Zoro and L looked down from the edge of the roof, seeing the two strange agents as they cornered Vivi and Mr. 8. Mr. 9 was lying on his stomach flat on his face, like a fish out of water. Luffy was still sleeping next to the three. "Ah, damn it. Luffy's trapped down there." Zoro sighed.
"Let's get him out of there." L replied.
"You wait here. I'll go get him somewhere safer." Zoro told him. He hopped down landing on the ground, while the group was distracted, waiting.
"Go on! Princess Vivi, you have to escape!" Mr. 8 called out to her and began firing at the two Baroque agents. Mr. 5 picked his nose and flicked a booger at Mr.8, exploding as it made contact with him.
"Igaram!" Vivi cried out to him worried as she saw him fall to the ground. She tried to rush over to him, but Miss Valentine dropped down in front of her. She slashed at Vivi's hair band, missing her head. Vivi's long hair fell down, clinging to her face from her sweat.
"Don't bother." Miss Valentine laughed.
"Dirty monsters!" Vivi shouted, furiously, at the two assassins. Vivi pulled out her knife weapon, swinging it around, trying to keep the agent away from her.
"You mean you're really a princess, Miss Wednesday!? Wow!" Mr. 9 exclaimed.
"Not now, Mr. 9! I'm busy!" Vivi shouted at him. While the agents were distracted, Zoro quickly rushed out and grabbed Luffy, dragging the straw hat captain behind him as he ran away from the group. L quickly followed behind him as he jumped away from the rooftops.
"See ya!" Zoro murmured quickly, escaping.
"Princess Vivi." Igaram said, weakly.
"Igaram!" Vivi cried out to him.
"Please, forget about me. You must get away from here! Your homeland, if something happens to you then Alabasta will suffer. Please, princess, you must run!" He insisted.
"If you think that you can escape from us then you're mistaken." Mr. 5 spoke.
"Let's see if you can take me!" Vivi shouted, spinning her weapon.
"This whole princess thing is really confusing but we've been fighting together for a long time, so get going. I'm going to buy you some time!" Mr. 9 told her as he stood up, pulling out his iron bats.
"Thank you, Mr. 9!" Vivi smiled at him.
"Bye Bye, Baby!" Mr. 9 charged at the two Baroque Works agents about to bring his bat down on Mr. 5. Mr. 5 flicked his bomb booger at him. It exploded and sent Mr. 9 flying back, falling into the river.
"Oh no, Mr. 9!" Vivi cried out. From a corner nearby, Zoro and L had seen what had happened.
"Wait, hold on a second. Did that just come out of his nose?" Zoro questioned.
"That's disgusting." L cringed. He felt something grabbing onto his ankle and looked down to see Igaram.
"Hey, what are you doing!?" L hissed, trying to shake the man off his leg.
"Swordsmen! I have a request and I need people with strengths such as yours!" Igaram shouted at Zoro and L.
"Yeah, right. You gotta be kidding me!" Zoro shouted.
"Let go of me!" L shouted.
"Both of those people possess devil fruit powers and there's nothing that I can do to stop them, which is why I'm begging you now. Please, protect Princess Vivi of Alabasta in my place!" Igaram told them. Vivi quickly hopped onto her bird.
"Karoo, run!" Vivi exclaimed, urgently. Her steed quickly ran, trying to escape.
"And off she goes!" Miss Valentine smirked.
"She won't get very far. Let's go Miss Valentine!" Mr. 5 shouted.
"Right behind you, Mr. 5!" She shouted, following behind him as the two chased after the princess.
"You'll be surely rewarded if you can bring the princess safely to our noble home of Alabasta Kingdom! I'm just a humble servant but I'm begging you to do this! Please, protect the princess! I beg you!" Igaram pleaded to Zoro and L.
"Listen, I have no interest in money. I cannot help you." L told him. "My plan is to see this crew safely on this voyage."
"A few minutes ago, you we're trying to kill us! What do you think I am, a fool!?" Zoro shouted.
"So, about this reward?" The two heard Nami's voice ask. Zoro and L saw her and Aya in front of them. Nami was sitting down on the roof, smirking. While Aya was leaning against the wall, with her arms crossed. "I'll take it. How does a billion belis sound?"
"Did you two have fun?" Aya smirked.
"Nami! Aya!" Zoro shouted.
"W-What did you say?!" Igaram sputtered in shock.
"I thought that you were asleep?" Zoro asked the two girls.
