Blood Ties like Iron chains Ch 20: Rendezvous of friends and foes, an one piece fanfic

Chapter 20

Rendezvous of friends and foes

Recap-threads

Strawhats: have had split up further, Nami and Luffy have set their sights on getting to Luffy's uncle Francis, whom, thanks to his vivrecard, they know where to find, but hopefully they can make it in time. Meanwhile, Jinbe and Zoro prepare to attack a group of marines.

Big Mom Pirates: the pair of sisters (Galetta and Amande) have even more fun, discussing family and marriages. Meanwhile, Pudding follows her own agenda.

Royals: The Vinsmokes are plotting to turn everything to their advantage, which includes some sinister plans for the Strawhats.

Marines: after a brief hospitalisation Redcliff is out and about again, Jolland and Ain with him, doing Commodore Durkeys' bidding.

(On the main island of the Runny Rum Archiepelago, at the docks)

The last rays of daylight had disappeared and been replaced by the reflection of the moon when the Thousand Sunny found a spot on which to moor, gliding silently into place through the silver crested waves of the dark sea.

It was an inconspicuous position, between several sizeable rocks and boulders jutting out if the ocean, just large enough to conceal the Sunny behind yellow stone and green algae. Nami had concluded that it was the best place to put the ship, since 1. There were only two of them, herself and Luffy, so no one to defend the ship in case someone snuck on board. 2. They didn't want either the marines or the other pirates in the area (Big moms' crew chief amongst them) to know they had returned.

Nami had taken the chance to change her outfit. Her usual pair of blue jeans for easy movement, a black jacket and red t-shirt for warmth and to better conceal herself. Too many had gotten a look at her earlier, most of them enemies, and she didn't fancy being recognised. Luffy…just went as he always did, hat, red blazer, shorts and sandals (sometimes Nami thought that he was a "clothes optional" type of guy, except the hat, but that had yet to be proven). She cast a worried glance down at the only weapon available, her old "Sorcery climatact", split in 3 parts that would swing on her hip like a purse.

It had gone from "Perfect" to "Sorcery" and then to another "Sorcery"… the heck is up with Usopps naming ideas anyway? Also: perfect, means perfect, not normally something you improve on! She pouted at the thought, cringing a little as she remembered how apologetic Vivi was for losing the second sorcery version when they'd left the main island for Dvorak.

The last bit of the journey back to the main island was done in the Shark Submerge III, even if Luffy wanted to take one of the other vehicles since taking it so soon would be less awesome (authors note, Vivi lost it in chapter 16, the sub was used in ch. 13) but Nami stood her ground on that front. It was better to be inconspicuous than to stand out under the current circumstances, which Luffy had seen the sense of after 5 minutes of explanation (and Nami promising she'd cook him a meal when they'd left the island again (she'd been going to anyway since Fran had stolen more food off her plate than the others)).

Luffy immediately jumped out of the mini sub as Nami hid it in-between a group of larger trading vessels: He was whipping his head left and right, frantically looking for something.

Nami managed to stop him from running off at top speed with a simple "Where are you going? I'm the one with the vivre-card!"

"Don't need that to find food!"

"To find your uncle Francis you do!"

"But it won't give us Jinbe and Zoro"

Nami conceded that he was right on that front, but she still held him a little longer

"Listen here, I managed to rig up a map that'll help us find your uncle Francis" she showed him what she'd been doing, only to stop dead in her tracks

"Hey, I'm not done talking you dolt!"

Luffy was already jump/running halfway down the pier, waving back at her with an oblivious smile.

With a barely muttered curse the navigator sprinted after her captain into the darkening streets of the town.

(within a luxurious hotel)

"Excuse me! Excuse me!"

Galette and Amande turned to see Kato come running, exhausted with beads of sweat running down the ridges on his pumpkin head.

"Well, what is it Kato?"

"Well huff lady Amande huff" the Homie breathed heavily, the snakeneck signalling him to catch his breath before continuing "We've spotted something in the harbour area, it seems to be the Strawhats' ship that's coming in, by now, it should have anchored somewhere on the merchants' docks"

"Great" Galette smiled smugly "We can get to work immediately then"

"We might want to postpone that idea sister" Amande scratched her chin, deep in thought, the only indication that she was thinking being the rapid pulsation on her smoke.

"Why?" Galette got up, eyeing her snakenecked sibling "They're here, we should use it to ambush them again!"

"It might be for the best to know what they're after first" She cautioned, pacifying the redheaded woman at the table "But we can send a few guys out, just to hound them a little, make them think we're elsewhere… before we strike."

As Hangan and Kato left to carry out her orders, Galette gave Amande a cheeky grin "You curious that little orangehead is with them?"

"Oh shut up Galette!" Amande muttered under her breath as she fastened her sword at her hip, before a mischievous grin came upon her face "Or do you hope for some fun time alone with Strawhat, while I get busy with the girl?"

Galette gave her an incredulous look "...Now you're taking things a bit too far... don't you think so?"

"You started it…" the tall bluenette responded with a matter of fact shrug, leaving for the door, outwardly portraying her usual stoicism, but inwardly she was looking forward to a game of cat and mouse in the dusk and shadows of the town streets.

(On the streets in town, outside a cafe)

This was nice.

His last few assignments had hit some snags, caused an unnecessary stir in the wrong circles and even worse: reached the public eye. The ultimate trouble was that he'd been recognised, and his bounty had naturally increased as a result.

Not that it hadn't happened after the Battle at Marineford, not to mention what he'd been doing before that fateful day, but it'd still be way higher if the marines knew how much he'd been working lately.

Another problem was what had happened at his last job.

He'd been tardy and the target had managed to sound an alarm. It hadn't saved the man from succumbing to his attack, but the authorities had come running too soon and since he hadn't felt like causing more havoc, he'd hid instead.

The bumkins had simply given the marines all that the target had, which to them, included his own hiding place and his precious cargo.

Which had turned out to be a stroke of luck, since it had brought him to his desired destination: Runny Rum Archipelago.

But now, due to Strawhats' interference (and perhaps the fact that he himself had roughed up the marine captain that guarded the targets' belongings in the evidence locker (he'd seen plenty of mad or stupid marines, but never one that was both a borderline psychopath and an inattentive idiot!)), he was delayed in carrying out his last assassination assignment. The almost constant and escalating run of annoying pirates and marines through the streets had seen to that, meaning that he had to be confined to a café, waiting for the storm of people to pass.

Which, surprisingly, was another stroke of luck, since he hadn't eaten in a week (being locked in a crate limited the food options available and wood was not an option he'd found desirable).

