PENNY
The perfume shops in Nanohana were known around the world for their rich scents and long-lasting wear. The intricately designed bottles were small treasures as the glass art imported from the island was widely distrusted among the elites of the world. Penny held the uncapped bottles under her nose trying to find a scent that suited her best. The owner of the stall, a lovely older woman named Tana, followed her handing her different bottles as she spoke about her grandchildren.
"Something more floral, I think," said Penny, handing the layered, musky perfume back. It was their fifth day in the city and still no sign of Luffy. While Ace hunted down something to eat, Penny made to blend in with the locals and explore what she could of Alabasta before they ran off again. "A bit lighter…"
"This one," said Tana, handing her a bottle with a clear oil inside and a gold stopper. "White jasmine and bergamot. Floral, but with more energy."
Penny hummed, smiling as the pleasant smell wafted over her. All that was left to do was find a bathhouse and relax for a few hours. Bidding Tana a quick goodbye, Penny stepped out into the street.
Penny got a brief glance of the main road, bustling with shoppers at the various stalls and men playing chess over endless cups of coffee. She curved around a snake charmer who called to her eagerly as he caught sight of her foreignness. Several screams sounded from the market square. The crowd swelled in response, fleeing down the main road.
"What's that?" asked Penny, standing on her toes to see the sight of the commotion.
An old man was pushed down by the fleeing crowd and before anyone could help him up, his back was pressed down by the boot of one of the pirates. Beneath his nose, a small trickle of blood welled. One of the dancers was caught behind a curved cutlass, gripped tightly by a man with no hair and a smile capped with gold.
Penny set her bags down.
"Get back!" snarled one of the men to the crowd. His portly captain with a tricorn hat and rounded teeth came over. "Unless you want to die, hand over all your—"
Penny pulled her sword sheath from her waist, sticking it into the ground next to her bags. The men caught notice of her and paused slightly looking back to his captain.
"Cap'n Puppu…"
"What're you dogs waiting around for?" snarled Puppu, waving a large sword around. "Spread out and get what you can."
"Please," begged the old man, struggling beneath the boot which held him down. "I'll give you everything I earned."
"Don't beg," called Penny to the old man, loud enough for the sound to carry. "You've got more dignity than all of them combined, Oji-san."
Captain Puppu raised his sword in her direction, "You can be the first—"
"Pointing a blade at me is the same as signing your life away," said Penny calmly.
The men laughed.
Penny tensed, noting that they had a guest watching their interaction. She turned her head away from the sword to see Crocodile, the famed Warlord, standing on the roof of a building watching the interaction. He was tall and broad and part of the same group of pirates who sprung up after Roger—Penny couldn't help but compare his strength to Shanks, only to find it lacking.
"Forgive me," said Penny, skimming her finger down the edge of the blade in front of her. Finding a small chip, she copied it. It spread across the surface of the blade, warping the metal until it shattered. The pirates exclaimed in fear. "I won't step on any toes—it seems you've attracted a different sort of trouble."
She nodded toward Crocodile, hearing the exclamations of joy from the civilians as they loudly cheered for their 'hero.'
She grabbed her things and blended into the crowd, taking the back ally toward the harbor where they had docked Striker. Crocodile seeing her hadn't been part of the plan. Penny recalled that the man had once lost to Whitebeard and never stepped foot in the New World after that.
It was later that evening, after Crocodile's sandstorm had passed, that she and Ace regrouped in a small hotel. The public bathhouse had closed by the time Penny finished with her shopping, so she forced Ace to heat some water for her.
"I copied the docking ledger," murmured Penny, dipping into the salty bath. The door to the bathroom was open and she could hear Ace shuffling around in the bedroom. "That stuff we found in Reed is probably something far worse than drugs…over a dozen ships from there came here in the last year or so…No mentions of a raft though. Blackbeard might have headed up the river right away."
"Bastard probably didn't have any money to pay the fee," said Ace, an ugly tint of anger in his voice. "Never paid for anything even when he could."
"Any luck finding Luffy?"
"We've got another day, if he doesn't show up tomorrow, I'll leave him a note somewhere."
"I can leave a copy behind to find him. After Yuba, we need to stop in the Capital for a day. There's something I want to look at."