"Give me some credit." Nami told him. She hopped down, landing next to Aya.
"We were faking." Aya replied.
"I mean, who in their right mind would go asleep in a town that welcomes pirates? It was all an act to survive." Nami explained.
"Whatever." Zoro huffed.
"Aw, you were protecting us. Thank you, Zoro, and you too, L!" Aya laughed.
"Shut up!" Zoro growled.
"Yeah, you could've helped, you know!" L shouted. Nami turned to the man lying on the ground.
"So why don't you go ahead and promise us that one billion belis reward, huh, captain? Because if we don't agree to help your precious princess then she's probably gonna die." She told him with a smug grin.
"I'm just a simple soldier. I cannot promise such an immense reward." He replied.
"Surely you aren't suggesting that your princess's life is worth less than that, right?" Nami smirked.
"Doesn't really play fair, does she?" Zoro murmured.
"I can't promise anything but if you're willing to deliver the princess to Alabasta, then you'll have best negotiate the terms of the reward directly with her." Igaram told her.
"Which means I have to save her first, huh?" Nami grinned.
"Please understand, her life is in danger!" He insisted.
"Oh, alright, I'll go ahead and save your darling princess for now." Nami stood up, looking at Zoro and L and Aya. "Well, you three, go get her!"
"Letting us do all of the dirty work, while you hang back?" Aya asked.
"Screw that!" Zoro shouted.
"I don't take orders from you!" L shouted.
"If you want to make money, then fine! But you don't have to involve me in it!" Zoro frowned.
"Don't be stupid and stubborn. The money that I make is certainly mine but the contracts that I land benefits all of us! Can't you see that?" Nami pointed out.
"Do you seriously think I'm buying that crap?!" Zoro hissed.
"Look, all you have to do here is put up a few bouts." Nami told him.
"Oh, really is that all? Don't boss me around like you do that idiot cook!" Zoro retorted.
"Oh, I see, you're just afraid that you're going to end up losing to them." Nami taunted. Luffy stirred as he woke up, walking away from the group.
"You want to try saying that again, you greedy brat!" the swordsman growled, growing more irritated.
"You're a big baby who's afraid of losing to a hundred guys-"
"Will you shut your mouth, right now!" Zoro shouted.
"Did you forget? You still owe me some money from a while back." Nami told him.
"What? I don't owe you anything!" Zoro sputtered.
"Yeah, you do. I lent you a hundred thousand belis for some swords in Loguetown." Nami pointed out.
"And I gave you the hundred thousand back right away. Someone gave me these swords, so I didn't even need your stupid belis!" Zoro shouted.
"Maybe so, but you agreed to pay me three hundred percent, bringing your total to $300,000 belis. And you agreed to it, you still owe interest." Nami said.
"I gave you the hundred thousand back the same day! You can't really expect me to pay you interest?!" Zoro exclaimed in disbelief.
"Sure can!" Nami replied. Zoro tensed up. "Come on, can't you even keep one little promise?" Zoro gritted his teeth.
"Now just do what I say, and I'll consider calling us even." She smiled.
"Someday you're going to die a horrible death!" He hissed under his breath.
"Oh yes, and I'm sure I'll go straight to hell." Nami brushed him off.
"Damn woman!" Zoro shouted, angrily, running off to find the princess and the two agents, while Aya and L followed behind him to make he didn't get lost.
"Thanks, you three!" Nami waved goodbye.
"Shut up!" Zoro shouted at her. Then Nami heard Igaram spoke. She looked down at him.
"Such a shame. If I had been stronger, I could have protected Princess Vivi like she deserves." He gritted his teeth in frustration.
"Oh, she'll be fine. He looks stupid but he's really strong!" Nami told him.
"If anything were to happen to Princess Vivi, the kingdom of Alabasta will be...it would be done for." Nami frowned when she saw his face grew paler and his eyes turned more serious. "She must escape! She has to!"
Vivi quickly ran as she rode on her bird steed. "Run quickly! Run Karoo! There's a ship docked right behind the cactus rocks we're going to take and escape from this place! And then we'll be on our way to Alabasta!" Vivi shouted.
Luffy sighed as he finished relieving himself in the river, zipping up his shorts. "Much better! Now back to the-" Luffy paused as he stopped. His eyes widen in shock as he saw multiple bodies of the bounty hunters lying on the ground defeated. "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE!?" He exclaimed.
"Hurry, Karoo!" Vivi shouted. Suddenly, an explosion went off in front of her. Vivi's eyes widen and she quickly pulled back on the reigns, making the duck stop. "Karoo, stop!" She saw a shadow walking through the smoke, heading towards them. "Oh no, it's Mr. 5! They've found us. Hurry, Karoo, move!" She urged her steed to run in a different direction. Miss Valentine sailed down with her umbrella and landed on a pile of stacked boxes. She laughed as she watch the two fled.
"It's kinda cute that she's trying." Mr.5 laughed. As Vivi ran, she saw Miss Monday step in front of her, holding a long log in her arms.
"Miss Monday!" Vivi stopped as she cried out.
"Go on, you can reach the ships through here. I'll stay here and hold off the others." She told Vivi, pointing behind her.
"You sure?" Vivi asked her, unsure. Miss Monday walked over to her, looking at the two agents.
"After losing to those two swordsmen, we're all going to be punished for failing our mission anyway. At least if I do that, I can go down while helping to protect a friend. Well, what are you waiting around here for?! If you get killed or captured, Mr. 8 and Mr.9 will have sacrificed themselves for nothing! Now get going!" She shouted. Vivi felt her eyes starting to burn, not wanting to leave. She turned her head, urging Karoo to run.
"Thank you." She whispered, softly.
"First, Mr. 9 defective and now you, Miss Monday." Mr. 8 frowned.
"I am not going to let you pass because I made a promise to a friend!" She shouted at him.
"That's adorable!" Miss Valentine laughed. Mr. 5 quickly charged at Miss Monday.
"You are an utter disgrace!" He shouted, furiously. Miss Monday tried to strike at him with the log. Mr. 5 quickly dodged it and slammed his arm into the woman's neck, knocking her off of her feet. "In the name of Baroque Works!" An explosion went off from his arm. Vivi stopped in her tracks, looking behind her in shock and horror, seeing the two engulfed in flames.
"No, Miss Monday. How could they."
"That's why they call me the bomb man. You see, I can make any part of my body explode from my Bomb-Bomb fruit powers. There hasn't been a single mission that I failed to complete." Mr. 5 explained, completely unharmed from the blast. Vivi heard Miss Valentine laughing above them. She looked up to see the agent flying with her umbrella.
"And that's to the kilo kilo fruit power that I possess, I can bury that traitor Miss Monday into the ground forever. I can change how much I weigh whenever I want. Right now, I'm light enough to be lifted up by a slight breeze, but I think it's time to start gaining weight! 5 kilograms, 50 kilograms, 100 kilograms, 500, 1000, 10 thousand kilograms!" She dived down faster, faster, and faster, and plummeted straight down to the ground where Miss Monday was. She smashed into the woman's body, slamming into the ground. Vivi gasped as she watched in horror. Miss Valentine stood up, smirking at her. "So do you really think that you can escape from us?"
"You don't have a chance getting out of here in one piece." Mr. 5 spoke. Vivi bit her lip, glaring at the two.
"I will survive. I will escape. I will make it back home to Alabasta Kingdom!" She declared at the two. Mr. 5 picked his nose.
"Take this!" He flicked the booger at her. Zoro quickly jumped down from the rooftop, landing in front of Vivi. He drew his sword and quickly diverted the bomb away, cutting it in half. Explosions went off in two directions behind him and Vivi.
"Mr. Bushido!" Vivi cried out in surprise.
"Who is this clown?" Mr. 5 murmured, looking at Zoro.
"Ew! I just cut someone's snot!" Zoro cringed in disgust.
"I don't have time for this! Don't you ever give up!" Vivi shouted at the swordsman, pulling out her knife weapon. She brought it down to attack Zoro but L slashed the rope, knocking it away. Vivi's eyes widened and she gasped in surprise, seeing him and Aya standing beside her.
"We're on your side this time." L spoke. Vivi blushed before it quickly disappeared.
"What?! Do you really expect me to believe that!?" She hissed at him.
"He's right. We're here to help, so just calm down." Zoro spoke.
"You're helping me." Vivi gaped in shock, looking at the three.
"Yeah, and you better pay up once this is all over! That's the deal, okay?" Aya winked at her. Vivi's mouth dropped a little more even more confused.
"I don't even know you people!" She shouted.
"Tell me, Baroque Works, exactly what kind of company is it?" Nami asked Igaram as she sat down on a barrel, waiting.
"It's a secret crime syndicate. It specializes in assassination, espionages and bounty hunters. The company is so secretive that none of its members know the bosses name or face. But they will still communicate with the boss's commands." Igaram explained to her.
"I don't get it. Why would any rational person listen to some big boss whose identity they don't even know?" Nami questioned.
"The ultimate objective of Baroque Works is the creation of an ideal nation. And anyone who does well within the company will be guaranteed high social standing within in this nation. This is the promise that drives them to blindly follow." He replied.
"Now that makes more sense." Nami murmured.
"The agents all have numbers and code names. The boss's codename is Mr. 0. The closer an agent's number is to 0 the stronger and more skilled they are. The higher their future standing will be. The agents from Mr. 5 and above are especially powerful." Igaram explained.
The two Baroque Works agents smirked, seeing Zoro, L and Aya in front of them.
"I take it that you two are the swordsmen that beat up all of the lowly employees, who were stationed out here?" Miss Valentine asked.
"Why would you want to protect the princess of Alabasta?" Mr. 5 asked as well.
"Let's just say that I have my own reasons." Zoro spoke.
"He's in debt." L replied.
"Shut up!" Zoro hissed at him.
"Well, one way or another, we're going to have to eliminate you. As for you girl, you're going to be coming with us." Mr. 5 pointed out towards Aya.
"I don't know what you want with me but I'm not going to make it easy for you. Go ahead and try." Aya told him.
"Aw, what a shame!" Miss Valentine laughed. Mr. 5 chuckled evilly as well and picked his nose, getting ready to flick another bomb.
"I FOUND YOU!" Everyone heard a loud voice roar out. Zoro smirked, seeing Luffy. "ZORO! L!"
"What is it now?!" Vivi exclaimed.
"Luffy! Thanks for coming but I got this one unless that greedy brat dragged you into this too?" Zoro grinned.
"YOU TWO ARE GOING TO PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID! I'LL KILL YOU!" The straw hat captain shouted enraged.
"What on earth on you on about?" L frowned, confused.
"WHAT KIND OF NONSENSE HAVE YOU GOTTEN INTO YOUR HEAD THIS TIME?!" Zoro shouted at him, confused as well.
"SHUT UP AND GET READY! CAUSE I'M ABOUT TO KICK YOUR UNGRATEFUL LITTLE ASSES ALL OVER THE PLACE!" Luffy shouted.
"U-Ungrateful?" Zoro sputtered.
"That's right! Everyone one here was nothing but nice to us. They welcomed us and threw us a party and gave us food! And both of you repaid them by cutting them all up with those swords of yours!" Luffy shouted.
"Luffy, you idiot! There's more that you don't know!" Aya shouted at him.
"She's right! A whole lot!" L added, agreeing.
"Just shut up and fight me!" Luffy shouted.
"I'm not going to fight you, you dumbass." L told him.
"This guy's just a complete idiot." Vivi murmured.
"You're right about that." Aya spoke.
"And now they're fighting amongst themselves, how pathetic." Mr. 5 smirked.
"If we wait long enough, maybe they'll kill each other, and we won't have to bother with them. Then we can get the girl." Miss Valentine told him.
"Luffy, hold on. Can you just listen for me for one second? They were actually-" Zoro tried to calm Luffy down to explain. Luffy bounced towards him, throwing his fist back.
"SAVE IT!"
"LUFFY!" Zoro screamed. He quickly moved out of the way as Luffy slammed his fist down into a pile of rocks where the swordsman was standing. "ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME!?"
"UH HUH! DIE!" Luffy shouted. Zoro twitched his eye, staring at him in disbelief. Luffy threw back his to attack the swordsman again. Zoro quickly flipped out of the way as Luffy smashed against the boulders.
"DAMN IT, STOP!" Zoro hissed. Luffy threw his head back to headbutt him but Zoro hopped out of the way. Luffy slammed his head against the rocks, shattering them. "He's gone crazy! Luffy stop it!"
"Can't you do something?" Vivi asked Aya.
"When Luffy's like this, he's not going to listen. It's best to let him go ape shit until it blows over." Aya told her.
"Well, Mr. 5, it looks like those two are busy beating each other up to cause us any trouble." Miss Valentine spoke.
"So why don't we leave those two idiots to the fight while we do the job that we were sent here to complete. Eliminate Princess Vivi of Alabasta Kingdom and capture Aya." Mr. 5 told her. Zoro quickly dodged out of the way as Luffy started to repeatedly throw his fists at him.
"Shall we Miss Valentine?"
"Yes, Mr. 5!" Miss Valentine shouted.
"Quit screwing around, damn it!" Zoro kicked Luffy back, sending the straw hat captain, bouncing him straight into the two agents, taking them with him, crashing into a building. "You dumbass."
"Now you and your friends have really managed to get in the way of our plans." Mr. 5 growled.
"What happened? What's going on?" Miss Valentine spoke.
"Since you two want to kill each other so badly, I'll you what, we're gonna do you a favor. We'll kill you both ourselves." Mr. 5 replied. Luffy glared up at him. An explosion rang out, destroying the building. Miss Valentine jumped out, flying into the air, looking down at the group.
"Now, I'm really annoyed! I hope you're ready to experience my kilo kilo fruit power!" She laughed. "Prepare to be smashed into a thousand tiny pieces and buried a hundred meters into the ground!"
"Mr. Bushido! You have to get out of the way!" Vivi shouted.
"Be quiet! I have more important things to worry about right now!" Zoro barked.
"That was a good work out. I've finally managed to digest some of that food." Luffy sighed, standing up without a scratch. He dragged Mr. 5 with him, dropping the agent on the ground near his feet, knocked out cold.
"H-He fought Mr. 5 and won!? He took out one of Baroque Work's best agents!" Vivi stammered in shock.
"Alright, now let's let's finish this!" Luffy shouted, looking at Zoro.
"Luffy! You don't understand! You're rushing into things as always not thinking things through!" Aya shouted at him.
"I've understood plenty!" Luffy shouted back.
"Luffy, calm down and hear me out! Everyone here in Whisky Peak is really a bounty hunter, which makes all of them our enemies!" Zoro explained.
"Hey, pay attention to me, you jackass!" Miss Valentine shouted at him.
"YOU'RE ALL LYING! ENEMIES WOULDN'T GIVE US TASTEY FOOD, WOULD THEY!?" Luffy shouted.
"Taste my 10 thousand kilogram drop!" Miss Valentine plummeted down at Zoro and he stepped to the side, making the woman, crash into the ground, ignoring her.
"Fine then. It doesn't look like there's any sense in trying to talk to you. You've made up your mind. You really are a moron!" Zoro pulled his bandanna off from his arm and tied it on his head. "This time I'm not going to hold back. It'll be your own fault if you die!"
"Sounds good to me!" Luffy shouted.
"Just a sec, what's going on here? I thought you guys were all on the same side!" Vivi shouted. Luffy charged at Zoro and the swordsman drew his swords, charging at Luffy. The two clashed against each other.
"Let's see who's stronger, your rubber hands or my steel, what do ya say?" Zoro asked.
"Yeah, let's settle this once and for all!" Luffy shouted. Zoro threw his sword to strike at Luffy. Luffy quickly jumped out of the way, leaping into the air. He threw his fist back.
"Gum Gum Pistol!" He slammed his fist into Zoro's face, knocking the two away from each other. Luffy crashed into a building and Zoro crashed into another building across from him as they were knocked back.
"Well, now what are we supposed to do? I don't know how safe it's going to be going through there." Vivi murmured.
"I wouldn't go out there just yet." Aya stopped her.
"What do you mean-" Vivi questioned. Vivi let out a startled scream as she saw Luffy busting out of the building, along with Zoro and the two started to clash again. Zoro managed to slice Luffy's cheek with his sword, while Luffy slammed his fist into the swordsman's stomach.
"Those two are making fools of us all in our own turf. In the name of Baroque Works will be shamed if we failed our mission here." Mr. 5 said.
"Mr.5, we can still defeat them. We haven't failed yet!" Miss Valentine shouted.
"Let's go, Miss Valentine!" Mr. 5 shouted. The two ran at Luffy and Zoro, getting ready to attack them. "You can't beat us! Prepare to die in the hands of Baroque Works!" Luffy and Zoro turned their heads, looking at the two with a dark glare in their eyes.
"Shut up and go away!" Luffy and Zoro both growled. The two agents stopped dead in their tracks. Mr. 5's mouth dropped open like a gaping fish while Miss Valentine shivered, holding her body. The two agents screamed as they saw Luffy and Zoro charged at them, knocking them away.
"YOU'RE INTERFERING WITH OUR FIGHT!"