Sitting at a table outside in his heavy trench coat, hat covering his eyes and bathing his face in shadows, he cut an imposing enough figure that the other patrons instinctively stayed clear of him.

Even the waitress was afraid, but only until she realised that he tipped well.

And they served raw ham in the café too.

Cured to perfection, generously salted and peppered, fresh from the butchers and with an assortment of toppings (including a wonderfully sharp mustard) and side dishes that almost made his mouth water as the maid brought it over with a smile (though it was strained as the little reed of a girl fought not to collapse and be crushed under his huge order).

All of which led back to his previous conclusion: this was nice.

But just as he ate his way through yet another of the juicy meat platters, in the corner of his vison, he spotted two familiar shapes running down the street.

One was a young, thin, darkhaired man, dressed in a red cardigan with a ridiculous hat on his head (which to him made the wearer resemble a hillbilly more than a feared pirate captain (though he didn't get how any one would ever fear him, the usual hysteria of the masses perhaps?) and running after him was a young orangehaired woman, dressed like she was going to an afterparty, trying (in vain) to make the man slow down and act inconspicuous.

As soon as the look registered in his head, he sighed and put the fork down.

"That's it for the peace and quiet I guess" he muttered in his coat his tired voice carrying the weight of several weeks of stress and hard assignments, shaking his head at what he knew would come soon.

He leaned back, half expecting the pair to be followed by a patrol of raging marines, an admiral, an elephant and a Yonko's henchmen all dressed in drag for some reason (just to name a few possibilities).

What happened was something completely different.

Something which made him blink several times, grit his teeth and shake with rage as he looked down at the table. Nearby he could hear the waitress gasp and cover her mouth in shock, his next order of food falling down on the cobbled street with a meaty thud and a clangy screech, courtesy of metal meeting stone and disagreeing heavily. He flexed the fingers on one hand, feeling them dig into his palm and almost drawing blood, while the other hands' fingers drummed slowly on the table, driving deep into the wood.

Eventually he spoke, his voice barely a whisper and each word, while dripping with anger and indignation, devoted to his own discipline and tranquillity even as they escaped through his clenched teeth.

"…deep breaths… deeeep breaths… don't go kill him now, that isn't your job here… You've got to kill the little fat one… not Strawhat…Deeeeep Breaths…."

(elsewhere on the streets)

Jinbe sighed as he broke the last of the chains holding the pirates.

The group of marines hadn't stood a chance against him and Pirate Hunter, so naturally the fight had been brief and (to Zoro's chagrin) extremely onesided.

Internally, he counted them lucky. (Zoro would disagree if he voiced his opinion).

If any of the guards had thought of it, the prisoners could've all died as hostages. Unconscious as they were, not one could've fought back.

Hoisting one particular pirate up, Jinbe gave her a gentle shake "Oi Whitey, can you hear me? Wake up"

A low grunt was all the bluehaired pirate captain could manage. Flipping her over so he could see her face, Jinbe was surprised to see it bruised and bloodied.

No way this was done by the marines… they'd be worse… inwardly Jinbe thought they do a few other things to the pirate captain, but he doubted it, not with a female vice admiral around. Especially one like Gion. A rare example of a marine that wasn't completely rotten with self-righteous justice coming out her ears faster than Arlong would utter racial slurs at humans.

"She's out cold" a gravelly voice came from the side, breathing heavily. JInbe quickly learned it was the man that had introduced him, Nami, Luffy and the others to Whitey earlier that day.

"Good you're here to tell us that" Zoro snarked sardonically, pouting and kicking the dirt absentmindedly.

"No need to kick 'em while they're down Zoro" Jinbe turned back to the man, noting his state "Berry right?"

"Berring" the man breathed, his breath as ragged as he looked, his clothes bearing marks of fire, bullets and the occasional slashes, but none of his injuries appeared life threatening, at least in JInbe's eyes.

The man had merely been pummelled into submission.

"What happened here?"

Blinking, the bearded man stared at him, eyes flickering as if he was trying to comprehend everything in the world, before coming to a horribly conclusion, his mouth opening wide and his voice more akin to a roar than a shout:

"YOOOOOUUUUUR FAAAAUUUUULT!"

(Elsewhere in town)

How lucky could you be?

Luffy obviously didn't think that, but he felt it nonetheless, all the way from his head to his stomach.

Not only were they looking for his uncle Franky-2 (or something like that, he'd been more interested in avoiding his mothers' fists than listen to a word she had to say), whom they didn't know where was, how he looked or even what mood he'd be in so there'd be plenty of adventure for them (so much fun:P), but he'd also…

"Luffy, we have to be subtle about this, remember?"

The captain smiled as he again bit into the hunk of meat, relishing every drop of delicious juice, instead of paying attention to Nami's frustrated complaints.

"It was just one and he had more…" Luffy paused, brow furrowed in concentration, then a bright smile formed on his face "You think we should get the rest too?" Licking his lips, he recalled noticing several other dishes on the table.

"No, we shouldn't"

"But you didn't get to eat that much at moms' either, sure you aren't hungry?" Luffy asked out of the blue, waving the morsel like others would a club.

"… hand me some of that ham…"

"NO, It's mine! Steal your own!"

"Luffy. We don't have time to double back!" Nami growled (or it might have been her stomach, Luffy wasn't certain) before adding, her voice lower than before and strangely subdued, casting a glance back behind her shoulder "Besides… that guy looked like trouble…"

"How?"

"Luffy… A huge guy in a leather trenchcoat with a fedora that shrouds his face in shadows is automatically trouble!" his navigator explained at length, hurrying him forward at a brisk pace, putting the nice café further behind them.

"Neat, it'll be easier to find more fun that way!" Luffy smiled brightly, oblivious to his navigators' dismay at his idea.

But the glee quickly disappeared, as he noticed something strange

"Hey… have you seen my ham?" he said as he whipped his head around, trying to locate the tasty treat.

A muffled "Nope" was all the response Luffy got, so he simply shrugged, figured he could get another one later and looked at the vivrecard in Nami's hand, leading the pair ever forward.

"By the way Luffy, you owe me 10.000 beli for not giving me food"

"But Namiiii! I don't even have it anymore!"

"Too bad captain, you still owe me" his navigator responded, a hand over her mouth (for some reason the captain thought that he heard her burp, but that didn't make sense to him).

Luffy grumbled as the pair sped down the street ("It had just the right amount of mustard and everything…"),

following the vivrecards directions.