Ace made a slight noise and appeared in the doorway, grinning as he held up one of her bounty posters. It wasn't the real one, but one of the fakes she had made. On the bottom was a humble bounty of 400 million berries. "Is this it?"
Penny looked at it and then laughed, "No."
"Figured. The picture looks like one you'd choose." Penny had posed on the helm of her ship, a deep, red cloak billowing behind her as it caught in the breeze.
"It's a good picture," argued Penny.
"Never said it wasn't." Ace's gaze traced her arm, staring at the scar where the King Mamba bit her, "That's a hell of a lot bigger than Luffy said it was."
"Imagine if it had gotten Luffy's head."
"That's the reason it's my main job as a big brother to worry about him. I was probably the only thing between him and death growing up."
"You're a very nostalgic person," commented Penny.
"I'm probably annoying you with all this," said Ace sheepishly. "Just tell me to shut up about it and I will."
"It's just unexpected. I thought you'd be cooler."
"You're exactly how I imagined you to be."
"Bask in my presence for as long as you have me."
Ace sat up on the counter, paying more attention to her now, "Should I?"
Penny shifted, water sloshing as she rested her arms and chin on the edge of the tub. Penny smiled, "No, I bite."
"You never say much about yourself."
"I like to maintain an air of mystery."
"Whatever," laughed Ace, shaking his head. "To be honest, if it wasn't for my responsibility as Blackbeard's commander, I wouldn't have come to a backwater port like this."
Penny's face hardened. "It's a civilization older than the World Government."
"It's not the New World and it's not Pop's ship or mine. It's the middle of nowhere."
"Then go home and see them for a bit. Blackbeard will still be around when you come back."
"If it was that easy, I would've done it by now, Penny."
She smiled apologetically, "I'm an awful person, aren't I?"
"No, you're not. Aren't you running from home too?"
Penny's smile dropped from her face. Perhaps it was strange to someone who had dedicated his life to a single man for her to not do the same with Shanks, but Penny didn't equate her love for the Red Hair Pirates with her desire to see them succeed. Being away from them didn't mean her ties were severed. If anything, it gave her the freedom to love them more openly.
Penny shook her head, "Not in the way that you are."
ROBIN
Nico Robin rarely took her dinner with Crocodile, but the man requested her presence leaving little choice but to join in on the charade of comradery.
"What do you know about Red Hair's apprentice?"
The fork paused on the way to her mouth. Robin set it down and raised her gaze to meet Crocodile's. "Why?"
"She's in Alabasta." Crocodile tapped his fingers on the table, showing his agitation. There were rules to piracy, Robin had learned. Unspoken hierarchies governed the ungovernable. Attacking one member was a direct threat to a Yonko and Robin knew that Crocodile's run in the New World was ended by his brutal defeat at Whitebeard's hands.
"Keep an eye on her," Crocodile ordered.
Robin picked up her wine glass, eyes revealing little of her inner thoughts. "Wouldn't it be best to leave her alone?"
"She's someone who cares nothing about the balance of power. If she's here, I want to know what she's doing at all times.
Crocodile slid the folder toward her. Robin opened it, leafing through the various bounty posters. Each one had a more ridiculous number than the last and the clothes the woman wore changed in every photo—dazzling harlequin dresses, a suit and top hat, and what looked like a court jester's costume.
The face staring back at her was vaguely familiar, one she had seen in passing, but also in flesh years ago in the West Blue.
Robin had been about fourteen, maybe fifteen, when a little girl showed up in front of the bakery she worked. What she remembered was her lavender hair and a flowy dress, embroidered with flowers all along the hem and collar—a sense of jealousy filling her at the brimming life flowing through her. The girl knocked on the door, waiting patiently. Robin lifted her head from washing the floor and looked to the old woman to see if she would open the door.
When it finally seemed the knocking would stop, the door was kicked open, falling to the ground with a large bang as the hinges tore from the wood.
"I'm Penny," announced the girl, placing her hands on her hips as she entered. She had a strange accent, not one local to the West Blue. "It's rather rude to leave a guest outside when you're clearly here."
"W-what do you want?" wheezed the old woman.
"Kindly silence yourself."
