An Old Cliche:
the desert's rose
Chapter 03 - The Ship of Fools
By: L.R. Pelgina
and Starfirehime
Authors Note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY RORONOA ZORO! Here is my present tothe swordsman of the Muguiwaradan! An all plot revealing chapter of my story! Oh my! I hope this answers everyone's questions about the last chapter. If there's still any questions left floating out there afterword let me know and I'll do my best to answer in later chapters, so long as it doesn't give to much away anyhow. Also I'm doing my best to lay off the Japanese for those of you who don't know any, so if there's something you don't understand or if you want me to try and lay off more let me know So, thanks and reveiw damn it! I know alot more people are looking at this then are reveiwing! My stats say so!
Reveiwer responses: Hehe! This is my first time ever responding to reveiwers!
Vivi: Hehe! I so didn't pick the update day on purpose...In fact I was just trying to update every Friday. I didn't notice it was going to be on Zoro's Birthday until you said something. What a coincidence, ne? Anyhow! I'm glad to see there's a ZoroxVivi nut out there as crazy as I am. Especially as it's hard to find stuff on them in the American websites. (They are actually quite a popular pairing in Japan, I had to go to a bunch of Japanese sights in order to find any fanart of them). Please keep reading! And the ZoroxVivi romantics will come over time! I have got about 40 chapters planned out for this fic after all! Oh, and my friend who kinda likes the ZoroxVivi will be posting a one-shot for them soon. Please read hers and reveiw it as well.
Narutosgirl: Thank you for reading and reveiwing. I appriciate your compliments on my story. As for your request, I'm not really into that pairig but there are actually going to be some small SanjixVivi things happen in this fanfic! In the next chapter in fact...and later on in the story as well. But, even though I'm not to into the pairing I will see what I can do for you! I'll do my best!
chibihearts: Thank you for your reveiw and letting me know how I'm doing on my writing skills. I'm always over paranoied about that! I always hate my own writing style! Oh! And Vivi's response to Robin will be in the next chapter. Thanks again!
Nami-swan: Yea! You like all the same pairings I do! Don't worry I'll keep up the SanjixNami stuff. My friend Starfirehime won't let me forget!
tori007otaku: Woot! Another SanjixNami fan! Those two are awesome aren't they! There are actually some stuff on them at the end of thsi chapter. I hope you like it. And, just how far have you gotten in the series. Let me know so I can figure out what characters you don't know about and then I can be a bit more discriptive about them. And also try not to put in to many spoilers (unless of course you want them ), because I've seen up to episode 233, and I don't want to give to much away for anyone unless the want me to! Thank you for your reveiwing AND putting me on alerts! You made me feel so special, your the first person to have done that!
Disclaimer: Besides the villians I create I don't own any of this! I don't want Oda-sensei to get me for copyrights.
Vivi shuffled out of the main meeting hall eager to get out of the after meeting mingling as soon as she could so she could hurry and see the rest of her nakama again. Needless to say she didn't have much of a temper for anyone who stopped her to congratulate her on saving her country. In her exciment she even got herself seperated from her guardians who were all stopped by various other people to be congratulated as well.
Zoro of course didn't like being stopped at the moment either. He had lost track of the yarou from before and didn't really want to lose track of Vivi. So, Zoro decided it would probably be best to take in his surroundings first, find everyone.
Pell was talking with the old king that had done the announcing, probably reassuring any extra doubt this man might have held onto despite the rebel leader's speech. The Kohza-yarou was not to far away from him also being questioned by some short happy looking fellow who was shaking his hand as if he were the king of Alabasta himself. And Vivi?
Ah, there she was. Vivi was about a hundred meters or so in front of Zoro. Considering that there was a lot of people in his way Zoro could politely reach her in a matter of a minute or two. But soon Zoro knew even that wouldn't be soon enough. The yarou from the table whom he had lost track of earlier was now right behind Vivi and reaching out his hand to grab her.
Kohza saw it too, and despite the fact that he didn't know anything about the man heading for Vivi (hey, he could be an old friend of Vivi's for all he knew, she certainly seemed to have a lot of them he didn't know about) he had a bad feeling about this man. And so he and Zoro both started to rush towards her as fast as they could through the crowd of people.
Vivi was blissfully unaware of the situation unfolding just behind her. She didn't notice the man strolling up behind her, for if she had she surely woundn't have left the side of her companions. She did notice however when the Prince of Insula grabbed her arm and spun her around rather harshly.
"Ah, Princess Vivi. Long time no see huh?" he sneered down at her shocked and then horrified face.