And hopefully finding Zoro and Jinbe soon,

And Franky-2 (or whatever he was called)

(elsewhere in town)

Stomping down the street, Galette had a hard time remaining calm.

The excitement of finally getting rid of Strawhat and perhaps some of those pesky marines was too good to pass up.

However, what she'd have liked to pass up was Dacquoise's company.

To make sure they could overwhelm any opposition, the group had decided to remain together for the time being. Galette herself, her elder sister Amande, Dacquoise, Durum and Kato now stalked the streets, leaving Hangan and his crew to search elsewhere. With any luck they'd remove some marines from the streets too.

They'd sent Blondie down to the harbour to alert Brownie (which he had responded to with surprising enthusiasm (not a bad quality in an underling)) and cause some damage to their ship if he could find it. With none of the den den mushi working, most likely thanks to the marines, they had to rely on personal messengers, which ultimately meant, for good and for worse, that their forces were stretched across the whole island.

Far away for them to get in trouble on their own, close enough to be able to help each other… hopefully.

For some, close enough meant continuing to brush up close against her from time to time, or, after being called out on such behaviour, walking closely behind her watching her every move. It felt too much like predator and prey, and Galette had no doubt about her role in that metaphor.

"So where do we go from here?" Kato asked out of the blue, the homie looking from Galette to Amande expectantly "Are we just going to search the town at random or do we have a plan?"

She pondered this, they didn't know where the Strawhats would go, but they knew where they'd been "it's unlikely that they'll return to the museum" she heard Amande say "it's not likely that they'll double back"

"We did interrupt them though" Galette reasoned "They might not have gotten all that they wanted from that dead smuggler"

"True… but what were they trying to get anyway?" Amande looked down on her, a puzzled look on her face.

"No idea" Galette shrugged, she'd been too busy taking out Devil Child without alerting her comrades to listen in on their conversation. She did notice that the smugglers' echo somehow managed to fight back and give the Strawhats a hard time before they started threatening him with those… spells. How the Orangehaired girl had managed to cast one on Strawhat Galette didn't know. It didn't seem that the girl had cast it on her or any of Mama's underlings. At least not the ones that were there. But Galette might have to take her out the second they started fighting.

In the corners of her mind, Galette thought that Amande might find some sort of use for the girl (leverage against the other Strawhats perhaps, or another attempt to find out where their wayward sister Lola was). And she was positive that more than one of her brothers would appreciate having her around (especially those that were still teenagers, her 34th to 42 brother to be precise) and while Galette would like nothing more than to bring back a present for all of them, there was something quite disturbing about having it be a woman, even when she was an enemy.

Pushing the disgusting thought aside, she refocussed on the matter at hand.

"But we did interrupt them in their little investigation… So it's worth a shot to see if they returned"

"But they'd need the museum director to talk to that smartmouth smuggler…" Kato began, only to get interrupted by Dacquoise "And he left with that princess and that marine broad…"

"Yes Hangan told us, I remember it well" Galette

"Did Hang'n alsjo tell dem Straa'ats dat?" Durum asked with a suspicious look in his pig like eyes, one hand scratching his temple.

"No…he did not" Galette responded slowly "Good thinking Durum"

Even the resident meathead looked at her with surprise at this.

"Uhh, miss, are you ok?" the homie had raised a shaky finger over his head and looked at Galette with big concerned eyes.

"I'm quite fine, thank you"

"But… you just said…" the homie was now visibly shaking and looked as if he was about to call a medic for her, or a dozen (including an otologist for himself).

"I know what I said. And I doubt that Strawhat knows that the director left the island, since there's no one to tell him"

Amande smirked, seeing her sisters point almost instantly.

"So they'll believe that he's in the museum, taking care of the mess we left behind last time"

"Well, it's a bit of a walk" The red headed daughter of Big Mom eyed the street leading to their destination "So let's get to it…" she scratched her chin, feeling like she'd forgotten something

"…good job giving me that idea Durum" she smiled at the brute, taking him by surprise and making Dacqouise give him a jealous glare.

"Dhank yu missus" the brute gave her a salute, the loud clang of the statue hitting his temple filling the street. Unsurprisingly, the bonehead was unharmed, though looking at his, now bent, makeshift weapon with a puzzled expression. Next to him, his winged comrade was bending over, snorting as he tried to not cry out in laughter, lest he incur the brute's anger (or his superiors').

Sighing in unison, the two sisters turned to leave and get some work done for a change.

Some of their foes had to die tonight.

(within the marine base)

Yet again he rubbed his hands gleefully.

Everything was perfect!

His deal with that arrogant twat had been in his favour.

The marines were doing his bidding.

And soon so would the pirates.

All he needed was to…

"DURKEY!"

At the sound of his name being shouted into his ear, he spun around, ready to smack the person daring to interrupt his mirth.

"Why you!" he stopped instantly as he realised whom had spoken. As he turned around, he spotted her instantly, as she materialised in a storm of lotus petals barely a meter away from him with a raised eyebrow at him. Durkey instinctively shrank back, his anger replaced by a healthy fear.

"Vice admiral… I didn't see you there…"

"Nor the five people that had to rush out of your way I presume?" her tone and the steely gaze she was sending him made it all too clear that she was both angry and sarcastic. In the corners of his mind, he was seething. If she was my underling I'd have given her ten lashes or made an example out of her, walk the plank, keelhauling or a trip to Impel Down! But alas, she was his superior.

It was only then that Durkey realised that they weren't alone, a group of about a dozen men had hurried up to stand behind Gion. He knew who they were immediately: Marine Elites, heavily armed, haki users one and all and so heavily muscled that most believed they had been born working out. Durkey hated them, not just because they were nearly perfect specimens of what a marine should be, but because he didn't outrank them. They took orders solely from the commander in chief.

Whom was starring down at him, as if she was examining a particularly disgusting bug and pondering whether or not to stomp on it (and afterwards set fire to the shoe).

"Oh, my deepest apologies…" he bowed before her, feigning sincerity "I was just…"

"Deep in some personal glory fantasy?" she interrupted him, her expression as deadpan as her conclusion "You were rubbing your hands all the way down the hallway, smiling like crazy, a briskness to your step… and I'm pretty sure I saw you drool as well"

Durkey swallowed, sweat starting to emerge on his forehead. Had he been caught?

"I was just thinking of the mission at hand is all!" he hurriedly said, thinking as fast as possible "With all those pirates on Runny Rum, it's only a matter of time before we catch them!" he rubbed the back of his head, hoping she'd buy it.