Robin gripped the brush tightly, scrubbing even harder as Penny looked at her with narrowed eyes. She kneeled in front of her, her dress falling into the scummy water, and held her gaze intensely with moon-like eyes. "Are you Nico Robin?" she whispered in a low voice, barely heard.
Robin's eyes widened. She gulped nervously and then shook her head. Penny's face dropped, a sigh escaping her mouth that blew her hair into her face. "Are you sure?"
Though Penny had been younger, Robin couldn't help but be afraid. All it took was a few words to a Marine to force Robin into running again. The stare-off ended. Penny stood, stomped her foot, and then turned around, leaving as quickly as she had come.
Had Penny come for her again? Was it possible that someone's hatred could span a decade and half the globe? The rumors that spread across the West Blue about Ohara turned ordinary people against her. What would those rumors do to someone who reached the top of the summit with the youngest of the Yonko?
Or, whispered a voice in her mind, this could easily be an opportunity, a chance to slip into another group and gain the protection and secrets of an Emperor. She had helped Crocodile bring Alabasta to its knees. Penny, if the rumors were true, had quietly strangled the Navy and the Celestial Dragons on Sabaody, shifting the balance in Paradise.
"I'll start in the morning," said Robin flatly, not giving a hint of interest.
PENNY
"That's Idunn's apple!" said Penny with a gasp as the man at the stall held out the golden apple to her. "Where did you get one?"
"If you take one bite, it'll make you live for a thousand years," said the man, unveiling a whole stack of the fruit. Penny's eyes widened to the size of tea saucers, tugging on Ace's arm.
Ace shook his head, holding onto his bag tightly. "Sorry, but I've got no interest in living for a thousand years."
"Is it eternal youth or eternal life?" asked Penny, rubbing her cheeks to show off their firmness. "I've kept a careful eye out for wrinkles this far, but it'd be impossible to keep at it for a millennium. Where do you grow these anyway?"
Ace searched the crowd, "Penny, I'm gonna—"
"Crocodile's got an eye on me," said Penny lifting her head. She didn't need Observation Haki to feel her shadow. "Just ignore it for now."
"Will you say goodbye?"
"Why?" asked Penny, perplexed. "Where are you going?"
"Keep an eye out for Luffy," said Ace ignoring her question. "And don't get caught doing…whatever you're doing."
"If you hang out with old men, you start worrying like them too," warned Penny and then raised her head to see Ace staring at her with a hard expression.
Ace tilted his head toward her, leaning down so they were eye level. "I know you can take care of yourself, but let a guy worry every once in a while."
Penny slapped her cheeks twice and shook her head. Her hair held a curl to it, framing her face softly, and bouncing with every move. "The idea of any man worrying about me is humiliating."
Ace smiled and clapped a hand on her shoulder, squeezing lightly. "I'll head to Yuba on my own. Go to Alubarna and if we make it back at the same time, then…" He trailed off, looking away from her.
He was trying to leave without saying it.
Her surprise was cutting.
Usually, she was the one disappearing before anyone could catch her, but Ace was doing it first. Her heart squeezed uncomfortably in her chest. He was cutting the string cleanly, letting her go without the uncomfortable feeling that she was abandoning her friend.
Maybe, Ace knew her better than she realized. Vengeance plots and pride were of little interest to Penny—even Shanks' request would take a back burner to her dreams. In truth, Penny had lived the life of a pirate long enough to know that Ace was heading on a different path than she was, but she had hoped they would've had more time, that she could've helped him more than her pathetic attempts thus far.
All Penny had left to offer was words.
"Believe it or not, all that matters is what you do with your name. The people who came before are ghosts now." He turned away from her, doing his best to keep his composure. Penny stretched onto the tips of her toes. "It's better that you're not related to Luffy, since he's a bit slow," she whispered.
Ace laughed. "Next time we meet, I'll show you around my world."
She nodded, knowing that what he considered home had been hers for much longer. A thread of worry still weaved through her at the thought of Ace encountering Blackbeard, but she decided it would be best not to voice it to him directly.
"Be careful," said Penny, waving him off. Ace nodded, hitching his bag higher onto his shoulder and made his way down the busy street. There was a restaurant he'd found the other day that held a lead on Blackbeard. Penny watched him until he was no more than a speck in the distance and then pulled a bag of coins out to purchase one of the golden apples.