"Horatius!" Vivi rasped in fear, "Why are you--"
But she never got to finish her sentence because he pulled brutally her away to a more secluded area of the garden in the king's meeting house.
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"How do you like my new firework?" Usoppu bragged holding out his small bomb in front of Chopper.
"Is there supposed to be something special about it?" Chopper asked, suspicious that Usoppu might be trying to fool him again.
Usoppu laughed arrogantly, signifing that it was indeed something to be proud of, "Well, it may look small and wimpy but in truth," Usoppu paused and leaned in closer to Chopper in order whisper into his ear, "I could blow up this whole island with it if I wanted to."
"You have such a dangerous thing," Chopper shrieked.
Usoppu laughed, "Of course! Only a genius like myself could make such a wonderful bomb!"
Chopper gasped, amazed.
Usoppu laughed again, he could always get Chopper to believe him.
"If I decided to right now--" Usoppu raised his hand with the bomb in it, "I could throw it down and destroy us all."
"EEEEEEE!" Chopper shouted, "Yor kidding right? It can't be true. You wouldn't destroy us would you?"
Usoppu smiled and shrugged, "I don't know that depends," he smirked.
Chopper was about to say something in return to it but something very familiar caught his noise. He stopped and detected the scent was coming from a large building just in front of them.
"Usoppu?" Chopper questioned interrupting the sniper of his rambling mid-sentence, "Do you think Nami could get into that building ahead of us?"
Usoppu walked up next to his small friend and looked at the building through his goggles, "I doubt she would try." he finally said, "There's Marines crawling all over that place. Why?"
"Do you remember if Nami put on her perfume from Alabasta today?"
"How would I know something like that? Maybe if you asked Sanji--"
"I smell the perfume coming from that building," Chopper said, interrupting Usoppu again.
Usoppu sighed, "It's probably just some tourists from Alabasta, right? Nothing to be worried about." he said trying to reassure Chopper.
"Hmmm, but I have a funny feeling about this," Chopper said.
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After they had turned a few corners and had reached a more secluded part of the garden, Brutus Horatius roughly swung the Princess of Alabasta back around to face him again, slamming her into a wall in the process.
"My my, Princess Vivi, haven't you grown up into a fine young women," he sneered down at her, making it perfectly obvious what exactly he had meant.
Vivi tried to wrench her arm free from his grasp but it only made him hold on tighter.
"I became sooo worried when you disappeared from your country three years ago." he smirked as he looked down at her angry yet terrified face, and reached up his free hand to run his index and middle finger down her cheek, "Did you keep yourself pure for me all this time Vivi dear? After all you ARE going to be my wife one day, even if it's the last thing I do." he said then placed his thumb on the other side of her face in order to force her mouth open then leaned in for a kiss.
Kohza had noticed that scumbag looking at Vivi oddly from down the table but he hadn't said anything. He didn't want to alarm Vivi especially since she had been through enough these past few months. Pell didn't seem to notice anything odd, although, as great a worrior Pell was he only fought with guns, so he was never trained to try and read a man's aura, thoughts, or emotions. Kohza was pretty sure that the swordsman that Vivi knew had noticed something as well, but it was hard to read anything off of him, as much as he hated to admit it at the moment this man was probably a really great swordsman. Probably one of the best. But whether he had noticed or not the swordsman hadn't said anything either, and now they had some prick trying to kidnap Vivi.
Kohza turned a corner he had seen Vivi and her kidnapper go and reached it just in time to see that bastard leaning in to force a kiss on her, "Che," He muttered and ran forward to stop the asshole then stomp him into the ground for touching his princess when the swordsman beat him to it.
Seemingly out of nowhere the swordsmans boot was where the kidnappers face was just a second ago and the kidnapper was lying on the ground with a large boot print indented on his face. The swordsman had every sword drawn and had even manged the time to take off his facial garb and slip a bandana over his head. And all Kohza could do was wonder how on earth this man had made it here so fast. Kohza ran over to the two of them and help up his princess. He could feel the heat of this man's aura from a couple of feet behind him and boy was this swordsman pissed.
"I HATE assholes like this yarou," Zoro muttered through his sword, "Sadly he's not completely out yet."
And just as he said that the man started to stir. Kohza began to pull out his sword and that's when Zoro looked at the two people behind him, but only for a second.
"Vivi, are you ok?" Zoro asked.
"Eh," Vivi said, suddenly finding her voice again, "That's good because we have company too."