For a while Gion just watched him, the squash-bug-or-not look gone from her eyes, replaced with one of even greater scrutiny, the sort that doubted a persons' character. Durkey could feel himself shrink a little under it, his hunched posture getting ever more pronounced as the seconds ticked by.

Finally, the Vice Admiral scoffed, seemingly letting him off the hook. Her words didn't indicate that though

"Since you're so sure of victory, I've no doubt you won't mind heading out as well" she paused, letting Durkey's expression fall "I understand you gave Redcliff, Jolland and Ain those same instructions?"

",,,Yes indeed I did… but I assumed you'd rather I stayed here, ready to carry out your orders…"

"I'm not staying here" She cut him off brusquely "There's been sightings of both the Big Mom pirates and their allies on the streets scouring them clean, and that's not all!"

"What else is there Vice Admiral?" Durkey's voice had turned nervous, uncertain of how to thread in front of the woman.

"A group of pirates were found beaten to a pulp about an hour ago, they were scheduled to arrive in the prison, but they didn't show up. Someone must have intercepted them on their route…" the vice admirals' face began to show signs of anger, Durkey was happy that his behaviour was forgotten, at least for the time being. The woman might only have gotten her rank because of her logia devilfruit, but she could still be quite frightening!

"Not to mention: Strawhat was sighted down by the docks by a fisherman, but the report came too late to properly investigate"

Durkey looked at her surprised, I hadn't counted on it going this fast…

"…Vice Admiral, given that you'll be away from the base, I'd like to volunteer to take command for the time being" he proposed, a finger raised and a hopeful smile on his lips.

Either was quickly dropped as Gion shook her head "No commodore, I want you out on the streets with the other marines, your devil fruit powers could be what tips the odds in our favour"

Durkey nodded, it made sense, his Oshi Oshi no Mi didn't just empower other devilfruits, he could use it to empower people too, making them stronger, faster, more enduring, and more indebted to him. For each victory his powers gave the marines, the greater his chances were for a promotion, a raise or a medal (though the last one didn't come nearly as much as it should).

"But who's to command the canons in case the pirates need to be exterminated quickly?" he tried again, hoping that he could squeeze out a command post of the whole situation.

"There are Pirates in the town Durkey! In the town!" she looked angrily at him "You'd practically be shooting at civilians!" again the commodore shrank back from his superiors' anger at him.

"You have your orders Commodore" she said as she turned to the elites "Now get going!"

Durkey nodded, swallowing his anger at being sent out in the night to work like some common footpad, No doubt, I'm going to get my uniform dirty too! he grumbled beneath his breath. Durkey was just about to leave when the Vice admiral spoke again, setting his nerves on edge

"And one more thing!"

"Y-yes?" Durkey stuttered, managing to stand up straight for a change (or as much as his normal posture allowed him to).

"Some of the special Den den mushi, you know, the ones that allows the marines to communicate despite blocking the signal across the archipelago…"

"Yes, what about them?"

"One has gone missing, there might be a spy in our midst, be alert."

Great He thought with a bitter note another problem that has to be hauled onto my poor back!

Durkey sweated a lot more as he left the base, joining so many other marine patrols in the early night.

(on the streets)

Skipping down the street, Blondie felt like humming a tune

Singing Binks' sake (and adding the odd verse of Ocean Guide and one of Soul Kings' last hits when memory failed him) under his breath, he half contemplated whether it was a good idea to fraternize so much with Big Mom's crew.

It had already brought him into conflict with his old comrades like Jinbe or, by extension, Strawhat. Too bad, he'd quite liked both of them (aside from his enemies and his contemporaries in the Worst Generation, you can't but appreciate the progress that kid has made, even if they were technically rivalling captains). Blondie might be pitted against some of Whitebeards old crew in the future too, but he'd just have to wait and see if he was willing to cross that line.

So far, he'd summarized it thusly:

pros

One of Big Moms sons were his cousin, Brownie. And Blondie liked the idea of getting to know family a bit better, distant as they were. (Brownie did strike some of his men as a bit of an idiot though, wjlie Blondie only thought that he was a tad lazy).

Joining Big Mom would mean plenty of time for feasting and fighting pretty much anyone on the seas, especially if he was charged with gathering ingredients for her tea parties.

Sailing under a Yonko again would be bliss! Even Blondie realized that it was a smart idea to not become the target of Whitebeard Jr. (not that he wasn't perfectly fine with a good scrap, but he preferred that the odds were more equal than his whole crew against that blood fanatical nutjob!)

He could attend Big Moms' Tea parties! Fancy food and a good time were all great, but as some of his crewmembers kept stressing, the real power of those gathering was because they included the top brass of the underworld! The emperors were almost powerful enough to openly defy a Yonko! To brush shoulders with that bunch he could be bathing in gold within a year.

…. Not much aside from that

Cons

Blondie really didn't fancy the idea of marriage, especially to one of his cousins' half-sisters. Sure, he assumed they were all, in their own way, pleasant enough once he got to know them, but neither of those he'd met so far (which consisted of Galette and Amande) was attractive to him (he liked a woman with meat on her bones and any man with half a braincell could figure out those were the first to get hitched).

So far, it'd been pretty boring: first he didn't get to fight Strawhat, and then they told him to hide from the marines! Hide… from a bunch of glorified stooges?! Sure, he'd had his fair share of fighting against them at marineford, but that was 2 years past, it was time for some more mayhem!

Big Mom might kill him over a pancake with whipped cream… or a meringue (Whitebeard would never have done that! of that he was certain). As an afterthought, Blondie hurriedly added …and my pet too! With a shudder. He didn't want his little lion cub to suffer, he liked it! And not just because it gave him an awesome epithet, it kept his hat warm too (and dealt with any rat problem they might have on the ship).

To Blondie, the pros and cons appeared to be pretty neck and neck so far (minus the potential for him losing his pet though, that part was unforgiveable).

But lack of action was kind of a big underminer for whatever enthusiasm Blondie could muster for being Big Mom's underling.

As he pondered his current career situation, something made the lion cub on his head slap his cheek.

"Huh? What is it boy? Did you find a little rat?" he halfway cooed at his pet as he held it in front of him, before seeing where the cub was pointing its' paw at something down a side street.

Squinting, Blondie could make out a wagon down there.

Filled with prisoners, with one of then trying to beat the tar out of a someone outside the wagon.

He smiled gleefully as he brandished his swords and stalked forward, telling his men to stay behind, eager to have a little fun before he joined up with his cousin at the docks.

(not far away)

"Stand still man!"

