Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.
"One Piece." – Speaking
'One Piece.' – Thinking
One Piece. – Flashbacks
One Piece. – Devil Fruits and Techniques
Deadly Drinking Pirate
The Fall of Baroque Works That Followed
Previously on Deadly Drunken Pirate,
Then it happened. The sandstorm from the middle of the desert had expanded drastically, so large that it could be seen as far from Rainbase as here in Alubarna. Yet, once the storm was in sights, it suddenly exploded. What came after will be sealed in history and in everyone's minds forever. It rained, for the first time in ages, just not of water; but of blood.
'Now that was terribly disturbing…' A certain woman with a fedora and a well-grown figure tried to walk on the sand, disgusted that every grain was stained with human bean juice (cookie to who can figure out this reference!). It was all from that monster geyser that pretty much covered most of the desert in the stuff; it even stank under the hot sun. 'Let's see if it belongs to Mugiwara (Straw Hat) or the Boss.'
It was Miss Sunday and apparently, she missed out most of the action. No doubt she was ordered by an embarrassed Shichibuki (Royal Warlord) to not interfere; to the point that she wasn't allowed to see her partner 'kill the rookie'. Right now, Miss Sunday is out here not out of concern but of curiosity; she will love to find out what caused that hell-like geyser.
"Took you long enough." Miss Sunday saw two figures, right where the sands were the most red. And it seems that one of them knows that she was coming. Miss Sunday happened to notice that the other figure didn't as much as budge the whole time she kept walking. "I guess that you didn't want to get your 'favorite dress' stained red, eh?"
"Mugiwara." Miss Sunday could only say at the sight and then looked down to the sorry state of a large man, dressed similar to an Italian mafia boss, lying on the sands with an ugly gash that still stank of blood. "I can only guess that you were responsible for this."
"He was going to go all out so I thought I will too. If you are disappointed then so am I." Luffy smirked while still standing over the fallen Shichibuki, like a cat presenting its prey to its master. "What do you think? I tried to make it as gory and bloody as possible, for the one and only 'Demon Child', Nico Robin." Luffy spoke again, as if he was a hitman who wants to please his boss over killing in general.
Miss Sunday, or rather Robin, tried her best to hide her shock and fear. "I am…I am sure that there are plenty of women named Robin or look like the Demon Child. But you have nothing to go on…"
"You did notice that Crocodile was being a good little pet and allowed us to come here without an issue, right?" Luffy spoke up and Robin couldn't believe what she was hearing. Come to think of it, Robin was just remembering that event and Luffy asked her upon immediately; she was thinking about how her former boss knew about her real name and the same thing happened. Was he reading her mind? "Relax, I can't." Luffy butted in and Robin couldn't take it any better than,
"Who the hell are you Mugiwara!?" Luffy smirked still, "I mean it! How were you doing this to us!?"
"I am doing nothing to you, Nico Robin. After all, you did nothing." Robin was losing her patience. "Crocodile may have made the orders, but he knew when to be a good little boy. Not only did he keep us safe from his agents until the right moment, but now my crew is going to be even more motivated and they will get stronger. He even kept you safe until it was time for you to switch gears again, Crocodile is just a good boy."
Robin tried to figure out just what was this rookie trying to tell her. Then it sparked, "Our thoughts. You can read them, figure out what we are thinking and learn about us right on the spot. And you can alter thoughts too." Luffy gave out a brief chuckle,
"You got most of that right. That's because no one can 'read' thoughts. They are simply sparks going through your brain faster than bullets out of a gun barrel." Luffy responded. "But I can 'listen' to your thoughts. Have you really forgotten that you move, talk and react because of thoughts that come to mind? I'm simply a good listener to the joys and woes of my fellow men,"
Robin then saw herself, sitting on a bar stool and drinking herself drunk with Luffy behind, keeping her company. He was dressed in a bartender's suit and uniform, with his hair groomed tamely and expression as stoic as a lord. There was even an expense wine bottle nearby.
"…that is why I call it the Bātendā Kōkan (Bartender Exchange)."
Robin was left there, finally feeling awe and dumbstruck. There were no more words for her to say. Thankfully the ice was broken by another voice, "There you are, demon from Baroque Works!" From the skies, both Luffy and Robin gazed on a man that had the face and wings of a hawk, descending down to the bloody sands. He also had hands as the claws of a falcon, about to arm his sword.
