One Piece: Truly Precious
Thank you so much for the favorable reactions to this story. It has become my second most popular story on this site. I am so happy. :D It is thanks to all of these favorable reviews that I am pushing myself to write this update.
Unfortunately, updates for this fic won't be as fast as some of my others, but that's because I need to read the manga for the Alabasta arc and all the other arcs I missed because I had yet to get a computer that I could use to watch One Piece online when it was airing on TV in the US. Please bear with me, as I really want to get this fic moving, as I have big plans for the Marineford arc.
So, let's begin.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
As the Going Merry sailed across the turbulent waters of the Grand Line, the new members of the Strawhat were staring in shock at the veteran crew after hearing the bombshell of a revelation that they had dropped on them.
"You're…from the future?" said Vivi in disbelief.
"You can't be serious," said Gin as he gave them a flat look.
"We are," said Zoro, "we crossed the Grand Line and traveled through the New World until we found Raftel."
"That's impossible," said Nojiko, "I grew up with you Nami, and not once did you show any inclination that you were any different until you came back with your new crew. If you're from the future, then what's happened to my sister?"
"She's me," said Nami with a smile, "it's not easy to explain, but from what we've been able to gather, our minds and souls were transported from the end of our voyage back our younger bodies from the beginning of our journey."
"That's a little hard to swallow," said Nojiko, "is that why you seem to know all about where you need to go next and why you all know each other despite being on separate islands?"
"Yeah," Luffy, "we've all been through this before, so we just needed to meet up again."
"So you've all done this before?" asked Vivi as he hair hung down and cast her eyes in shadow, "We all met and went on this same adventure back in your timeline?"
"Well yeah," said Luffy, "we became good friends."
"Then why did you all wait this long?!" Vivi yelled angrily with tears in her eyes before she turned to Nico Robin, "If you knew this was going to happen, why didn't you stop Crocodile from hurting my people?"
"It's not that simple," said Robin sadly, "believe me, if I could have stopped Crocodile before he gained a foothold in your Kingdom, then I would have."
"What stopped you?" Vivi practically yelled at the former Baroque Works Agent.
"It wasn't something she could control," said Zoro, "until just recently, she wasn't the Nico Robin we knew and remembered."
"What do you mean?" asked Nojiko.
"From what we can gather," said Nami, "whatever force that sent us back to our past bodies only sent us back to the moment where we met Luffy for the first time. Our minds awoke in our bodies as soon as we saw him for the first time in this timeline."
"So you see," said Zoro, "we couldn't have done anything more to help. By the time we remembered everything about this point in our voyage, we were too far along to do anything to prevent it."
"But don't worry," said Luffy as he showed a rare moment of seriousness, "now that we know what's coming, we're going to do everything we can to keep our friends safe. That includes kicking the ass of the bastard that is messing with your home, Vivi."
"Just tell me this," said Vivi, "in the time you came from, was I a part of your crew? Were we friends? Is that why you're helping me now?"
"You were one of our Nakama," said Luffy, "we wanted you to join our crew to sail across the ocean, but your place was with your people in your home."
"But that's not why we're helping," said Usopp, "we're doing it because it's the right thing to do."
"So," said Gin, "considering all this talk about being from the future and such, where are we headed next? I assume you know, considering you've done this before."
"Well," said Nami, "it's about time we did something about our current medical staff."
"What medical staff?" asked Nojiko.
"Exactly," said Nami exasperatedly, "I may know a few remedies to various ailments, but what we really need on this ship is a professional Doctor! I mean, Yosaku is fine and healthy now, but limes are only a temporary solution to Scurvy and we have nobody trained to treat the more serious injuries or diseases."
"That is a good point Aneki," said Johnny.
"Considering the trouble we've been getting into, having someone around to patch us up is a good idea," said Gin with a nod, "I'm assuming that you have someone in mind from your previous life?"
"Of course," said Luffy happily, "we're headed to the Sakura Kingdom!"
"I don't believe I've heard of a kingdom by that name," said Vivi, "I would assume that it would have a representative at the Reverie."
"Well," said Nami, "it isn't known by that name right now. Right now, it's known as Drum Kingdom."
"Wait," said Igaram, "Drum Kingdom? You can't mean the Kingdom ruled by that tyrant Wapol?"
"That's the one," said Zoro with a grimace, "which brings us to our other reason for going there: dethroning him and freeing the people from his rule."
"Do we really need to go all this way for that?" asked Vivi, "Crocodile won't just sit idly by and wait for us to arrive."
"Trust us, Vivi-chan," said Sanji, "we're going to need our Doctor's help in the voyages to come. Plus, it isn't quite time for Crocodile's endgame."
"And," added Robin, "Crocodile will need me to decipher the Poneglyph hidden under the Castle."
"He knows about that?" gasped Vivi, "Then he must be after Pluton."
"Indeed," said Robin, "last time, we formed an alliance which promptly ended when I told him the Poneglyph held, not the location of Pluton, but the collective history of Alabasta."
"You lied to him?" said Vivi, getting a nod from Robin, "Why?"
"As I said before," said Robin, "I had no interest in his goals of power and domination. My only reasons for allying myself with him was to find the Rio Poneglyph and for protection from the World Government. I never wanted the terrible things he had done to your home to happen."
"I'll accept that answer," said Vivi, "but I still don't trust you."
"That's fair," said Robin.
"Well now that that's settled," said Nami, "we're going to need to get some warm clothes as soon as possible. The Drum Kingdom is on a Winter Island, so things are going to get cold fast."
xXsceneXx
Meanwhile, on a humid jungle island, a bespectacled man with a hairdo that resembled the number 3 sat in a wax house sipping from a cup of tea as he waited for his accomplices to arrive.
"Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine are late, Mr. 3," said a young girl wearing a blue shirt and a pink hat, eating senbe crackers on the side.
"Yes, it does seem so," said the man as he put down his cup of tea, "I wonder what has become of them?"
"Dunno," said the girl.
"Hmmm," said Mr. 3 as he checked a wax clock, "they are running unusually late."
"Maybe they ran into some trouble at Whiskey Peak?" the girl offered as she bit into another cracker.
"It doesn't matter, Miss Goldenweek," their assistance here isn't truly needed.
Suddenly, a Den Den Mushi sitting on the table next to them began to ring, prompting Mr. 3 to pick up the receiver.
"Hello?" asked Mr. 3.
"Mr. 3," said a voice from the Den Den Mushi.
"Mr. 0!" said the Baroque Works Officer Agent in surprise.
"Mr. 3," said the mysterious leader of Baroque Works, "you and Miss Goldenweek are to report to the Spiders Café in the Alabasta Desert and await further instructions. The other Officer Agents will be meeting there as well. Do not be late, or you will be punished. Severely."
With that, the line went dead, causing the pair of Agents to glance at each other before hurrying to pack up their little campsite and heading to where they had parked their dingy.
"I wonder why Mr. 0 wants us in Alabasta now?" asked Miss Goldenweek once the two of them were underway.
"It's not our place to question the boss's orders," said Mr. 3, "I'm sure we'll find out once we arrive at the Spiders Café."
So yeah, since the Little Garden arc never happened, Mr. 3 and his partner will take part in the battle for Alabasta. Next time, we'll be setting sail for the future Sakura Kingdom.
Ciao.