"Want me to deal with him now?"

"No Zoro, not when we just saved him!" Jinbe responded, holding the arms of Berring, who despite that, tried his best to punch, claw, rake or otherwise injure him "We have to find out what happened here!"

"YOUR FAULT!" the bearded man kept shouting at the duo before ramming a fist into Jinbe's nose. Snorting from the impact, the fishman was almost out of patience. Taking a firm hold on the smaller pirates' arms, he stopped the barrage of fists.

It didn't stop the man from trying to kick him however.

"Be quiet!" Jinbe hissed, whatever patience he had almost evaporated "We don't need more marines around when you're in no condition to fight!"

The sound of sword being drawn, made the former shichibukai stand still, which allowed Zoro to level his sword at the other pirates throat. Berring took the hint and ceased resisting immediately.

"Now…" the greenhaired man began, a scowl dominating his face, the expression immediately butting heads with the one Berring had "…you" he nodded at the restrained pirate "are going to tell us what's going on here."

It was a bit of a cliché, but While Jinbe disagreed with his methods, he could see their merit, even if they were rather clumsy and lacked finesse. However, Zoro's actions were still antagonizing a potential ally.

Then he noticed something else.

"Seems we've got company…"

(at the docks)

"So he's resurfaced, good" the redhaired prince smiled as he nibbled on another of the chefs' tarts, eyeing the den den mushi with gleeful eyes even as the fruit filling drippled from his chin.

"The marines are out in force, if you want to grab them early on…" the voice that emerged from the snail was muffled, as if trying to hide something.

"It doesn't matter when I grab them, the marines will hand them over if I command them to" Ichiji smiled confidently, savouring the taste of the treat and the knowledge that he was right.

"But the Vice Admiral denied your demands when you met… she's being very unreasonable as it is" the voice urged, If Ichiji had cared about the mans' opinions, he might have called it desperate. However, the reminder of the Vice Admirals' insolence was vexing him greatly.

"If that little girl wants to keep her rank, she better learn to obey!" he snarled before gritting his teeth. Behind him, one of the staff members bemoaned having to clean up the crumbs their prince was spewing over the den den mushi (not to mention the carpet and the divan he was lounging in).

"…If anyone wants a Vice Admiral demoted, they'll have to take that up with the Fleet Admiral"

The voice had been more calm than before, still nervous, but now having that um….actually-vibe to it that would make most stop up and grunt in annoyance. Now Ichiji wasn't most people, he was royalty for starters, so he wasn't people at all, but even sovereign rulers and their offspring began to halt and stall when it came to dealing with Akainu. Threats or commands from royalty didn't amount to much for that man (nor had it when Sengoku was in charge of the marines for that matter). It hadn't been so bad since Germa rarely had had to twist the marines' arm, most of the sailors did as they were told… but the higher ups were starting to forget who were royals and who were thrash (or servants, Ichiji had never had a reason to differentiate between the two that much). The prince reasoned it was some sort of poor judgement on their behalf before he abandoned the whole idea.

Grumbling, he addressed the voice again "So I have to do it myself eh?" he snorted, then a smile began to spread over his lips "Not a problem at all, shouldn't take me too long either"

"I'll report if I hear anything Prince Ichiji"

"You do that, or else the Vice Admiral will hear about what's been going on without her leave"

In the short moment before the snail clicked, Ichiji was certain that he could hear a shiver in the man's breath. The thought of the man being afraid of the Vice Admiral was laughable, she was just a woman, and a commoner to booth, no need to get worked up over.

Before he left the ship he decided to bring the den den mushi so he could keep in Contact with his family with the main fleet.

As soon as he had what he wanted (and Strawhat too), he'd be certain to brag to his father about it.

(Out on the streets)

As he stabbed downward, ending the last of the resistance, Blondie smiled.

This is fun!

The battle hadn't been as long as he would've liked, but at least it got his mood up from all of his pondering.

Looking at the prison wagon he decided to get the pirates out, they might even provide him with a bit of sport.

"Weeeelllll" he drew out the word, savouring the angry look he received in turn, the man struggling in his grasp, trying to strike him with an arm behind his back.

"I haven't seen you since Marineford!" he smiled balefully, his smile reflected in the wrath infused eyes of the man "How ya been ya dumb bastard?!"

(Outside Hannibals)

"…And I'm telling you, I don't think they'll remain down by the docks" Jolland repeated, his patience wearing thin.

Redcliff had, as always, argued more than was necessary, while combing the streets for any sign of pirates (Big Moms or the Strawhats, either'd do at this point), looking through any clue as to where any pirate might have gone. That wasn't bad in itself, but it was very time consuming.

He might still be feeling that assault from earlier… Jolland groaned inwardly as tugged at his green marinecap with a large hand. Tired as he was, the huge man shut his mouth the second the smaller captain started to open his gob again.

"If we'd stayed around the harbour, we would have encountered them eventually"" the reed-thin captain responded with a huff "They have to leave the island at some point and what other way but by ship?" as the thin man grumbled something about wanting to set their ship on fire after what they did to his own vessel, Jolland rolled his eyes and tried his best to ignore him. Just dragging the other captain there had been an ordeal he wasn't prepared to go through again. At least not without a raise (or a trip to the pleasure quarter).

Next to them, the other marines were looking at their feet. Some were tired from being dragged up and down the streets for over hours, as either of the captains countered the others' commands and led them somewhere else. The only one that hadn't dropped over in exhaustion yet, were their prisoner Ain.

Part of Jolland wanted to congratulate her, the other wanted to admonish her for clearly enjoying the two captains bickering as if they were a pair of school children. The rest of Jolland wanted to go back to the base, eat and catch some Z's, dreaming happily about drinking and women… who were dringking!

(I didn't join the marines to march! I did it to sail, fight pirates, keep the world safe (and eat like a pig till I croak!))

The bickering back and forth was starting to garner more attention than he'd like too. Most of the shops and café's had closed, with only a few restaurants remaining open for the upper classes. That didn't stop the locals from being out and about, giving the patrol their fair share of amused stares and comments.

"We should go back to the docks"

It had to be the 8th time Redcliff had said that line, Jolland knew what'd happen next, Cliffy would spin around, point downhill and tell them to follow suit immediately (how he did it with a snap each time was almost a mystery).

This time however, the black dressed captain walked straight into a civilian.

"Gah!" Redcliff cried out in surprise, almost losing his footing (he would have, if Jolland hadn't been quick to catch him) as he angrily adjusted his red tricorne hat, a curse on his lips, he looked squarely at the other person.