And with that a tall, pretty, woman with long white hair and and an even taller man with slicked back jet black hair came out from behind two white pillars behind Kohza, Vivi, and Zoro. As the woman took out a long spear like sword Kohza finished drawing his own and prepared himself. Vivi too began to reach for her peacock slashers.
A faint laughter came from the man laying on the ground and Zoro turned his attention back to the prince lying on the ground. Horatius sat up, put a hand to the side of his mouth that was bleeding and spit out a tooth. The prince laughed again then licked the blood off the side of his mouth.
"Very good Mr. Swordsman," the Prince said, "Even I didn't see that one coming." he said and stood up the rest of the way.
Zoro ignored the complement.
The Prince rose his hand slightly and the two lackies that were with him moved in closer towards Kohza and Vivi, encircling the three of them. The Prince then reached for a sword behind his back that only Zoro had noticed before and --
"Vivi-sama?" Pell was in sight now and a bunch of onlookers that had probably heard some of the commotion were following just behind him.
The Prince of Insula waved a hand and his two lackies were gone in an instant. Horatius then smirked, "I won't cause a scene in front of all these kingdoms," he said, "But mark my words Princess Vivi, as soon as you leave here you will be followed by my men until you are caught and I have made you mine!" he said then turned his back and walked the other way, "Keep your eyes on your Princess," he said to Pell as he walked past him, "Or you may lose her," and then he continued on to go mingle and guarantee the other kingdoms nothing had been going on.
Zoro watched him as he slowly walked away and waited until the Prince was past Pell before he put away his swords. Kohza and Vivi followed suit.
"Vivi, who was that man?" Kohza asked after what seemed like an eternity of silence between the three of them and the newly joined Pell.
Vivi opened her mouth to respond but Zoro interuppted, "That can wait until later, we need to leave now before he gets the chance to call for more back ups," he said and began to walk towards the exit, grabbing Vivi in the process. Pell followed without hesitation and after a second Kohza followed to, believeing the swordsman was right for once, whether he liked it or not.
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Usoppu and Chopper continued to watch the building that Chopper had caught the smell in. Despite Usoppu's attempt to reassure him that it was nothing they needed to be worried about Chopper insisted on staying due to the bad feeling in his gut.
Usoppu sighed and sat on the steps to the large building finally giving up when an idea hit Chopper, "Say! Didn't Vivi say that Eden was the island were all the king's meet together?" Chopper asked.
"Yeah. And?"
"Wouldn't it be exciting if we could run into Vivi here?" Chopper said hopefully.
Usoppu snorted, "Do you know what the chances of that ar--" he began but was interuppeted suddenly and rudly by a pair of people running down the steps who bumped into him and knocked him over but continued to run.
"What the hell!" Usoppu yelled when the words died in his throat and he stood. Chopper then said what was on his mind.
"VIVI!" They both shoated at the same time.
Vivi was running along behind Zoro who seemed to be pulling her. Pell (who it was also a shock to see), a very confused Carue who had only recently run into them, and another man were running close behind. Vivi fortunatly looked back when she heard her name.
"Mr. Bushido! It's Usoppu-san and Toni-kun!" she said.
Zoro looked but didn't stop, "USOPPU! CHOPPER! HURRY UP AND FOLLOW!" he shouted.
Usoppu was too shocked to say anything but Chopper sprang into instant action grabbed Usoppu and followed Zoro and the others without question.
After Zoro decided that they had really lost everyone he finally stopped. The rest stopped just behind him where they came up with a plan. Pell would take Carue back to the Alabastian boat (Carue to give the gize that Vivi was with him) and act as a distraction while Vivi once again would be put into the care of the Luffy pirates who would once again bring her back to Alabasta once she was safe, and Kohza would be coming with her because he wasn't about to leave her alone with a bunch of people who he had just found out were pirates.
Vivi then said her goodbyes to Pell and Carue. Pell made her promise to return safe so he too could one day learn what exactly was going on and then they were off. Afterword Zoro, Chopper, and Usoppu agreed it would probably also be best if they didn't set out until early moring despite promising their nakama that they would be back by nightfall. Another boat (because they had disgused it before they landed of course) that sailed out right after the Alabasta boat might look suspicious. So they would stay the night in the city then meet up with the nakama in the morning. After they had found a hotel to stay in it was finally time for Vivi to spill. Who was this asshole and what was going on?
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Vivi sat on the bed in her hotel room and sighed as all of her compaions gathered around her. Where could she start.
