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Chapter 31:

Secon Phase

Sunny moaned in pain as she limped into the dock of a small island. There was little to see in the place, rising cliffs taking up the majority of the land space. The only note of interest was a single building, a small house set on the hillside overlooking the bay. As Sunny came to a stop, the crying ship dropping her paw anchors into the water, the largest of three figures stood and began making their way down toward them.

As one would expect after such a defeat, spirits were drooping, though the phrase was both literal and figurative in this case. Much of the crew, having been freed of their chlorophylic bindings, had their heads down. Luffy and Nami were on the bench, Ace between them as they sat with their foreheads together. Their little boy was crying despite the comforting embrace, and no one could blame him. Coby was still in recovery from the point-blank explosion he took, Chopper treating him while Grace had his head resting in her lap, the young woman idly creating what chemicals the doctor asked for without really thinking about it. Zoro glared into the distance from whence they'd come, his mouth set in a frown.

Against what railing survived the encounter with the Neo-Marines, Gin, Amy, and Usopp huddled in their oversized clothing. The three of them were the only ones overly-effected by the powers of the Return-Return Fruit, each having been reduced to a prior age. Amy suspected she was about eight or nine, 12-13 years younger than her regular age. Usopp corroborated this estimation, recognizing his seven-year-old body as the same as when his mother passed away. Gin had not shrunk as much as his younger companions, the Logia now physically 15. Unlike Amy and Usopp, he could move in his clothes, but he could not wear the hood and needed to bunch up the hem.

On the roof of the crow's nest/workout room, Merry sat with her arms around the ghostly vapor of Sunny's manifestation. Incomplete and still growing as she was, the most Sunny could create outside of her true body was a vaguely-humanoid shape similar to the kind Merry had during the crew's stints into Skypia and Navarone. Her only feature was a mouth, said mouth twisted into a pained grimace as, like her figurehead, spectral tears dripped from where her eyes should be and down her chin. Black spots smoldered along her appearance, reflecting the wreckage and damage she'd sustained. Merry whispered calming words to her fellow fairy, trying to keep her anger at her own inability to help buried for the time being.

"You all are in a sorry state."

Franky was the first one to locate the speaker on the dock, a heavyset man with a grey beard, a dark cloak, and a green parrot on his shoulder. His parrot, Franky noted, was missing its right wing, a jagged scar replacing the joint. He stood on the dock staring up at them with a sad smile.

"This your dock?" the shipwright asked. "Sorry we came in without asking. We couldn't exactly risk going much further with Grand Line weather."

"It's not a problem," the man waved off. "You all look like you could use some kindness. I used to be a sailor myself and there's something beautiful about folks entering the New World to chase their dreams. You all are safe from the Marines here."

"Thank you," Robin nodded. Nami extracted herself from Luffy's arms, the woman heading up the stairs to their room where she kept the money, a hesitance in her step. The room had not gone unscathed in the fight, but it had faired a bit better than many other rooms even with the fire having burned away a whole wall. Luffy pulled Ace deeper into his arms as she left, letting the boy's tears soak into his shirt. The captain's eyes, however, were dry, the young father staring off into the distance.

Nami returned as the crew finished setting up the gangplank. Merry had come down and was trading observations with Robin on the best weaknesses of the Neo-Marines that they could exploit when, not if, they ran into them again. Having released Coby into Chopper's care, Grace had scrounged up some clothing for Amy, Usopp, and Gin, though it was basic clothing in whites and tans made of access cloth they had for clothing repair. The navigator joined the rest of the crew sans Franky on the dock, the woman handing the old man in their midst a stack of Beri notes.

"That should cover our docking fee," she said, sorting through the rest of the money she had. She turned to her crew. "This'll be for lodging and food, and this is for shopping. We need new clothes since all of ours burned. We can't wear only party clothes."

"I'm sorry," Chopper sniffed. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't insisted on helping him, we wouldn't be in this mess and Sunny wouldn't be so hurt."

"Don't sweat it!" Franky yelled from the ship, hiding a wince at the bandaged hole in his side. A tiny version of Sunny's manifestation sat on his shoulder like a child-sized parrot. "I'll have the repairs done super fast! Something like this will only slow us down for a day or two!"

"R-Right!" Sunny agreed, trying to smile through the pain. "Ra… Rahaha! I'll be fine with Maker on the job!"

"Don't push yourself, Sunny," Merry warned. "Franky's a master but fixing you up will still take time. I suggest you move into your Sunflower until Franky finishes the repairs."

"Chopper," Zoro grunted, turning the doctor's attention to him. "This isn't your fault. That guy chose to attack us after we helped him, so we'll just have to hit him back ten times as hard. You were just doing your job."

"B'sides," Gin put it, "it's not like we can just let it slide. That Ain girl messed some of us up. We can't keep goin' like this." His voice cracked on the last word, a scarlet blush covering his face.

"Long-Nose and I certainly can't!" Amy agreed. "I refuse to go through puberty again!"

"I think you're cute like this, Little Sis," Grace chuckled. Amy's eyes narrowed at her now-physically-older younger sister.

"I agree with Amy!" Usopp stated, now having to wield his old slingshot since Kabuto was too heavy for his childish body. He pointed an accusing finger at Gin. "And some of us got off easier than others! At least you can still fight, Gin!"

"I'm right in th' middle o' puberty!" he countered, his voice cracking again. "You wanna talk about lucky, Robin's gone back t' 18. Now she don't gotta be a cougar when—"

A slender arm sprouted from Gin's shoulder, the limb coming up under his chin in a chokehold. It did not squeeze hard enough to perform said action, but it did put pressure on his windpipe. His eyes widened, the young monk turning his gaze on the archeologist.

"Do please finish that statement," she challenged with narrowed eyes. "I have no qualms with disciplining boys who cannot stop running their mouths."

"S-Sorry! I di'n't say nothin'! I won't say nothin'!"

Amy tried to hold in a giggle at the scene, but she was unsuccessful. Robin slowly released her hands, allowing the Logia to breathe easier.

"Indeed you won't," the archeologist nodded. "Contrary to what you may believe, I would prefer to have my natural body over my youthful appearance. This appearance makes me feel more vulnerable."

"Say, Gin?" Chopper questioned. "How is Rum?"

"Actually, I can't hear 'im anymore," the now-teen answered. "I mean, he's gone back t' this weird naggin' feelin' in th' back o' my head, but after dealin' wi' th' sentient version, this is nothin'."

"The connection there between your retained memories and mental state but with a shift in your fundamental biochemistry to the point of regressing Rum's state has amazing implications in medical study!"

"So there was one good thing to come out of all this," Usopp said with a roll of his eyes.

"We need to prioritize getting Amy-dearest and Robin-chwan back to their normal bodies…" Sanji stated. He paused, whispering, "Although… if they don't get changed back, I could watch Amy-dearest bloom from this young caterpillar into the beautiful butterfly I know she'll become."

"Sanji," Coby sighed while Amy struggled for words. He rubbed his forehead, fighting a lingering headache Chopper attributed to his minor concussion. "You've said a lot of questionable things, but that's off the rails, even for you."

"We were fortunate," Robin said, shifting the conversation. "If our estimate of 12 years is correct, then several of our number could have been erased from existence if that confrontation had gone differently. Merry, Billy, and little Ace-chan, most notably."

"Yeah, that would've been bad," Merry nodded.

"It seems to have slipped your minds, but Miss Ain's powers affected me as well," Brook said.

"Oh, yeah," Grace blinked. "I suppose she did touch you. Doesn't look like much changed, though."

"On the contrary! Despite being dead and bones, and despite having been this way for more than 50 years, my hair now has the same luster it had when I was merely 70!"

"We can't tell when you dye your hair anyway!" Zoro barked.

"Let me guess," the old man commented. "Z and his Neo-Marines did this?"

"Yeah," Luffy answered. "How'd you know?"

"You all aren't the first crew to wash up here after barely escaping from those guys. It's evil what they're doing. To steal a man's dream and crush his spirit is worse than just killing him. A man's dream is his purpose in life, and to take that away… As long as people continue to chase their dreams, then any setback is just a minor inconvenience, but when they're crushed so thoroughly, it leaves one with nothing."

"Well, that isn't us," Luffy said. "They might've beaten us this time, but we'll get them in the end. I don't care what it takes!"

"Now that's a fire I haven't seen in a long time," the man grinned, showing off his rounded teeth. "Tell you what, a lot of pirates with crushed spirits left their powerful weapons here with me. I'll give them to you once you're ready."

"Thanks, old man."

"That's not our first stop, though," Nami reminded him. "We need time for Franky to put Sunny back together and the rest of us need clothes. Where can we find such things?"

"There's a seatrain that runs past here every day or so," a woman answered, stepping up behind the old man. She looked to be in her upper twenties with brown hair, a boy aged six or seven behind her legs. "There's not much here; it's just me, Grandfather, and my son. Now, Secon Island has everything you need. It's even got some famous hot springs you can enjoy. The seatrain runs there almost every day."

"Perfect," Nami grinned. "Everyone, it's time for recon and recovery."

"Don't you mean rest and recovery?" Usopp questioned.

"I know what I said."

The island, Secon, lived up to the hype, a sprawling metropolis stretching over most of its available land and the name Kazanonsen in bold lettering placed on the island's dormant volcano, most likely naming the city below it. The dazzling lights and colors awed the pirates that went, though not all were present. Franky stayed behind to work on Sunny's repairs and Kaku offered to help, having also been one of the original shipwrights to help build her. Merry considered staying, but her curiosity and drive for adventure won out in the end, Amy offering to wear her choker with the Klabautermann unmanifested. She would act as an ace in the hole for the recon team.

Said recon team would consist of Gin, Usopp, Chopper, Grace, Robin, Nami, and Amy with Merry hidden. Billy would watch over them from above, staying out of the way. Nami and Grace were more likely to be recognized than their de-aged companions, so Grace had put together a hair dye for the two of them on the train ride over, Nami now sporting hair as dark as night whilst Grace had made herself blonde.

The rest of the crew, all of whom were male, would spend time in the onsen. Gin had grumbled about them getting the better side of the deal while Sanji argued that he could go with the ladies since they still couldn't get his wanted poster right, but Nami shot him down; she didn't want anyone liable to pick a fight.

The crew split as they landed, taking only a moment to absorb the scenery before Robin urged them onward, eager to have her original body back. Grace and Amy took the lead, the two sisters walking hand-in-hand and looking more like actual sisters than their adopted status. Robin followed them, Usopp and Gin behind her. Billy rose from the roof of the train, taking to the air. Nami knelt, bopping Ace's nose with a finger.

"Now you be good, ok?" she told him. "What do you do if Daddy gets into a fight?"

"Go hide and don't say anything," Ace answered, acting more open than he had when boarding the train but still more reserved than since before the Neo-Marines' attack. He gave her a small smile.

"What do you do if a mean adult says you look funny or insults the crew?"

"Cry so they feel bad. Then wait 'till their back is turned and take their moneys!"

"And what do we call this, sweetie?"

"The Insulting Mommy tax!"

"Good. Remember that. Do what your Daddy says, unless it's something I told you not to. In that case, don't do what Daddy says."

"That's confusing, Mommy," Ace whined.

"I know you can handle it," she grinned, ruffling the child's hair. "You're my big, strong boy, aren't you? And you wanna be on this big adventure?"

"Yeah, Mommy! I do! I can do it!"

"That's what I like to hear." She stood, giving her captain and husband a peck on the cheek. "Luffy, please don't get into any fights while we're here."

"We'll be careful," he promised. "You and Robin are in charge of gathering information. Find anything you can on Z."

"Roger that." She gave him one more peck before turning away to join the other group. Luffy watched her go, his eyes drifting down her frame, before he shook such thoughts away and addressed his half of the crew.

"Let's get going!"

"We're off!" Nami all but parroted, joining Robin and the others. The group of three young adults and pseudo-children followed the crowd, each straining their ears to catch wind of the local gossip and major areas. Billy flapped along above them, landing on roofs and electrical line poles so he wouldn't get too far ahead. Robin was integral to this step, ears and eyes blooming in the shadows as the group passed.

"What have you got?" Nami asked, studying how the buildings around them slowly became more colorful and decorative as they moved into the shopping and entertainment district.

"There seems to be an increased Marine presence," Robin answered slowly. "There is a Marine base on the other side of the island, but several warships arrived on the island yesterday."

"I smell booze," Chopper commented, sniffing the air. Grace blinked, waving her hand before her face.

"Based on the concentration, there must be a bar two streets ahead," she said. "Three streets if it's really busy."

"Bars are excellent locations to get info," Amy added. "I think it's time we get jobs."

Gin blinked, studying the group. He frowned. "I'm not gonna be able t' go inta th' bar, am I?"

"You're not allowed to drink while we're on a crusade anyway," Amy giggled. "I'm sure we can find something for you, Long-Nose, and Chopper to do. We can't put all our eggs in the same cake."

"Are you ever going to use my real name?" Usopp questioned.

"It's just habit at this point," the small blonde shrugged.

"Then break that habit!"

The rest of the group laughed at their spat, the two verbally sniping at each other until their destination came into view. The bar was bustling, three stories tall with the name Four Petes' Sake stamped over its doorway. The rest of the street seemed to be tailored for the bar's patrons, clothing, cleaner, and trinket stores trying to lure in drunks. A shoe-cleaning booth sat across the street, open for anyone to peddle the business if they were willing to pony up the coin for the supplies.

"It appears we have discovered the boys' point of entry," Robin observed.

"Not just them," Nami grinned, pointing out a sign pinned to the bar's wall. It read 'Dancers needed. Beautiful women apply inside.'

"There's a boutique right there," Amy pointed out, gesturing to a clothing shop. "Time to find you, Nami, and Robin some new outfits, Big Sis."

"Oh, this is gonna suck," Grace complained.

"This place is huge!" Ace laughed, running into the baths.

"Ace, your towel!" the boy's father yelled, chasing the toddler with his own towel forgotten in his haste.

"Was there ever any doubt to Ace's parentage?" Coby chuckled, the roset and the rest of the men following behind the duo as Ace tried to climb into a bath deeper than he was tall..

"Like father, like son," Zoro agreed, knowing the phrase would send a cold shiver down Sanji's spine. It did.

"I wonder if they have milk baths," Brook muttered, tilting his skull as Luffy managed to catch his progeny only to realize his own lack of modesty. Rather than be embarrassed about it, he let out a laugh.

"I don't think that's a thing, Brook," Coby said, passing the rubber-man an extra towel. "Not here, anyway, but I wouldn't be too surprised if we find one eventually."

"Shishishi," Luffy chuckled. "Thanks, Coby! Come on, Ace. Let's relax."

"Ok!"

The small crowd dispersed, each lowering themselves into either a cauldron-like pot or a public bath. The rest of the bathhouse wasn't too full, only three or four other folks present. Two of them were on the far side in the highest bath near the ceiling and the pipe that the water streamed from. Another man in the second-level bath was turned away from them, light snores coming from his lowered head.

"That can't be safe," Sanji commented as he watched Brook and Luffy in their pots, the captain's arms stretching to the floor as his tongue lulled out of his mouth. He imagined that Brook's would have too if he had one. Ace giggled, using one of his father's arms like a jump rope.

"Actually, it can be quite relaxing," Brook countered. "We lose all motor functions when we're totally under, but at this stage, the loss of power is almost pleasant."

"As long as you don't have cleithrophobia or merinthophobia," Coby put in from the showers, the roset keeping his back to the wall as he washed his shoulder-length hair.

"What's that cleo-meri-whatsit, Uncle Coby?" Ace questioned.

"They're the fears of being trapped or bound, respectively, which can include losing the ability to move," he answered with a shiver. Zoro turned his eye on his student, studying his reaction but refusing to give him something as derogatory as pity. Still, he could understand where such a thing could come from and why Coby would suddenly know so much about it. "For a Devil Fruit user like me… I stay away from baths."

"You aren't the first," a deep voice commented, the man in the second pool shifting. His head rose, the tired face of the man opening his eyes to look at them. He raised a hand, lazily saluting. "Yo."

"You!" Coby gasped, scrambling backwards to press himself against the wall. Zoro reached for swords that weren't there while Luffy and Brook struggled to get out of their baths. Seeing the reactions of his surrogate family, Ace hid himself behind the pot Luffy had been using, though half of his head still stuck out as he watched the interaction.

"Who are you, old guy?" the toddler asked from his hiding spot. That speaking from a hiding spot was counter to the point didn't connect to the boy. His mother could never find him in hide-n-seek even when he giggled, after all. Besides, Daddy wasn't fighting yet, so he didn't have to not talk yet.

"I'm sorry?" Brook muttered. "Do you all know him?

"Admiral Aokiji of Marine headquarters," Luffy hissed. "You here to fight?"

"Admiral‽" Brook gasped.

"Nah," he waved off. "If I wanted that, I wouldn't meet you where I couldn't use my powers. Besides, I'm not an Admiral anymore. Sakazuki and I had a falling out."

"If you aren't an Admiral," Brook began, "then what are you now?"

"What a question coming from a skeleton." Aokiji shook his head. "If I'm not a marine anymore, then maybe a Hero of Just—?"

"After the things you've done‽" Coby demanded.

"Yeah, maybe not, but I quit the Marines after Sengoku retired and Sakazuki took his place. Justice just doesn't seem right with him at the top. And his rabid little protégé strutting around didn't help matters either. Nah, I'm just Kuzan and I'm here to relax."

"That…?" Sanji blinked as Coby slowly came off the wall. "That's it?"

"Yeah, I think so." Aokiji, or as he should be known since he was no longer an Admiral, Kuzan, rubbed his head. "All this heat's made my head fuzzy. Maybe it's time for me to get out."

He stood slowly, the pirates gawking as he was revealed. Specifically, they couldn't help noticing how his entire left arm, save for a section of the elbow, was completely scarred, the skin there a deep red. On top of that, the opposite leg ended just above his knee, the Logia creating a replacement out of ice.

"The Hell happened to you?" Zoro asked, Kuzan blinking at him before noticing that they were staring at his leg.

"Oh, this? Let's just say that Sakazuki didn't take kindly to me contesting him for Fleet Admiral. We got too wild and I paid the price."

"So I'm not the only one," Coby muttered, rubbing his shoulder with a hand. "But to think he'd do that to his own comrade."

"There's not a lot we saw eye-to-eye on." Kuzan stepped out of the tub, making his way to a bench where a cooled shelf offered bottles of milk. Brook and Ace perked up at the previously-unnoticed aforementioned drinks. Taking one for himself, Kuzan sat on the bench and sipped his dairy. "Actually, we don't see eye-to-eye on anything anymore. Closest we come is our respect and wariness about our old Master Zephyr."

"That name almost sounds familiar," Brook thought aloud, one bony hand resting on his chin. "It's a shame. My memory's not what it use to be. I'm afraid I've lost my brain… because I don't have one anymore. Yohoho!"

"Skull joke!" Ace cut in. Now convinced that the tall ice guy wasn't going to attack them, Ace left his hiding spot and ran over to Luffy, the young father scooping him into his arms.

"So that's the kid the world's been warned of," Kuzan commented. He leaned down, resting an elbow in his good knee and his chin on his fist. "I trust you'll give him a better life than I let Nico Robin have."

"You know Auntie Robin-sensei?"

Kuzan gave a small smirk at the name. "Yeah, she doesn't like me, but… Well, bringing back everything Sakazuki went all out to destroy, I almost wish I could've seen his face when he learned about you, kid. Straw Hat… I'm sure we'll meet again." He stood, making his way to the door.

"Hold on," Luffy demanded. "That master you mentioned. Does he have a big, metal arm?"

Kuzan stopped. "So you've met him."

"Yeah. He attacked us, so we've got a bone to pick with him."

"Then you know he's strong for his age." The man turned, appraising the will in the pirates' expressions. "Like yours truly, he used to be an Admiral before he quit. That was a while ago, so I don't know how much has changed, but I know how he thinks."

"Then what's his goal?"

Kuzan sighed, leaning back against the wall. He steamed as his perpetually-cold body met the hot stone.

"The time we live in is called the Great Pirate Era," he began. "The World Government and the Navy like to pretend that they've got a lid on everything, but that just isn't true. As long as people dream, there will be those who decide to chase their dreams through Hell or high water, no matter if the world comes after them for it. Nowadays, a lot of these dreams are focused on the One Piece, and in chasing that, a lot of pirates stomp on the dreams of others. Does that mean we have the right to stomp on their dreams in return?" He paused, taking another drink of his milk. None of the pirates said anything, prompting him to continue. "Z wants to answer that question. He believes that by destroying the One Piece, that with the greatest motivator of the Great Pirate Era gone, then the flow of pirates will stop. It's a crude solution with a lot of it's own problems, but that's what he thinks."

"How does he plan to destroy the One Piece?" Coby asked. "No one has found it in 24 years."

"I don't really know his plan, but I know it's big and will cause a lot of destruction. I think he's trying to catch the One Piece up in the collateral. That's all I have."

"The I guess that's all we're getting," Sanji sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Thanks, Old Ice Guy!" Ace said. "You're not too bad!"

For a brief moment, Kuzan smiled. Perhaps, possibly, he could make up for some of the wrongs he'd contributed to.

Amy giggled to herself as she watched Grace, Robin, and Nami dancing for the inebriated patrons, Grace looking distinctly uncomfortable in her revealing dancer outfit. It wasn't so much that the outfit showed skin —she'd had to play up her feminine wiles more than once during her time as a thief— but that she was not used to having so many eyes on her. In addition, her powers were proving to be a problem, the ambient alcohol in the air slowly permeating into her skin causing a buzz in her head that was getting harder to fight.

Nami and Robin, however, looked much more at ease on the stage, swaying back and forth with delicate arm motions. Robin was naturally graceful, but Amy didn't even want to think about why Nami seemed so practiced in her choice of performance, the disguised navigator swaying her hips in her low-cut dress, throwing the occasional wink and blown kiss to the crowd.

Amy attributed Nami's furor to Robin earning more than her at their last tally. The navigator had not taken well to being beaten in profits.

Questionable some of the dancing might be, but they'd earned enough to pay for the outfits they bought five times over already with more men throwing tips on the stage at their feet by the second, so it was working.

"Your beer, mister!" Amy squeaked, playing up her cute voice for the marine she was serving. The man turned to her, a drunken blush already on his face as he accepted the drink. He blinked.

"You sure you're old enough to work here?"

"Mom and Dad aren't around anymore," she muttered, hiding behind her platter. Crocodile tears shimmered in her eyes as she sniffled. "Big Sis and I have to get food on the table."

"Sorry, sorry," the man apologized. "I can tell you're a hard worker. You're doing a great job."

"Th-Thank you." Amy wiped her tears away, laying it on a little thick. "There sure are a lot more marines than normal here. Does it have to do with this Z guy?"

"How do you know that name?" the marine's drinking buddy, another marine, sputtered.

"Everyone's talking about him," Amy said, skipping back a step. She tilted, bending at the waist to emphasis her youthful innocence, the heart-shaped choker around her neck swaying. Her voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper, hiding one side of her mouth with the tray. "The adults say a lot of things they think us kids don't hear, especially in the bar. I heard he's 20 feet tall and made of metal, ready to blow up whole islands!"

"He's not that big," the first marine chuckled. "He's closer to eight feet, maybe ten, and he's only got one metal arm."

"Dude, shut up," his buddy hissed. "We aren't supposed to talk about that."

"I mean, the secret got out already," the first marine waved off.

"So, are you here to protect us?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, you won't have to worry about him with us marines around."

"But… Is he here? What does he want?"

The marine leaned in, matching her quiet tone with a grin.

"He's on the other side of the island right now. He and his men are aiming to take the End Point, but we won't let him."

"The End Point?" Amy gasped. "But that's just a myth!"

"Nope. They're as real as real can be, but we'll protect—"

"Ahem," a voice coughed from behind Amy, both marines snapping to attention. Amy turned slowly, staring up at a tall man wearing the coat of a Marine Rear Admiral, but she couldn't put a name to the face. "I'm afraid you two have had enough to drink if your lips are this loose."

"Sorry, sir!"

He looked down, Amy flinching as she hid behind the platter again, looking up at the Rear Admiral with wide, blue eyes and trembling lips. He knelt slowly, still towering over the blonde.

"What's a little girl like you doing working in a place like this? I'm afraid this is a place for grown-ups."

"B-Big Sis and I couldn't find any other work," Amy lied. "Th-The orphanage kicked us out wh-when she got into a fight."

"I see," the man frowned. "Still, I'm afraid I can't let you go spreading that information around."

"I-I won't! I promise!"

"That's not enough. I'm afraid I need you to come with me." He reached forward, taking Amy's small arm in his larger hand. She struggled.

"Stranger danger!" Amy screamed, calling attention to her situation. "Stranger danger!"

"Let go of her!" Grace yelled, instantly jumping off the stand to run toward the man. Robin and Nami both slowed to a stop, all attention in the bar now on the kerfuffle in the center of the room. The owner on the second level looked horrified. "Get your hands off my sister!"

Without thinking, Grace punched him, adrenaline thrumming through her veins.

"Rear Admiral!" several marines called, jumping to their feet. "You can't just assault a Marine Rear Admiral like that!"

"Looks like our jig is up," Robin chuckled, crossing her arms. "Cientos Manos: Hold!"

Arms bloomed across the marines in the room, six growing from their leader alone. Robin hopped from the stage as Nami blew a near-tornado over it, pulling all the money into her hands before joining her fellow pirates in their retreat.

"Those abilities!" The Marine Rear Admiral realized from the floor. "Those women are members of the Straw Hat Pirates! Get them!"

"Walled-Off Heart!" Grace announced, a heart-shaped construct of crystalized argon forming before the doorway, trapping the marines and patrons inside.

"We're leaving!" Nami yelled to the street, Chopper and Usopp instantly leaving their jobs to join them. Gin took a few seconds longer, finishing the shoe he was polishing since he was almost done.

"Get over here, Gin!" Amy shouted as the argon heart cracked. Billy flapped down, landing beside Nami.

"I'm almost done!" the de-aged monk called back, wiping away a final scuff.

"Now, you moron!"

The blockade exploded, the purple crystal turning back to it's natural state as a noble gas.

"You're under arrest, pirates!" the first two marines through yelled, drawing their swords. Grace turned, a katar forming in her hand.

"Lightnin' Strike!"

"Horned Torpedo!"

Gin appeared in a crack of thunder, his crackling foot blasting the first marine away. At the same time, Merry shot from her Heart around Amy's neck, clad in her default white raincoat, her horns slamming into the second marine's chin. They did not stay to see the effects of the attacks, the group running back toward the docks. The marines were not far behind, but they refused to shoot any guns they had lest they miss and hit a civilian.

"What the Hell took you so long?" Amy demanded from Billy's saddle, smacking the back of Gin's head. "Those guys almost got me!"

"I was doin' a job," Gin huffed, firing a bolt of lightning back at their pursuers. "Iffin you're gonna do somethin', ya gotta do it right and get it done."

"Oh yeah? I can think of a thing or two you've left undone."

"Would you two flirt later?" Usopp yelled, stopping just long enough to fire a Green Star: Devil behind them.

"We ain't flirtin'!" Gin denied.

"Butt out of my business!" Amy growled, not denying Usopp's accusation. "This is why you're still just Long-Nose!"

"Well, I'm not the one that blew our cover!" he sniped back.

"But I learned that Z's on the island, so we got what we wanted!"

"Did you learn anything else?" Chopper asked from Robin's shoulder.

"Yeah, the End Points are real."

"The End Points?" Gin gasped.

"What are those?" Chopper questioned.

"They're one o' th' legends Krieg wanted t' chase in th' Grand Line," Gin explained. "Supposedly, iffin all three're destroyed, the world will end."

"Yeah, that," Amy said. "Though it's more like the Grand Line would end. And we're standing on one."

"That's not good at all!" Usopp cried.

"Luffy!" Nami called with a wave, the other group relaxing on a bridge ahead of them, all clad in new comfy yet fashionable clothing. The captain turned at the sound of his wife's voice, his eyes moving past her to the crowd of marines chasing her group. Despite that, Nami had a smile on her face. One of his own grew, the young father stepping up with Ace in his arms.

"Thanks, Luffy!" Usopp muttered.

"Good to see you, Captain," Robin said.

"Hi, Captain!" Merry grinned.

"Don," Gin nodded.

"Wah!" Billy quacked.

"It's Straw Hat!" one of the marines yelled. "And he's got the Heir of Chaos! Arrest them!"

The air grew heavy in a second, another making it cross the threshold into oppressive. A wave of force shot from the captain, Ace watching in awe as the marines collapsed. This was his first time seeing such, having been on the Sunny when Luffy performed the same act on Fishman Island. Only the Marine Rear Admiral stayed conscious, the man stumbling before loosing his footing and falling to his knees. Luffy walked up to him, his crew arraying themselves behind him. The lone marine looked up, fear evident in his eyes.

"This power…" he gasped. "It must be… the Conqueror's Spirit..."

"Kuzan said Z's on the island. Where?"

"Like I would tell you," the marine tried, only for Luffy to grab him by the collar. Somehow, the knowledge that the boy he held had a considerable bounty on his own head made the young father all the scarier.

"That's not an answer. Where's Z hiding?"

"…He's on the other side of the island, at the sand dunes," the man relented. "Our forces are attacking him as we speak."

Luffy dropped him, the man letting out a grunt as he hit the stone bridge.

"Nami, take Ace and head back to the train. Anyone who wants, come with me. We're taking down Z."

"I'm with you," Zoro offered.

"The mosshead isn't going to outdo me," Sanji muttered.

"I've got a bone to pick with Z," Coby said. That was when something at the top of the mountain exploded, bits of molten rock starting too ooze from new holes in the dormant volcano. Screams sounded from within the city, turning the pirates' heads.

"Shit," Amy hissed, the curse sounding funny from the mouth of her childish body.

"Language," Nami scolded. "Ace can hear you, Amy."

"That's the sound of the End Point exploding."

"Ah…" Nami amended. "Shit."

"Sorry, Captain," Coby said. "Something more important than my feelings just came up."

"No problem, Coby," Luffy replied. "Anyone else?"

"I'm in," Merry announced. Amy took off the choker still around her neck, giving it to the fairy.

"Yohoho, I shall join as well," Brook said, rounding out the attack group to five.

"I'm gonna go rescue citizens," Coby stated. "They're innocent and don't deserve to die like this."

"I'll come with," Grace told him, grabbing his arm before he could run off. "It'll be safer if we travel in pairs.

"I'll take Ace, Amy, Usopp, and Chopper to the seatrain," Nami decided. "With their situation, they don't have a chance of outrunning or dealing with pyroclastic flow."

"Th' what?" Gin blinked.

"The ash tsunami," Merry offered in layman's terms.

"Oooh," Luffy, Chopper, Usopp, Gin, and Brook nodded.

"We don't have time for this!" Coby yelled. "Come on, Grace!"

The roset grabbed her hand, swinging her up as he shifted into his Dino Mode so she would land on his back. Between the leaving duo, the attack group, and the train group, only Robin, Billy, and Gin remained. They quickly teamed up, Billy taking them into the sky for a bird's eye view.

Coby tromped through the streets, dodging fearful pedestrians as best he could and jumping over them when he could not. The red glow of the lava mixed with the fading light of sunset cast a pink effect over the swirling clouds above, an effect that would have been beautiful if it wasn't for the lava flowing down the volcano or the screaming people. High above, the letters spelling out Kazanonsen began to melt, collapsing to the whims of gravity.

"Everyone get to the seatrain!" Grace yelled, trying to make her voice rise over the cacophony of panic. "The island's going up in smoke! You need to get out to sea!"

A boulder wreathed in lava and fire streaked down from the sky, crashing into a building several streets ahead. The crash shook the ground, many losing their footing from the localized quake. The building fell in on itself with a groan.

"Aren't dinosaurs supposed to run away from meteors?" Coby questioned as he corrected his coarse to run directly toward the devastation.

"Less talk, more trot, Coby!" Grace said, looking up. "Oh, that'll be a beautifully-tragic painting."

"Really‽"

"Sorry, couldn't help it."

Coby turned a corner, he and Grace finally seeing the rubble of the building that had fallen moments before. Fire licked up from within, smoke billowing into the sky. People continued to run by, but a woman knelt on the street, tears carving lines through the ash settling on her face. A child struggled in her hands, the little girl reaching for the building.

"Daddy!" the little girl cried. "Someone save my daddy!"

"Grace?" Coby questioned, heading straight for the building.

"On it." Grace breathed as she hopped off his back. She closed her eyes, reaching toward the burning building. The air warped slowly, the flames shrinking but not going out. "Hurry, Coby!"

"Right!" Shrinking into his Armor Mode, Coby stomped forward and lifted the first piece of fallen rubble.

The inside of the building was almost room temperature despite the fire. At the same time, the air smelled sweet, the edges of the room turning brown. Each breath of this odor sent a wave of relaxation through the Zoan, but he shrugged that off.

Closing his eyes. Coby let his Observation pulse through the area. Three lights appeared, two of them on what had been the floor above and another even higher. A single glance confirmed that the stairs were mangled beyond repair even if there was time, so the roset drew his swords.

"Hoshokusha and Emono," he whispered, feeling the energy in the blades the way Zoro had taught him to. Trusting his instincts, he swung. Concrete, steel, and plaster separated from itself so finely that it took another second for the material to react. Minced, the "roof" fell apart, four bodies falling from the floors above.

For a moment, Coby had hoped he'd made a mistake with his Observation, but he was sure he had not. Three of them, a man and two women, were still breathing, but the last body, an older man, was not. Collecting those who could still be saved, Coby ran from the building.

Grace breathed a sigh of relief as he exited the structure, the girl releasing her powers. Flames roared from an influx of oxygen, the building collapsing the rest of the way. The Zoan carried the three survivors over, setting them on the ground.

"Darling!" the civilian called, she and her daughter running over to the man Coby had rescued. Grace snapped thrice, once under the nose of each person, each time producing a whiff of nose-curling smell that jolted the unconscious awake. The woman and girl hugged the man who looked around with wide eyes.

"You all need to get to the seatrain," Coby told them. "Can you walk?"

All except an old woman said yes, the younger adults helping her hopple away. Coby glanced as his crewmate as the group departed with a quick "thank you."

"How did you do that, Grace?"

"I converted air in the building into nitric oxide," the chemist explained. "It's safe to breathe and forming it is an endothermic reaction, meaning it takes heat to make and used up some of the oxygen the fire wanted. I trusted you could take plenty of it as a Zoan."

"Well, good job." The top of the volcano exploded in a true eruption, another half-dozen meteors falling over and into the town. The reminder pained Coby with the knowledge that they were working on borrowed time. Still, they needed to hit as many as they could before their time ran out. "We need to keep moving."

The next two buildings were a bust, the second particularly sad since it was a small home rather than an office or an apartment complex. The fourth, however, was a restaurant, the massive rock having crashed into the entrance. Coby could feel six lives still inside, each slowly succumbing to the heat and smoke.

"Lava can give off carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and hydrogen halides," Grace supplied. "All of them are dangerous to humans. I can try to reverse some of the reactions, but it'll take a lot out of me and we both know how much fire loves oxygen."

"Get ready to do your nitric trick again," Coby ordered, placing a hand on Hoshokusha and facing the volcanic bomb (actual name). "One Sword Style: Death Lion's Song!"

The igneous rock split down the middle, opening the crushed entrance. Coby launched himself in with Shave as the sweet smell and the chill from before returned. He gathered the three closest people, a couple in the back with someone slumped between them watching him with wide eyes.

"I'll be back in a second," he promised, carrying the first three out of the building. Sweat dripped from Grace's brow as she strained, Coby zipping back inside to return with the other three. Grace fell to a knee, panting, as the building all but exploded. Shaking off a headache while willing her body to produce adrenaline and endorphins, Grace reproduced her Smell Salt Snap for each of the unconscious.

"Thank you," the man who had been conscious said before he blinked. "Wait, aren't you a pirate?"

"'Tri-Horn' Coby of the Straw Hats as your service," the young man replied offhandedly, kneeling before the awakening group. "Are you all able to run?"

"My leg's broken," one answered.

"I can't feel my hip," another said.

"My arm's broke, but my legs work," a third supplied.

"Coby, we're running out of time," Grace announced, grabbing his sleeve. He turned to where she pointed, a veritable avalanche of smoke and rubble pouring down the volcano like a solid wall.

"Dammit," Coby hissed, taking on his Dino Mode. "Alright, we need to go. Everyone get on! Grace, have you got something that can streamline this?"

"I can't negate wind resistance, but I can reduce it." While they waited for the able-bodied to help the injured onto Coby's back, Grace climbed onto his neck and started waving her hands. Purple argon formed out of the air, first condensing around the tips of his horns before spreading out into something like a helmet. It didn't stop there, the crystal spreading and rising until it was a half a cone, ridges every few inches making it almost look like a drill. "This should reduce the resistance, but it'll crack if the air gets too hot. We need to move now."

"We're ready," a woman said even as Grace formed two bars on either side of the full-humans like Coby was a bad carnival ride.

"Everyone hang on," the Zoan ordered, taking off at a gallop with bursts of speed complements of Shave ever 50 feet or so. The pyroclastic flow continued to thunder toward them, getting closer with each second. In the distance, it reached the first row of buildings, crushing them in an instant.

"Goda protect us," an old man prayed.

"You're a pirate," the young man from before stated. "You're both pirates. Why are you helping us?"

"Because you needed help," Grace answered, Coby unable to through his controlled breathing. She waved a hand, fixing a crack in their windshield. "The Marines dropped the ball and the city is paying the price, but this heroic moron just can't help putting himself in danger to save people. Has been for years."

"I said I was sorry about that!" the triceratops grunted.

"In short, he thinks it's his purpose and someone needs to make sure he doesn't get killed doing it, so you're the lucky one in the right place at the wrong time."

"Either way, thank you," the man's date told them as Coby rounded a corner. The street was a straight shot to the docks, but a building had fallen in the way.

"Grace?" Coby called. "If I ram that, will your shield hold up?"

"It will with me here," she promised, setting her hands on the back of her construction, reinforcing her will over the atoms within. "Will you make it through?"

"I have to."

"Zoro didn't happen to teach you how to use a sword with your mouth, did he?"

"Right now, I wish he had. Switching to Drill Mode."

Grace altered her argon windshield as Coby's body changed, his horns spiraling forward to a near-singular point. He shifted his path, aiming to first go through a broken window before, most likely, the walls inside the rubble.

"This is gonna be rough!" Grace warned as they reached the obstacle. Coby plowed through, silently praying each time he approached another wall that it would be the last. The ground rumbled underfoot as the pyroclastic flow drew closer.

The sixth wall was the last one, the Zoan and his riders bursting into the molten glow of a detritus-lined street. The bay shimmered below, the docks and train station in sight. Coby pressed himself forward, beathing hard. The wall of ash was closer than before, ready to swallow the building they'd just smashed through.

"Run, Tri-Horn!" the civilians cried. "Run!"

Their street merged with another, a flash of white appearing in Coby's right peripheral. He couldn't turn to look without making the windshield ineffective, so it was lucky that Grace had something to say about it.

"The Hell are you guys doing?"

"We're running!" Zoro's voice answered. "The Hell does it look like‽"

"This is terrifying!" Brook cried, his hands in the air and his legs a blur.

"That's Straw Hat!" one of the civilians gasped, pointing to the man draped over Merry's shoulder.

"What happened?" Grace demanded. "Where's Luffy's hat?"

"That's what you're worried about?" the civilian questioned. "His Godadamned hat?"

"That neo-moron Z shot him with a Sea Stone bullet," Merry said, using Moonwalk to jump over large mounds of rubble. "He stole Captain Luffy's hat, too. I don't know the details yet since I was giving that butt-muncher Wake Breaker a piece of my mind for what he did to Sunny."

"That whatsit is almost on us!" Brook screamed. The temperature dropped suddenly, their breaths turning white in the air as the entire wall of ash and smoke froze. Both groups gaped at the scene.

"That…" Grace swallowed. "That's Kuzan's power."

"He actually did something right for a change," Coby commented. Their moment of calm was interrupted as another volcanic bomb slammed into the block on their left.

"Stopping the ash doesn't stop the volcano!" Sanji yelled, the top of said volcano erupting once more. "Let's go!"

The conglomerated group ran, the situation so dire that even Zoro managed to run in a straight line. That might have been in part to the rest of the pirates boxing him into the center, but, spurred on by the falling rocks and lava, no one focused on the possibility of Zoro getting lost.

There was a single car waiting for them at the station, the rest of their crew and four civilians that Gin, Robin, and Billy had found waiting by the tracks.

"Hurry!" Usopp insisted from the car, Nami finishing some preparations she was making with her Perfect Clima-Tact in the roof. Coby slid to a stop, shrinking into his Human Mode to free himself of his human cargo. Grace remained on his shoulders, however, but he barely noticed. Everyone piled into the train, the natives weeping, as Nami unleashed her plan.

"Tornado Tempo!" the woman yelled, firing off an absolutely massive blast of continuous air toward the city. The recoil shot the train off like a bullet, the car barely staying on its rails as it was not designed for such speeds.

Finally able to breathe, Coby collapsed into one of the seats, Grace falling next to him. Merry leaned Luffy against the wall, Chopper getting to work digging the Sea Prism Stone out of the captain's shoulder while Ace grabbed his father's opposite hand. Other than the bullet wound and a few burns, he didn't look all that bad.

Silently, Coby was glad Ace was focused on Luffy. He didn't need to see the destruction happening just across the water. The Zoan's scowl was mirrored by most of the rest of the crew, but no one had any words as the island itself cracked and shattered, turning into one single eruption annihilating any evidence that a thriving city had been there two hours prior.

"Fuck!" Coby cursed, punching out a window with tears streaming down his face. Ace jumped at the sound of his voice. "This isn't justice! This is madness! This is wrong!"

"We did what we could," Grace insisted, setting a hand on his shoulder, injecting her Calming Green into him. His anger was overpowering, though, the young man pushing her hand away and standing.

"It wasn't enough! 'We did what we could'? That's as good an excuse as Z's, wanting to end the pain of the Great Pirate Era by destroying the whole Grand Line! Excuses and motives mean nothing for all the people without homes now! They mean nothing for all the people whose loved ones are gone! They mean shit-all to the people who were still alive until 30 fucking seconds ago! We—"

Robin smacked him, cutting off Coby's tirade. He stood there, stunned.

"Control yourself, Coby," the woman ordered, tears gathered at the corners of her own eyes. "Had you remained on that island to rescue one additional person, you also would have perished and your sacrifice would have been fruitless."

"You can't blame yourself for the people lost," Amy said, her stare a million miles away. "Be glad you could do anything at all. I'm sure the people you did manage to save are thankful. And their families will be too when they return."

The wind was lost from Coby's sails. He said nothing as Grace stepped before him, wrapping him in a hug. He sobbed, the two sinking to their knees while his tears soaked into her shoulder. Never before had she seen him in such a state. Gone was the kid who couldn't see or properly control his Devil Fruit like when they'd first met on Little Garden. Gone was the proud warrior who tried to sacrifice himself so she and Gin could get away on Sabaody. Gone was the confident survivor who could sway the royalty of Fishman Island to his thinking.

Here, he was a just a man wracked with grief for all those innocent lights he'd seen but been unable to save.

"I'm sorry," she whispered in his ear, her body pressed against his as they held each other. Sedatives flowed from her, being absorbed into his skin.

In a minute, he was sleeping soundly, free from reality. Leaning him against the wall, Grace let the chemicals take her, too.

Her last thoughts before sleep took her were of the pain she would inflict on the Neo-Marines for making Coby feel that way.

No one was allowed to hurt her Coby.

End of Chapter 31

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-SwordOfTheGods