"Look where you're going, you big…" the scolding died on his lips as he looked at the figure he'd stumbled into.

Jolland had to admit, it wasn't everyday you came across someone that ugly (even in the waning light). But that wasn't what had given the other marine pause.

The look Redcliff received was enough to make paint peel off and paper fold itself into an intricate piece of origami.

Almost instantly the surprised captain straightened his back and addressed the large (but not tall) figure again "well, hurry off then… and don't walk into me again!" the demand had been feeble at best, a redundant attempt at regaining his dignity in front of the seamen.

The figure only kept looking at him, wordlessly forcing Redcliff, and Jolland, to move out of his way.

Jolland straightened his cap as he watched the huge body walk towards the museum, only stopping briefly to look at Hannibals and (he presumed) sigh, before moving on.

"DID…" Redfliff stopped abruptly to clear his throat, trying to make his voice less shrill, high pitch and scared "Did you know that one?"

"Nope, can't say I do…"

"If it had been a pirate, we could've arrested him…" the thin captain pondered, a hopeful tone sneaking in

"Cliffy, we can't go arresting people just because you bump into them"

"He was obstructing justice"

"You walked into him!"

In retrospect, Jolland could consider it good that they got something else to bicker about, for 5 minutes at least.

It had stopped when Commodore Durkey happened to stop by them. He quickly split up the two and took Ain from their group, reasoning it'd be better if she was with his patrol instead, while sending them to the docks at double speed.

"Better for him perhaps…" Jolland grumbled under his breath as the patrol began to descend the hill at a brisk pace, just loud enough for only Redcliff to hear.

"Don't…" he snarled "I don't like the guy anymore than you do, but I hate gossip a lot more"

"Not gossip as much as a theory Cliffy… or don't you agree?"

"…Perhaps we should stay near to test your theory then…"

"Really?"

"After we've been to the docks"

Jolland sighed, but nodded agreement anyway, hoping that they could get it over with quickly.

(elsewhere)

"Hey Jinbe!" a high-pitched voice called out happily

"Keep it down Luffy, we're in a bit of a bind here as it is!" the fishman hurried to say, hoping against common sense that his captain would listen.

"Hey Jinbe… what happened here?"

"Hello Nami-san" Jinbe responded before briefly looking around at the scene before them "Well, we got sight of Whitey and her crew here so we…"

"Had some fun for a change" Zoro cut in, his sword still dangerously close to the bearded pirates' throat.

"Weren't we sort of allied with them?!" Nami's tone spoke of outrage, having recognised the man from earlier that day, not that Zoro seemed to care "Get him down!"

"He attacked us! Wouldn't stop howling at us either" Jinbe looked at the man again, as if he was silently forcing him to speak "And I wan't to know wh…."

A groan from the within the prison cart made him stop. A moment later a slender figure pulled themselves out from behind the bars. Although the street bathed the cage in shadows, Jinbe could still recognise them. Heavily bruised and having trouble standing, Whitey Bay had seen better days, but she was alive and conscious, which, to a pirate, was the same as being ready to fight.

"Put Berring down will you? It's been a rough evening…" she groaned, before he legs buckled under her, and the captain landed on the cobblestones with a thud. Not hard enough to lose conscience again, but enough for Jinbe to get concerned.

"What happened to you guys?" Nami said as she helped the bluehaired woman to sit in the doorway of the cage "Were the marines…"

"NO…" Whitey shook her head, rubbing her bruised temple under a strand of her flowing blue hair "Not the marines… got into an argument with Amadob… we had a falling out" she shrugged, then winced and rubbed her shoulder with a groan.

"Why would your underling blame us for that?" Zoro's question was as blunt as his blades were sharp, and Whitey glared at him for a moment before deeming to answer "Amadob gave us some blows… and then some other guy beat both of us to a pulp."

"What other guy?"

"Someone big Strawhat… I don't know more about him than that… he just appeared out of nowhere… used a big bottle with Caesar Clown in it as a weapon…" at this Jinbe couldn't help but notice that Nami had turned a combination of dreadful pale and furious red "…and he wanted to know what we knew about you" she waved a shaking finger at the Strawhat pirates present before shrugging again.

"And what did you tell him?"

"Zoro!" Nami and Luffy said in unison, one because of his rudeness, the other because he was interrupting the story (and Luffy wanted to hear the rest of it).

"After he floored my crew!" Whitey managed through a split lip, her tone more bitter about Zoro's question than the beating "I told him about our meeting. That's it, couldn't exactly tell him anymore than that"

For a moment they assembled group were silent. Then Jinbe spoke "Did your attacker say anything at all?"

They bluehaired woman shrugged "Not really, just that he was interested in erhm…" she sucked her lip, seemingly trying to remember the exact words that had been used "Oh, yeah, I've got it: That buffoonish dress code inept simpleton, ehrm… I think he meant you" she looked sheepishly at Luffy, trying not to offend him. The captain only tilted his head in befuddlement at this, enabling his bluehaired counterpart to continue "…was going to cause havoc next. That's all. Then the marines came… beat us some more and put us in irons. The guy got away…Don't know how he did it, they'd blocked the doors just before the lamps got shot and they all stormed in…"

"Good grief, more trouble!" Jinbe raised his arms in frustration, having dropped Berring who swiftly barged through the group to support his captain. The rest had their own reactions to the news: Zoro looked to be pouting over having missed yet another fight, Luffy was fuming at the marines for attacking people that were already wounded and Nami was looking very concerned.

"We heard of a guy who had Caesar Clown a few days ago too! Took him from Big Mom of all people… knew a bit too much for my liking…"

"If you're afraid fishman, you're free to leave the fighting to me" Zoro smiled "When it comes"

"That's not the point" Jinbe grumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to banish the urge to punch his nakamas' lights out.

"Yeah Zoro, we've got enough problems already if we're to find Franky-2"

"…What the hell are you talking about Luffy?" the swordsman blurted out, unable to contain his confusion "Has Franky made a miniature version of himself? And what do we need that for?"

"…I assume that Franky-2 is someone connected to Coyle… an old underling maybe?" Jinbe mused, now trying to mentaly quell a headache which, he highly suspected, could fell a Sea King when it emerged.

"Would everyone just shup up for a moment? I need to think this through!"

The trio fell silent as Nami scratched her head while continuously muttering under her breath

"No way we're this lucky…NO FREAKING WAY!"

(not far from them)

"So you got beaten in a bar fight? By a guy with a teensy wittle bottle? That's weak Amadob, really weak!" Blondie scolded the battered captain in his grasp.