"About a year before I left Alabasta in order to look up Crocodile and his intentions, the King of Insula, Brutus Vorenus, set up a royal meeting with my father. Well, my Father gladly accepted the meeting with this King as he was an old friend of my father's. Sadly he didn't know what the meeting was about until after the King arrived. It turned out that the King of Insula wanted to involve me in an arranged marraige with his son, Brutus Horatius" Vivi began.
"What! Your FATHER put you into an arranged marriage!How old were you then! Like! 14!" Kohza shouted, he couldn't believe Kobra would do that.
"Well, no. After my Father figured out what was going on he politly turned down the King saying he wished me to be able to pick my own husband."
Kohza sighed in relief and Usoppu could have sworn he heard Zoro sigh too.
"And I guess naturally the King of Insula, didn't like that much, huh?" Zoro said smirking.
"Well, actually he was offering it as a favor to my father. If I was married to the Prince of Insula the King could then merge the two contries as one and help us by sending us supplies. Naturally it was a hard choice for my father because if he had he could have saved a lot of people."
Kohza sighed again. This made him feel even worse about the rebellion. He had snapped at the King many times and told Kobra he didn't care about his country when he had actually considered selling out his daughters happiness in order to save it.
"I even offered to do it myself," Vivi continued, "But my father wouldn't have it. The King of Insula took the turn down quite well but for some reason the Prince did not. Apparently he had some fascination with Alabasta and was dead set on getting it and me as his bride. After that I had set out to track down Crocodile but apparently while I was gone my Father got a bunch of threatening notes from the prince promising to take me and the country from him. I had never heard of any of this before I got back to Alabasta after the rebellion. But my father ended up telling me about it because not long after you guys left," she indicated the members of the Mugiwaradan sitting in front of her, "Someone who turned out to be one of his henchmen tried to kidnapp me. Thankfully he wasn't very strong and I was able to defeat him myself,"
"But wouldn't I have read something in the newspaper if you had almost been kidnapped?" Kohza said, "And wouldn't Pell know something about this?"
Vivi shook her head, "No, Father and I only told Chaka who took care of the imprisionment and informed the King of Insula about what had happened discretly. He promised he would take care of it quietly. This is why he sent you with me as extra protection Kohza. He knew he could trust you and that you would be willing to help out your country. Otherwise I would have gone only with Pell." she answered.
That stung. "But WHY!" Kohza said, "If you guys had made it public then you could have had more people watching your back!"
"Our country had just calmed down after a rebellion! Do you really think we wanted to stir it up again with insecurites of their princess getting kidnapped!" Vivi shouted, this had been one of the major reasons why she hadn't gone with the Mugiwaradan when they left her country, she couldn't throw it into turmoil again! No matter what happiness it might cost her!
"Then why not bring more then just Pell and me!" Kohza shouted back, "Why not me, Chaka, Pell, and Iguram too!"
"How many times do I have to say we were trying not to alert people! How would it look if I had strolled into the King's meeting with everyone of our protecters with me, or with the rebellion leader none-the-less! They wouldn't have trusted you then! Beside who would protect the country while they were all gone! It's not just ME that Horatius wants!"
"But YOU'RE more important!" Kohza shouted then bit his lip when he realized what he had said.
"I am NOT more important then a whole country filled with people!" Vivi said stunned.
"That's not what I meant."
"Then what did yo--"
"ENOUGH!" Zoro shouted, "You don't call the shots in Alabasta sideburns, so get over it!" he yelled.
Usoppu and Chopper exchanged glances.
"It's been a long day and I'm tired of all this crap! Let's go to bed." Zoro said and shuffled everyone out of Vivi's room.
Usoppu and Chopper went into the room that the boys had next door but Kohza stood in front of Vivi's door.
"What are you doing?" Zoro asked him.
"Watching to make sure no one tries to sneak in," Kohza said eyeballing the present Mugiwaradan to let them all know he didn't just mean the enemies.
Zoro smirked, "Good idea," he said then open Vivi's door and walked in.
"What are YOU doing!" Kohza demanded.
"Making sure no one sneaks in through her window. Goodnight," Zoro sneered and began to close the door.
"Vivi?" Kohza questioned, indignified.
"It's fine, Leader. Goodnight." She said and Zoro closed the door.
Zoro sat infront of Vivi's window and got into a sleeping position then bowed his head to sleep.
"Your not just in here to make sure no one gets in, are you?" Vivi asked.
Zoro shook his head, "I know you think your're burdening us again. I also know your thinking about leaving on your own," he said without so much as opening an eye, "Don't even try it."