The stall owner's eyes went wide seeing her grab a handful and hand them over without looking. Taking a bit into the fruit, she found it didn't taste all that different from a regular apple.
"Hey," said Penny, wrinkling her nose at the fruit. "You didn't lie to me, did you?"
"N-no, miss!"
"Do you know where I can find a post station?" she questioned. Ace's burning flame still echoed nearby. One last shot in the dark, thought Penny, and then she would let the issue go. "I've got a letter to send."
"There's a Marine base down that way—if you head over, it's right next to it."
Thanking him, Penny dug around in her backpack for a pair of sunglasses and a piece of paper. Her hair was distinctive enough to garner a second glance, but she doubted it was enough to give her away. She spent all of yesterday investigating the local clothing and mannerisms until she could blend in like a local….well, granted the moment she opened her mouth, the act would fall apart.
O'Captain, my Captain
Consider this an S.O.S.
It's your turn to put the work in
All my love
P.
ACE
"Who…can you beat?" asked Ace, knocking Luffy down with the heel of his foot as he jumped onto the ship carrying his little brother and his crew. He squatted on the railing, holding onto his hat.
Luffy's face lit up, a smile splitting his face once again. "Ace! This is the crew I was talking about!" Luffy introduced each of them fondly.
Ace bowed his head politely as he inspected each face. "Thank you all for taking care of my little brother."
Surprise crossed their faces, similar to the expression Penny frequently wore whenever he did something she considered mannerly. Ace's smile grew. They bowed back, speaking in unison to dismiss his gratitude.
"He might be a bit too much for you to handle, but…"
"No, not at all," they said, looking completely at ease. His chest eased, relief flooding through him at the open, honest affection they seemed to carry for one another. Luffy had done well. Exactly, as he imagined, the Grand Line gave Luffy something to challenge his strength.
"Take care of him."
Sanji, the blonde cook in a long blue and white kaftan, brought a cigarette to his mouth, eyes kind. "You probably have a lot to catch up on. Why don't you come in? I'll make some tea."
"No, that's okay. Don't do it on account of me." Ace smiled, raised his hand, and lit the cigarette.
Sanji startled, looking down at the flame that appeared. A lingering look passed as he considered the action. "That's unexpected…that's for sure."
"I would've expected him to be as reckless as Luffy," said Usopp.
Nami held her hands to her chest, staring at him in denial. "No way someone this sensible can be related to Luffy."
Zoro looked even more disturbed, "He's nice and cares about Luffy."
Chopper had tears streaming down his face as he said, "Brothers can be so wonderful!"
"The sea can be full of surprises," reassured Sanji.
Vivi was the only one attempting to be diplomatic as she stressed for everyone to keep quiet. Ace thought they were an odd bunch, but fitting. It was the exact kind of crew he imagined Luffy having.
He stood abruptly, looking over their shoulders to the approaching fleet of ships. The symbol printed on their sails was one he recognized from the tattoo they found on the workers on Reed Island. What was it doing here?
"Baroque works," shouted Vivi, putting a name to their enemy. Ace counted the number of ships and distance. "Those are the Billions' ships!"
Ace looked at Luffy, who was leaning far off the side of the ship, complaining about the Billions' return. "I'll clean them up," said Ace.
A chance to show off to Luffy's friends wasn't an opportunity he wanted to miss. Even if Luffy had gotten stronger, Ace had as well. There was nothing out of reach for him under Pops' guidance and the strength he amassed on his own had put his name on the map. Dropping into Striker, he severed the rope anchoring the boat.
Fire pushed the boat forward with little effort on his part. He had been messing with Penny for weeks telling her it was possible to get Striker to move without his Devil Fruit. Hands in his pockets, he leaned against the sail, waiting for the right moment to strike.
As he got close to the first ship, he grinned and jumped, sending Striker below the water. Spinning in the air, his body turned into a mass of crimson flame. He landed on the other side just as Striker shot out of the water.
The Billions' ships were perfectly aligned. Ace reared his fist back, letting the heat build down his arm and then shouted, "Fire Fist!"
A massive explosion of flame shot from him, swallowing the line of ships in its hungry jaws. The sea rose and fell as the burning ships were torn apart and sunk below its waves. A stunned silence followed, broken by the excited shouting of the Straw Hats.
Ace turned his head, grinning up at them as he raised his hand to wave.
When he returned to the ship, Zoro cracked open a barrel of ale, passing around cups eagerly before hoarding the rest of it for himself.
"Woohoo!" shouted Usopp, clinking his cup against Luffy's with too much force to keep the drink in the cup.
Luffy laughed, dodging the liquid. Chopper raised his cup as high as it would go, "We've got Ace too now!"
"I'm not joining," said Ace with his own smile, "but there's probably someone you can pick up while you're here. She's a bit of a nutcase though."
"Huh?" asked Luffy, tilting his head. "Who is it?"
Ace pondered whether he should drag it out, but remembered Luffy's thrilled grin when one of Penny's bounty posters made it to the East Blue. "An old friend of yours."
"Hahahaha, no way!"
"We met a few months back when Shanks sent her my way. She was helping me out a bit, but it's not really something she's got her heart in. If you've got any luck, you'll find her." Ace clapped a hand on Luffy's shoulder. "I've gone a bit soft on her, so make sure you both stay outta trouble."
Luffy shook his head, "It'd be no fun without the trouble."
"Luffy," Sanji leaned against the railing, voice cool and dark. "I let it go the first time, but if you're hiding a beautiful lady, I've got to say something."
"How about nothing?" muttered Vivi, giggling as Usopp mocked the look on Sanji's face behind his back. Nami looked over, groaning as she caught sight of it too.
Zoro opened one eye, glaring at Sanji, "Couldn't pick a cook that had a brain somewhere other than his dic—"
"Oi, shut it, moss head! Keep that shitty mouth shut around Nami-san and Vivi-chan!"
"Here," Ace dug around in his bag and pulled out Penny's bounty poster, handing it to Sanji. The cook pulled his cigarette from his mouth and unfolded the paper, before falling impossibly silent. Nami nudged Vivi, nodding her head toward the stunned blonde.
Chopped bounced up and down, wanting to see what Sanji was looking at. Luffy's hand stretched over and snatched the paper away. He balled it up, throwing it over his shoulder into the ocean. He raised his drink once more, "Ace, thanks for coming to see me."
Ace smiled warmly, before catching Usopp talking about how they'd be unstoppable with him on the crew. "I'm not—"
"Don't worry," called Nami, grinning as the three boys chugged their drinks. "They're always looking for an excuse to celebrate."
They had an interesting dynamic. While Luffy was the bond holding them all together, they were friends outside of him as well. Sanji and Zoro squabbled in a corner. Nami, despite being engaged in a conversation with Vivi, seemed to be aware of everything the others were doing and was ready to scold them at a moment's notice. Rather than the hierarchy that Pops' crew sometimes held, everyone was on equal footing, challenging and pressing one another, but moving forward together.
"Are you sure you won't join us, Ace?" asked Luffy, turning to him. It hurt a bit to be asked that question, but also filled him with relief. Luffy had grown out of following him around.
"I won't be here much longer. I'm chasing a certain man." He took a large gulp of beer, swallowing it quickly as his duty and anger burned inside him. "His name is Blackbeard."
"He's the pirate that attacked Drum Kingdom!" exclaimed Vivi.
They had gotten there when the trail was cold, finding the nation struggling through its recovery. Ace's hand tightened into a fist. He didn't blame Penny for constantly wandering off. It was a heavy task to hunt one man down to avenge another and not one he wanted to burden her with when she was turning lackluster with misery and frustration.
If Blackbeard's Devil Fruit was startling enough to have made her stumble, then it was something Ace needed to watch out for. But the darkness was no longer unknown thanks to the intel they collected.
"He used to be a member of the 2nd Division of the Whitebeard Pirates, as one of my men. But he committed the worst possible sin on a pirate ship: he killed a crewmember and jumped ship. So, as the commander, I gotta find and get rid of him."
"So, that's why you're chasing after him?"
"We came because we caught word that he'd been seen in Yuba."
Ace's mind wandered to Penny. He meant to say goodbye sooner, but weeks turned into months, and he had grown used to her beside him. So much so that at times the thought of Blackbeard completely slipped from his mind. They were closing in now and he kept returning to the injury she gained. It seemed to not bother her, but he'd seen how the marks stretched from her shoulder and slashed toward her naval.
Their fight at the beach proved another point, one he stumbled upon from watching Penny. When it came to the kill-shot, she turned and fled. Whatever struggle she held towards killing would only work against her when it came to Blackbeard. It was better, safer, to part ways.
Vivi procured a map, laying it out on the ground. "We've just entered the Sandora River. We'll land at Erumalu and then head north toward Yuba. That's where the leader of the rebel base is."
"We're headed there to meet with them," explained Nami, taking the map to study it more intently.
Sanji swooned nearby. Ace grinned to himself as the cook fawned over the two girls. Zoro clicked his tongue, turning his head to glare, and muttered, "Get lost, you pervert."
Grabbing his collar, Sanji pulled Zoro close, "Who the hell are—"
"Anyway," said Nami, slamming her palm against their heads to knock them into each other. "We can travel there together."
"Ace is more than welcome here," cheered Usopp. "Someone strong like him will definitely be useful!"
Luffy joined them, wrapping his arm around Ace's shoulder as he offered another toast, "Let's have fun together, Ace!"
He looked at all of their faces, knowing that no matter what happened going forward, Luffy would be alright. That alone eased any worry Ace held.
PENNY
Alabasta was a mostly quiet land away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The desert carried little but heat and sand. The arid winds, likely a result of the drought, shriveled up the lackluster plant life the further up they went. As night began to fall, so did the temperature.
"Where is it?" whispered Penny, closing her eyes as the wind picked up. There was the whisper of something in the air. It was not a sound with a voice, but Penny felt it echo through her like a heartbeat.
"What are you looking for?" asked Nasim, one of the men in the caravan whom Penny bribed to take her north of Nanohana toward Alubarna. They had stopped for a rest as the sun began to set. Tents were set up as Penny stoked a small fire to keep warm.
"Something very old," she admitted with a smile. "I'm a bit of a collector."
"Are you a thief? We have enough of those taking our things into museums or worse."
"I have no interest in things like wealth or war trophies."
"Then what?"
Penny asked a question of her own, "Why is Alabasta's flag that of a sun?"
"It's always been that."
"Alabasta was one of the twenty families to create the World Government. All the rest adopted new flags and their royal families went to Mary Geoise. Why not here?"
"Who cares?" muttered Farah. Nasim's daughter had warm brown skin and eyes like amber, bright and honeyed whenever the sun hit them. The man had introduced her with a hearty laugh and warning not to get offended by Farah's bitter tongue. "This country's on the verge of falling apart."
The girl was also frighteningly shy when it came to making eye contact, but Penny gleaned most of her personality from her muttered comments and expressive face. She had a habit of pulling her hijab to cover her mouth whenever she was about to say something that would get her in trouble with her father.
"How long has it been?" asked Penny, curiously. She accepted a glass of a fruit drink that had a slightly floral note to it. It was deep and every sip revealed a new layer from the tangy sweetness of apricots to the sour chase of pomegranates.
Nasim sighed, worrying wrinkling the corners of his eyes. "Years now. We didn't notice it at first, but entire cities emptied in a few weeks. Everyone is coming to the ports on the hopes that they will find more food or drink, but even that goes to Crocodile or the King."
"I suppose it's better that you know the thief rather than let your riches be spent elsewhere."
"He runs a casino," said Farah with a scowl. She crossed her arms over her legs, huddling in her "He has enough fools to steal from."
"I don't mean to bring up something unhappy."
"I'm surprised you were invited. Gedo doesn't like foreigners." The word Farah used translated to something a bit worse than foreigner. The old man, whose name wasn't given to her as everyone seemed to call him Gedo, looked over at them and shook his head.
"Farah," hissed Nasim, looking embarrassed.
"What? It's true."
Penny laughed, "Don't worry—when you travel as much as I do, you're a foreigner even in your homeland."
Nasim sucked his teeth, shaking his head. "No, no, everyone who has come to Alabasta in the past has been welcome here. Don't listen to Farah, she's got her head with those rebels."
Penny hummed, watching the girl with sharper eyes. "Rebels?"
"They're the only ones helping while the King sits—"
"No more talk of this," said Nasim firmly. He knocked his knuckles against the top of Farah's head, "You're worth a thousand sons, but don't get yourself into trouble."
Penny smiled to herself, warmed by their touching relationship. Nasim turned his gaze to her, "Our history is kept by the royal scholars. They're the best ones to answer your questions, but getting an audience with them won't be as simple as bribing us."
"What about Crocodile?" asked Penny, setting her drink in the sand. "What can you tell me about him?"
At this Nasim bristled, perhaps offended that she would place him in the same category as a pirate. Penny didn't think there was much of a difference between chasing freedom on sand versus in water. "We don't deal with the Warlord."
"I'm sorry," said Penny, backtracking before she insulted her hosts. "I meant nothing by it."
It was clear Nasim had grown uncomfortable with her line of questions, so Penny refrained from pushing any further and instead entertained them with the tale of how she had almost been tricked into marriage after being asked to make a wedding gown, only to later find out that it was intended for her all along.
Her mind, however, was not on the new friends she made or the quiet of the desert, but on the shadow creeping in the distance, far enough away that they could not make her out between the dunes, but close enough that she could attack the moment they were asleep.
On their second day, her shadow struck as they stopped for a water break. Everything happened quickly and without warning.
Foreign limbs attached to their bodies, wrapping around their wrists, legs, and torsos to prevent them from moving. Even the weapons and supplies were caught in a stranglehold. On the dried bones of a towering animal, a woman sat, legs crossed one over the other as her face remained hidden by a cowboy hat.
She had her hand resting on her knee, looking at ease amid the desert and struggle. Penny was the only one not caught in the same hold. She was a Devil Fruit user, surmised Penny, looking at the extra limbs curiously.
The woman spoke first, "I'm curious why a pirate would come to Alabasta knowing Crocodile was here."
"Is he making Alabasta his territory now? He should know better than to aim so high without having the power to back it up."
"What greater power is there than the World Government's?"
A Warlord was not equal to the World Government, but she didn't have time to debate the politics of the matter. "Who are you?" asked Penny.
"Miss All Sunday."
Penny could taste the lie in the air. Miss All Sunday kept her face hidden, tapping her fingers against her jaw as she stared at her hostages. "Shall I kill them?"
Penny shrugged, "I met them yesterday." If she moved to try it, Miss All Sunday would meet a quick death.
Miss All Sunday answered in a flat voice. "You ate with them…laughed with them...Is that the sort of pirate you are?" Miss All Sunday lifted her head, meeting Penny's gaze. Her dark eyes were full of a world of knowledge that Penny wanted to pick apart and copy for herself.
Penny curled her fingers behind her back, listening to the muffled struggling behind her. Anger was a tool—Shanks had taught her that. It wasn't an emotion to fear, nor one to avoid. "The kind of pirate I am would never allow you to walk away alive."
"Don't worry," said Miss All Sunday with a teasing smile. The struggling stopped and Penny heard a dull thud as they fell forward, free. "I was curious, but I think I've seen enough."
Nasim's eyes held a startled expression, like a child who had gotten lost for the first time. Penny knew that whatever gold she had offered them was far too little to take the fear out of their hearts, but there was little time to offer them comfort.
"Nasim—take everyone and go," said Penny quietly. She held her hand against her heart and bowed her head slightly, "Thank you for accompanying me this far."
Farah took her father's hand pulling him along and back toward the caravan who was fleeing with urgency. Once they were shadows in the distance, Penny turned back to Miss All Sunday contemplating how to deal with the woman.
"What does Crocodile intend to do with an ancient weapon?" questioned Penny.
"You know about the Poneglyph…" whispered Miss All Sunday, eyes wide. Something shifted in her expression. Her mask returned, a blank look entering her eyes. Her hands rose to cross in front of her, palms out wide.
"Tres Fleur," she said softly. Arms and hands sprouted all over Penny's body, locking her in their grasp. "Clutch."
The hands tightened and then pulled back sharply, but rather than knock Penny out, the body popped out of existence, leaving Robin standing alone in the desert. She stared at the spot Penny had been for a long moment, wondering what the famed pirate was doing here and how much she knew about the history of the Poneglyphs.
Adjusting her hat, she turned her back to the empty desert.
Crocodile would be angry she slipped away, but Robin had a feeling that they would see the woman again
END CHAPTER