"And pathetic too!" one of his men added with a laugh, taunting Amadob with both a mocking smile and jeering smile. The captain in turn, due to basically being covered in bruises, couldn't muster much strength to get at the other pirate (thought the fact that Blondie had him in a vice-like grip would've prevented it).

The story Blondie had been told hadn't managed to rouse any sympathy from the bald captain (attacking an old ally for not other reason that petty misplaced anger tended to have that effect on people).

"But don't you worry" Blondie flashed a wolf-smile at his former comrade, making the crowned man eye him nervously as Blondie pressed him to his chest in a bear like hug, clapping his shoulder conspiringly "I know someone who'll like to hear all about it"

(at the other prisoner cart)

"Lucky about what?" Whitey asked, while simultaneously stopping Berring from bandaging her brow "And what do you want with a dead smuggler anyway?" her face lit up a little "Is it treasure?"

"I wish" Nami muttered (her avarice had gone unsated for far too long), before finally looking up and addressing the rest of the crew "first things first: Luffy, his name is Francis not Franky-2, you know Fran said not to anger him!"

Jinbe gave her a confused look at this, but decided against asking any questions (Francis and Fran… what the heck?) his confusion turned to concern, when he realised that Luffy had been shivering at the mention of the second name.

"Second: he's not an underling of Coyle, he is Coyle!"

Jinbe was starting to smirk now, no doubt in his mind that they'd be able to find the old smuggler soon. But there was something about the whole situation that nagged him.

"So he used a fake name eh?" Whitey blurted out, before she snickered, unable to hold back her mirth "No wonder, what a wussy name!"

"Yeah, you might not want to call him that…" Nami began, her voice growing apologetic

"Why not?"

"Well Fran said that…"

"And who's Fran? It's the second time either of you have mentioned that name"

Jinbe finally smacked Zoro over the head, earning him an angry glare from the swordsman, who fortunately took the hint and shut up, rubbing his stinging neck.

"Fran is Coyle's sister" Nami breathed, her shoulders sagging, seemingly resigning herself to the barrage of questions that was going to come, not to mention comments.

"Francis and Fran huh?"

"Yes capn', that were some mighty unimaginative parents" Berring piped in with a coy smile as he dragged another of his crewmates out if the cart, supporting the unconscious man against a nearby wall.

"They're really Francisco and Francesca" Luffy explained with a goofy grin, an odd pride evident on his face.

"Now you remember their names?!" smiling overbearingly at her, Jinbe moved to pat Nami on the shoulder, calming her down a little. Poor girl must been under a lot of stress since we split

"Are they alike too?"

"I hope not!" Luffy shivered as he answered Jinbe's question, looking uncharacteristically nervous and pale "I don't want another beating out of the blue like that!"

Jinbe could almost feel the question can I fight her? Forming in Zoro's head at this point.

Much to his relief it wasn't stated (though it still lingered in the air).

Before the fishman could ask why she'd been beating Luffy, Nami held up both hands, waving the question aside "It's just the way she is, I'll explain later, We need to get going, Now!"

Jinbe blinked at her response, not getting what the heck was going on at all, but choosing to comply anyway.

"Whitey-san, can you guys get to safety?"

"Sure we can" the bluehaired captain smiled through her bruises, some pride and cockiness returning "But I'll want an explanation later!"

Giving her a thumbs up as a way of parting,

Jinbe hurried after the three other Strawhat pirates.

Hoping that he'd soon be told what the hell was going on!

He was faintly aware of Whitey yelling something at them from behind

And a round for me and the guys too! Perhaps?

"Did you hear what she said?"

"Nope Jinbe-chan, she didn't make sense to me"

"Nami just doesn't want to pay for their drinking"

"Shut up Zoro" the navigator and helmsman responded in unison as the foursome ran through the streets, once more following the small vivercard in Nami's hand.

(elsewhere)

"So what if Amadob has some story to tell!" Dacquoise growled as Blondie's underling gave his report.

"enough you winged nuisance" Amande scoffed at the underling "What's this about?"

The pirate that Blondie had chosen as messenger, a middleaged man, round and short, nodded at her as he explained:

"Well ye see mum, tha posh twit got beaten tae a pulp bai sum gae who wa in cahoots with tha daft Sciendisd tha lefd ya capn affer tha hole killin stint wend soud"

Amande looked at him for a moment, trying to fathom his dialect, and his peculiar phrasing and slang "You mean Caesar Clown in on Runny Rum?"

"Ae mum" the man nodded enthusiastically

"Now that is interesting…" she said as she scratched her chin, drawing a long breath on her cigarette

"We need to split up and look for that damn Scientist too now?" Dacquoise moaned, before falling silent a moment later, before a smile dominated his face "I can find him no problem… or…" his smile broadened "Do you want me to take care of Strawhat instead?"

"Better not to give out individual assignments under the current circumstances" Kato stated flatly, the pumpkin headed homie had the look of someone not in the mood for too many details or interruptions. The face of a thug to be exact (Speaking of which)

"We jus bash everthin till we find 'em, oight?" Durum babbled on in his flute like voice, the large gap toothed smile on is face showing his obliviousness to how bad an idea that would be.

"1 that'd attract the marines and 2 if we've learnt anything about Strawhats' crew it is that they run from things! Smashing everything will just alert them to our whereabouts!" Galette explained to the large simpleton, who just scratched his head and asked, confusion dripping from every syllable "If we don bash 'em… ar we inwhiten dem for T Pardy?"

Ignoring Durums' imbecility, Amande could see her sisters' point, but it appeared to her, that Galette seemed to have forgotten something: that Strawhat and his female underling faced both of them and a furious army after defeating Cracker. They might be runners, but that stunt took more guts than could be found in a thousand cowards!

"We need to stay together so that we stand stronger against patrols, marines or pirates" the 16th charlotte daughter urged, a finger raised admonishingly.

Holding up a slender hand, the other held across her chest, Amande silenced the bickering group.

"Listen up, here's what we're going to do…"

(near Hannibals)

"Nami what's going on?" Luffy protested as the foursome rushed up the hill leaving the neighbourhood with the prison transport and Whitey's crew behind.

"Yeah, there was a third point to my tirade from before" the navigator answered, slightly winded form the run.

"Which is?" Zoro grumbled behind them (Luffy couldn't help but snicker at the swordsmans' situation, Jinbe had elected to make sure that Zoro didn't get lost or steer in some random direction out of the blue, and the constant corrections helmsman were starting to get on the swordsmans' nerves).