Vivi sighed knowing he was right, "In any case I'm really happy to see you all again." she smiled.
Zoro opened one eye for that, then closed it and smiled back, "Goodnight," he said.
"Goodnight," Vivi replied the went to sleep herself.
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Sanji passed out breakfast to all the crew members, paying special attention to Robin's and EXTRA special attention to Nami's.
"Still no sight on the Crap swordsman and the others?" Sanji asked Nami as he handed her her breakfast.
"Nope, nothing! Luffy's going bonkers because he wants to move on so badly," Nami said and sighed, "I guess he's had his fill of this island already."
"Probably because he's been banned from all of the restraunts on the island already," Sanji snickered and even Nami couldn't stiffle her giggle completely on that one.
Sanji was elated! He had made Nami laugh. He instantly turned lovey-dovey and sprouted little red hearts out of nowhere.
"Nami-SWAAAAN! Do you love me now?" He gleamed and reached out to embrace her but got a punch in the face instead.
"Mou, he sure knows how to kill a moment," She muttered quietly to herself so he wouldn't hear, and then looked back through the binoculars to search for the others, and that's when she saw them. But her eyes had be playing tricks on her, or else the binoculars were broken.
"Sanji-kun they're back! AND VIVI'S WITH THEM!" Nami shouted.
Sanji instantly got up from his crumpled position on the floor, "NANI? VIVI-CHWAAN! Sonna Nami-swan you shouldn't play tricks on me." he whined.
Nami rolled her eyes and shoved his face into the binoculars so he could see for himself.
"HONTOU! IT'S VIVI-CHWAN" he shouted and ran like a madman towards the end of the boat to wait.
Nami groaned to herself and went to inform Luffy, who pretty much had the same reaction as Sanji only with less little red hearts involved. And so Nami went to go wait with them.
When Vivi got within sight she ran up and instantly threw her arms around Nami. She was crying again which made Nami want to cry too.
"I missed you so much Nami-san!"
She then turned her attention to Luffy and hugged him too, who gave out his usual laugh. And last was Sanji, who held out his arms and spewed red hearts galore but Vivi didn't care, she was just glad to see him. She went to hug him but Zoro grabbed her and dragged her on the boat before she could.
"All right that's enough of that, we haven't got the time for this," he said.
Sanji fell foward, stunned, into a pile of his own little red hearts, but was up again in a second.
"ZORO! YOU BASTARD! I DIDN'T GET MY HUG!"
"Is she coming with us this time?" Luffy asked.
"It's a long story we'll explain on the ship," Usoppu said as he and Chopper climbed into the Going Merry.
When Kohza began to climb up as well, an already pissed Sanji went all out.
"AND WHO THE HELL IS THAT?" Sanji shouted.
"Like I said, we'll explain after we set sail."
"Oh! Zoro did you find me a musician?"
"LIKE HELL I'LL BECOME A PIRATE!" Kohza shouted.
After a large fight between everyone they all managed to get on the boat somehow. They all assumed they had been unseen but Insula's information network was a lot better than that.
Zoro and the other's were finally able to explain what was going on. Vivi introduced Kohza as Toto's son and suddenly Luffy and everyone else was very pleased to meet him. Kohza of course was shocked to learn that his Father had met all of these Pirates, knew Vivi was with them the two years she was gone and hadn't told him a thing. He then vowed to himself to beat up the old man when he got home.
"So your the infamous Kohza," Nami said and shook his hand.
"And you know me, how?"
"Oh, Vivi told me the story about you and your little scar there. Weren't you such a sweeet kid leader." she smirked then slapped him on the back.
Zoro made a mental note to force that story out of Nami.
Kohza was instantly happy that Vivi had actually talked about him and instantly turned his foul mood into a slightly better one. That was until they ran into another boat with a loud smack!
"What was that? That ship came out of nowhere," Nami wondered out loud.
Luffy ran over to investigate. The ship was old an rotten and had a mysterious fog swarming around it.
"It must be a ghost ship or something," Kohza said looking over the side as well.
Luffy was instantly excited, whereas Usoppu was instantly alarmed.
"SUGE!" Luffy shouted, "Let's go investigate!"
Authors Note pt.2: For those of you wondering about Robin she's reading intently and will emerge when she hears the smack of hitting the other boat in the very next chapter. Who else will read the anciant incriptions on the ghost ship? Thanks so much for reading. Reveiw and let me know what you think! Thanks again. Next update will be on Nov. 18! Otanoshimini! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZORO!