!" Cade said.
...
"Why did you make me wait so long?!" Bon Clay stood on the ship's railing. "Long time no see! You all are thinking about me?"
"So this is Mr. Two." Cade eyed the man and his too puffy outfit and heavy applied make up.
They take their stuff from the ducks and say goodbye.
"Goodbye! If we're destined to, we'll meet again!" Bon Clay cried. "No, that's not right! Wait a second!"
"What's wrong with him?" Cade asked.
"I think he was dropped on his head as a baby," Sanji said.
"That could explain a lot." Cade crossed her arms.
"What's this?! Old friends meeting and you don't say hi?!" Bon Clay pursed his lips.
"Who's friends with you? You're an enemy," Luffy said.
"You were calling him a friend a few hours ago!" Cade said.
"Move." Zoro walked up the stairs, passed Bon Clay.
"Ah, sorry." Bon Clay scooted over. "BW is disbanded, we all are not your enemy anymore."
"Even if you're not an enemy, I don't have to let you aboard," Luffy said.
"And that's what I get for doing a favor!" Bon Clay said.
"What are you talking about?" Luffy asked.
"Think about it!" Bon Clay pointed at Luffy. "If I didn't move this ship, what would have happened to it?"
"The marines probably would have confiscated it." Nami picked up a bag.
"Not probably, certainly! It nearly got taken away! You know what's the condition is around here?! It's totally covered by the marines! Even a goose will have trouble escaping," Bon Clay said.
"Then you took the Merry so the marines wouldn't get it?" Luffy asked.
"Really?!" Usopp asked.
"Why?" Chopper added.
"Because we are friends." Bon Clay gave a thumbs up with tears in his eyes.
"You're a really good guy after all!" Usopp, Chopper, and Luffy dance with Bon Clay on the ship.
"I'll never get use to how Luffy makes friends." Cade sighed.
"This is the last bag," Sanji said.
"I see," Zoro said. "It's because of the marines that you aren't able to get away. That's why you came to get our ship. You want us to help you escape."
"That's right!" Bon Clay said. "This is the time when enemies should get together and bust out of this situation!"
"You're pathetic!" Cade snapped.
Chopper, Usopp, and Luffy cheered.
"We thank you for the offer!" Another ship pulls up with pirates on it.
"Who cares about you all?!" Zoro growled.
They set sail. A few minutes later eight marine ships bear down on them, firing metal spears at the ship.
Cade lifted water up from the ocean, knocking as many spikes off course as she could. But a few continued to get through, knocking holes in Merry.
"Fire! Fire the cannon!" Luffy shouted.
"If these metal spears break the hull, the ship will sink in no time!"
"Okay." Cade swirls water around the ship to hide them. "I can't do this for long! We need a plan!"
"Mr. Bon Clay, bad news!" a pirate said.
"What is it?!"
"It's Black Jail Hina!"
"What does that mean?" Luffy asked.
"Black Jail Hina is the commander of the marines around here! We better run! She's a tough one! If we head south, we'll have a small chance of getting out!" Bon Clay said.
"You all go which way you want. We go this way," Luffy said.
"But why?!" Bon Clay asked.
"We have a meeting at twelve on the east coast. We have no time left. We must go," Nami said.
"So troublesome! Is there any treasure there worth waiting there? Just go and die for all I care!" Bon Clay stomped towards his ship.
"We're going there to pick up our friend," Luffy said.
Bon Clay froze.
"Mr. Bon Clay?!" his men said.
"If we run away now, we're not worthy of being okama," Bon Clay said. "If we're not able to sacrifice ourselves to help our friend we will not rest in peace!"
"What is this idiot going on about?" Cade asked.
"Don't have a clue," Zoro said.
"Straw Hat Luffy and the rascals, listen to me carefully," Bon Clay said.
...
"Three minutes." Nami checks her watch. "Go! Full speed ahead!"
"I can't believe his plan actually worked." Cade watched as Bon Clay's ship got bombarded by the marines.
"Bon Clay! We'll never forget you!" Luffy called out.
"I recently went on an adventure..."
"That's Vivi," Cade said.
"They will always be real to me. And with that said..."
"The ceremony at Alubarna," Sanji said. "Seems like she decided not to come."
"It just sounds like her, that's all." Luffy hung over the railing.
"Luffy, you have to accept it," Cade said. "It's her choice to come or not. There's a high chance she won't come."
"How can you say that? You don't know," Nami said.
"Did you forget everything Vivi did for her kingdom?" Cade faced Nami. "She went into the organization that was killing her kingdom. Do you honestly believe she could walk away from her home now?"
"Well..."
"Let's go!" Luffy said. "She's definitely over there. Let's dock and look for her."
"Hey! Bad news! The marines caught up with us!" Usopp said from the stairs.
"How many are there?" Zoro asked.
"Let's set sail now!" Nami said. "Full speed ahead!"
"Forget it, Luffy. She's different from the Vivi that was with us," Sanji said.
"Everyone!" Vivi called.
"Vivi!" Luffy smiled.
"Karoo!" Usopp said.
"Look! She came! Let's turn back!" Luffy said.
"Vivi!" Sanji gushed.
"I'm here to say goodbye," Vivi said.
"What did you say?" Luffy asked.
"I can't go with you all! Thank you for what you have done for me! Even though I still want to go with you, but right now I really love this country! So I can't come along! I... even though I want to stay here... But if there is one day where we meet each other again, will you all still call me a friend?!"
"No matter what we-" Luffy started to yell.
"Idiot!" Nami clamped her hand over his mouth. "We shouldn't answer her! The marines already saw her. If they found out we're friends, they'll mark Vivi as a criminal."
They turn their backs towards Vivi and lift their left arms.