But that was when he felt a presence on his body, right before his wings were bound along with his weapon, causing the hawk to crash into the desert. But while the hawk man was confused, Luffy knew what happened. "Okay, you had your fun now let him go." Luffy said to Robin and even massaged one of her shoulders to help her relax a little.
That did the trick and the hawk man got up from the desert sands, ready to try for his target again. But Luffy stopped him once again, bounding the arms with his extended left arm. "Sorry pal, but she is not your enemy anymore. We need her alive and we will let her leave Alabasta."
Luffy's word were clear and had the authority of an actual captain. But the hawk man had nothing to do with it. "But she is with Baroque Works! She works with killers and terrorists! She even killed one of our own! She could also have been trying to kill you too! That woman is a demon!"
"I know who she is. And now that Baroque Works are down to their last moments, it doesn't matter what she is, Pell." Luffy retorted at the hawk man who swallowed any words he wanted to say and transformed back to his apparent human form.
Pell is a tall man with a purple line under each eye that runs down the sides of his face, making him resemble his Devil Fruit's animal. He wears a long white robe with brown star-like motifs on it and a matching hat. He has a big orange necklace around his neck, and also sports striped socks under a pair of normal shoes. He carries his sword on his right hip, so it might be assumed that he's left-handed or even ambidextrous.
"Pirate, I should be going for your head too. So, let me go." Pell growled and Luffy realized him for a sheepish chuckle, Robin found it slightly amusing. "But never mind, where is Vivi-sama!?" Pell shouted, yet both Robin and Luffy were silent. "If there is so much as a scratch on the princess…"
"I was keeping a 'watch' out for everyone on this sandy island Pell. Vivi is just fine and where she wants to be." Luffy retorted back once again. "Anyways, I was not waiting for 'Miss Sunday' to 'kill' me. I was waiting for you to come and take the both of us to Alubarna. We also need to bring Crocodile along too."
"WHATT!?" Pell was shell-shocked at the idea of it all. Still, the woman in the fedora actually giggled at the sight. "I would never!" This only made Robin even more amused and it seemed to have made Luffy feel the same, even anyone judged the victorious smirk on his face.
"Oh, I know you will. Unless you want this civil war to happen after all, with Vivi right in the middle and unprotected." Luffy responded. "Of course, if you prefer to kill the both of us first than Vivi will surely perish in her attempts to stop the two halves of Alabasta from going to war. Or you can take the three of us to Alubarna, right now. It's your call."
Pell said nothing. What is there to say once a man realizes that he has no way out of a situation like this one?
XXXXX
Miles away, back in Rainbase,
"Die bitch! Sutingā Fureiru (Stinger Flail)!" Nami panted and moved to dodge powerful punches that were making gravel out of the stone houses nearby. Then Nami channeled more Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) to her weapon and struck her attacker hard after blocking one of those punches. "Arrgh! How are you so damn strong!?"
Nami smirked. "Because my boyfriend doesn't do drugs and your doping just makes you look more like a cactus than anything, wrench." The navigator mocking pointed out how her attacker, Miss Doublefinger, had gotten so much strength in her punches. It was due to the technique which had the word 'doping' in its name, the Toge-Toge Dōpingu (Spike-Spike Doping). "And I will move if I were you…" Nami then said before vanishing in a blur, leaving behind Miss Doublefinger to barely a volley of slashes that shredded the house near her and totaled a few more before running out of juice.
"Mr. 1! We are trying to kill a bunch of pirates; the Boss is not paying us to kill each other!" Miss Doublefinger practically yelled at her partner, who was still facing Zoro on the other side of the diced house.
"Shut it, you spiked bitch." Mr. 1 was slightly calmer, he still looked irritated and annoyed that he hadn't killed his target yet. "I swear that you pirates are getting me pissed off. You are like cockroaches; do you ever die!?"
Zoro looked a little more winded down but he still smirked with his Wado Ichimonji lodged between his teeth. "Not until our captain becomes the King of all Pirates, the only man that will lead us to our dreams." Somehow, either astonished or taken aback, Mr. 1 made himself an easy target for Zoro's latest technique. "Now, Busoshoku: Kuroi Kami no Kattā (Armament: Black God Cutter)!"
Zoro charged in with the speed of a cheetah and with the sheer force of a charging rhino, with his entire front side covered with Busoshoku Haki. With his swords at crosshairs, Zoro had every intention to sever the target up ahead. Anyone could tell that, even a child would and especially Mr. 1.
"Supā Bureiku (Spar Break)!" The large man readied his arms and made a cross-slash at Zoro as well. While most of the force was stopped by Zoro's front defenses, gashes soon appeared on the back side. But Zoro ignored, and finally overpowered his adversity.
'Damn it! I still couldn't cover my entire body with Busoshoku Haki like he can. This must be what he had been saying about how shitty an incomplete defense could be…' Zoro thought to himself while keeping an eye on Mr. 1, still falling freely over the road.
Mr. 1 finally stopped when he felt something bang into his back, which not only hurt but gave off the feeling of déjà vu. "Damn it, Miss Doublefinger! I thought these insects were just pirates!" Mr. 1 barely even had a pint of patience left, not even bothering to notice that his partner couldn't response since she was unconscious.
"Of course, we are pirates…" That was Nami's voice, with the rest of her appearing from the shadows. And Mr. 1 could have sworn that the navigator looked like an actual witch. "But we are Mugiwara Pirates, never underestimate us." Soon, Zoro joined Nami while looking down on their prey.
"Just get it over with! I am sick of all this crappy bullshit…!" Mr. 1 screamed, he just wished he could disappear after so much humiliation. Instead, he lost his voice seeing familiar balls floating around both him and Miss Doublefinger.
"Finish it. Sure thing~" Nami said in a sickening sweet tone, with her weapon gathering raw lighting at one of its tips. "Sandāboruto Tenpo (Thunderbolt Tempo)!"
Nami charged in, swiping her Clima-Tact forward and pass the pair of agents, and an actual lightning bolt surged right through them! Miss Doublefinger screamed through the pain and finally passed out, leaving Mr. 1 still standing but feeling the raw lightning throughout his nerves. 'Luffy-kun, you were right. I can get use to the feeling of excitement and winning a battle…' Nami thought to herself when she saw her target fried to a crisp and felt extra proud to also deal some damage to the large Mr. 1 as well. But her thoughts were over since it was Zoro's turn,
"Ittoryu Iai: Shishi Sonson (One Sword Style Re-sheath: Lion's Song)!" Zoro then charged for the pair and suddenly appeared on the other side, sheathing his single blade. And with the sound of the guard meeting the scabbard, both agents spurted out blood from a couple of slashes that seemed to have happened in an instant. 'Luffy, thank you. I am one step closer to being the swordsman I dreamed of…'
Then both Zoro and Nami turned to the desert, where their guts are telling to look. 'Luffy, you are my captain/man. And you will become the King of Pirates, with us always following you.' Both of them thought together before walking away to regroup and maybe a change of clothes. They both made it double time to get out of the brief blood rain that drenched the two agents, who still laid out on the ground motionless.
XXXXX
Within the Alabasta desert,
"Konbo: Daburu Sukai to Rando Katto (Combo: Double Land and Sky Cutter)!" Usopp and Kaya screamed while both of them ran across the desert sands. Then they halted and both of them made a large air blade with their legs, combining into one gigantic attack.
It cut through the desert, nothing to it, along with any dunes and ruins that were facing the attack. But the real target was a certain couple of assassins; one dug into the sands like the mole she is, and her partner was so slow that he had to roll away to avoid the attack.
"Gah! What the hell is this bullshit you and your bitch are pulling here!? Only the Boss could do this!" The mole woman shouted out and the Straw Hats just allowed their hair to shadow their eyes. "Well!? Are you going to say some bullshit or are you going to die!?"
"Shut up, your voice is more annoying than a parrot's." Miss Merry Christmas of Baroque Works feared very little; she showed surprise only when she finally learned who her Boss was the whole time she was enlisted as an agent. But right now, the mole woman was frozen with fright. "Masutāzu: Sakura Hanabira (Master Hoof: Sakura Petal Downward Sprout)!"
Miss Merry Christmas really felt like a mole from the classic game, Whack-a-Mole. And she noticed that the giant fist, that appeared out of nowhere and struck clean on the head, had the feeling of fur on the fingers. 'If they want to play games, then I will give them something to enjoy!' The mole woman thought to herself and found herself digging with her mole claws until she found the other tunnels she made earlier. And her partner was hiding in one of those, much to her chagrin.
But before Miss Merry Christmas could complain and conduct a plan for the Straw Hats, the tunnel behind her suddenly gotten hot. Both assassins turned around while the darkness of the tunnels had gotten enlightened, to see a stream of fire approaching them. All they could do was open their mouths in shock and horror at the sight. Then the ground surface exploded, as if buried fireworks had gone off; and the two assassins were sent flying high into the air before crashing down, with the fall and the sands irritating their wounds.
"Your mole town is not bad, it is just shares the same weakness." Usopp spoke without a hitch to his voice. He felt like the king of the world with the three assassins at the feet of their targets. All they could do to response is mumble and groan in the painful burns that coated on their bodies.
"The weakness of a mole town…" Usopp started off with a mocking smirk. "Is that every tunnel is…" Kaya did her part, "Connected. And so, did our own explosions." Chopper finished off.
"Then finish it! I can't be even more humiliated than a buffoon idiot that doesn't even bring his own weapons!" The mole woman shouted through her burned lips when her scorched ears heard chuckling, the viciously victorious kind.
"Oh, he did. They are just not on him right now, and never will." Usopp spoke up and it only took a split second for Miss Merry Christmas to realize what the sniper meant. When she used what little conscious she had, the mole woman looked up and saw that Mr. 4's large bazooka was in Chopper's hands. And the 4-ton metal bat in Usopp's grip!
Despite this, the mole woman was still despicable enough to laugh at her enemies while still flinching from the pain. "So, what!? You can't use those! Only we know how to use Lasso! And only my idiot partner can lift that heavy ass club!"
"We are pirates. Nobody wants anything to do with us, especially teach the basics of weapons and combat." Usopp retorted while Chopper and Kaya were still silent. "We find our own way, we learn at our own pace. And…" Usopp readied his hand on the metal bat, and lifted it up as if it was just a twig. "I am sure on how to use this 'club', watch and weep!"
Usopp swung down the heavy metal bat down on the mole woman's head, slightly holding back so her cranium with be dented instead of cracked open. There was still the sickening sound of metal meeting bone at a high force; such a force so strong that Mr. 4 even felt it, while not conscious himself!
For a few seconds, Usopp stared at their bodies and felt their plus steady but faint, that of a man unconscious. He smiled at their handiwork, "Guys, it's done. We've won." Facing his girl and her teacher, "We have won as Straw Hat pirates!" Raising his arm into the air, Kaya and Chopper cheered along; they did this, even when they saw the storm turn into a geyser of blood.
XXXXX
While everything was happening, here in Alubarna,
"Well." That was the word that cut through the tense atmosphere. "I'll say that you guys did excellent work. I was getting worried that my delay could have thrown a monkey wrench into the works." Luffy said while facing Alvida, standing on the clubbed okama like a stepping stool, along with Sanji, Gin, Grace, Frank, and Carol in company; they were rather business when nobody was looking. "Now, I can safely say that there are to be no more agents hiding here that will interfere, right?"
"Oh, hell there is!" Sanji shouted off like a kid on sugar rush! "Miss Grace-swan and Miss Carol-swan looked so majestic and beautiful while me and the pair of idiots kept them from getting their hands dirty!"
"Shut up, crap chef!" Frank didn't that this better than anyone else present and this showed on everyone's faces. "I am allowed to help Carol as we have been partners for years! You were the one to avoid 'getting dirty'!"
"Yeah! We all wanted to flush them out!" Grace spoke, a little childish but nobody pointed that out. "But you just tried to sweet-talk us out of it, my ears bled and my teeth rotted from all that garbage!"
"B-but you both are lovely ladies and manual labor will just…" Sanji tried to talk his way out of this; he feared women as much as he 'loved' them. And he couldn't say another word when his crewmates started to yell back, one trying to talk over the other.
"Enough!" Luffy shouted and successfully halted the arguments. "You are going to get more than an earful once this is all over, as it seems that my warnings can't get into that thick skull of yours, Sanji." The blonde laughed nervously in front of a somewhat demonic face that stared him down hard; this was somehow satisfying to see. "Now then, where is the place that the rebels and royal army are going to fight?" Luffy turned to Vivi who said nothing, just showed a face of concern and pointed her finger towards the center of Alubarna.
"Please Luffy. I am counting on you." Vivi said with sincerity, that made her look like a goddess among the sands. But while the men tried to turn away, Luffy's expression didn't budge.
"Of course, Vivi, you are my friend and I like this island." Luffy then turned towards where the civil war was going to escalate. "Let's go. I am going to stop a war."
End of Chapter 26.
*Well last chapter was a bit of disappointment and an embarrassment. As soon as I attempted to have it published, the site had an error. Now my story looked like it hadn't been updated as of yet. Hopefully this won't happen twice…I just jinxed it, didn't I? *