"We know Caesar Clown was taken from Big Mom a few days ago…"

"Yes… that person appears to be on Runny Rum now…" Jinbe huffed behind them "They also called someone, telling them that the princesses were with us…"

"Yeah… I'm pretty certain that that someone, was Fran…"

"So… you think it was Francis that beat up Whitey?!"

Jinbe wasn't the only one surprised at this revelation, Luffy was starting to feel a cold running down the length of his spine, though he didn't know why yet.

"Yeah… we just might get him early on…" Nami panted as they sped in the direction the vivrecard led them, a bit of hesistance in her voice

"by the way… Fran is Luffy's mom…"

Said captain was still deep in thought, straining to connect all the dots, so he didn't notice when both Zoro and Jinbe did a huge "WHAAAT" in unison, eyes bulging out and staring at him in shock.

This surprise proved just enough distraction for Jinbe, resulting in Zoro running head first down a side alley a split second later.

"I'll get him!" Jinbe grumbled, and with a nod of parting from both Nami and a still pondering Luffy, the large Fishman darted after the speeding swordsman, hopefully before Zoro got impossibly lost in the maze of streets.

"Luffy are you okay?" Nami asked as the pair sped past the still open restaurant (the Rubberman uncharacteristically not stopping to take in the scent of gourmet food).

The captain had gradually gotten more and more redfaced after Nami had explained his uncles' possible role in the whole situation.

Franky-2 (or Frapper, or Frantic, or whatever his name is) = Coyle… Coyle = Mom's brother… Moms brother beat up some nice people with that scummy clown… Coyle took him from Big Mom… Mom's brother is in contact with mom… Mom… (etcetera)

The amount of thinking was starting to give him a major headache and steam escape through his ears.

"Nami… if it really was moms' brother that did that to Jinbe's galpal…"

"Then he's definitely a monster… taking on two new world pirates at once… and having that bastard scumbag to Caesar too…" Nami swallowed, her voice turning soft "I'm sorry Luffy, but I don't think you uncle is a nice person… he might be a crazed violent maniac!"

"That was what I thought…" Luffy said through clattering teeth, not noticing that his nervousness was rubbing off on Nami, whom were giving him a rattled look. The wail of utter and irrevocable despair Luffy let out didn't improve matters either:

"He's just like MOM!"

(in a nearby alley)

"I've found Strawhat…" the figure said, voice low and on the break of turning into a loud whoop. The voice of a fan that had seen their favourite player enter the game, or the gambler that had seen a way to get their dept out of the way and come out of it richer than a Tenryubito.

"Why aren't we following him then?" another voice asked impatiently "Or are we going to just stand here and watch him and that pirate girl disappear back to the shadows again?"

Grumbling under their breath, the first voice responded, shifting uncomfortably "Obviously we're going to follow them… now hurry before we loose them!"

Then, after a moment of hesitation, the voice added a bitter "You dolt!"

(In the museum)

Luffy smiled as he entered the place again.

Even if their first meeting with his moms' brother had been a bit of a disaster, it had still been funnier than waiting with the others on the ship, hoping that old lady Nyon would have something that could help Marguerite and Rindo.

My cousins

It was still a weird feeling for him… on Dressblues (or whatever it was called, he could halfway feel someone correct him if he opened his mouth and said it) when Sabo had turned up, alive and well, smiling at him and calling him little brother… he'd been so happy.

That happiness had returned, but in a different way when he'd found out that Rindo and Marguerite were related to him.

He had a larger family than he first thought, and it was giving him an odd sensation in the stomach, like it was about to boil and like he was full (a very rare case for him, except for that one time against Big moms' son…Cranker or something) at the same time.

It was…. Nice.

That was the only way he could describe it, and now he had a chance too make sure his cousins got to live, if he could just convince moms' brother to help them.

He'd been a jerk when they'd met his… ghost, but he'd been helping them too, and even if his uncle Franklin turned out to be just like mom then… well he didn't have a plan aside from telling moms brother what was going on and then have Nami explain it to him again for good measure.

Somehow most things made sense after she, or one of the others, told him.

He didn't know why, it just did.

Even Luffy could figure out, that if it worked for him, why shouldn't it work for others?

But first they'd have to find his uncle France.

Perhaps that big guy standing over there can help us?

He was seemingly the only person in the museum, aside from those who worked there, who all seemed more interested in getting home after a very stressful day. The large red suitcase he was dragging along made the pirate captain conclude (feeling a small hint of his headache coming back in the process) the man was a tourist of some sort.

Luffy looked at the man, taking in the bleak watery stare, brick chin, broad mouth (which Luffy envied a little, it could eat more food) pale complexion (that wouldn't be out of place on one of the girls on Sanji's photos, especially those odd ones the chef had been watching more often since it was announced they were going to Wano) and the sweaty look he had that made him resemble some little animal. All wrapped in a robe that could've been used as a sail for the Sunny. The expression on the man didn't change as he turned, halted and stared directly into Luffy's face.

He could only think of one thing when he looked at that man (well, technically two),

The young pirate captain only smiled at the figure as he approached while waving happily.

"Hey snail guy, we're looking for someone, have you seen him?!"

(On the streets)

Amande smiled underneath her hat.

They'd spotted their targets.

Two of them running around, not far from them.

She knew that Galette would've liked to be there to fight, but they'd been smart and spread out, covering more ground.

Her poor little sister had fortunately managed to squeeze out of having Dacquise in her group. Kato was at least obedient, if a little silent and reserved, the homie neither got in the way of his higherups or try flirt with Big Mom's daughters to advance in the ranks.

A vast improvement from their winged underling…or Durum.

A shiver went up her spine at the thought, proceeding up her long slender neck to make her teeth clatter a little. When they left the hotel, the brute had actually tried to stare down a (squid)mermaid statue (which of course was overtly buxom) for trying to, in his words, stand too still when it's betters (Amande assumed it was her and Galette, hopefully) were present, they should in fear and ready to move at a moment's notice. It hadn't made things better when he'd tried to wrestle the ornament, tearing it off the pedestal. Now the man was carrying the iron statue around like a club.

How'd she end up with the idiot of the bunch?

He's strong she kept reminding herself, before smiling as she pointed at the duo speeding down the street, which elicited an exited grin across the mans' scarred face

"There Durum, There!" she waited until he understood that he was supposed to watch where she was pointing and not at the finger "Mama will be happy if you beat those two to a pulp, smashy smashy…"

"Smash…" Durum smiled as he slapped the statue into his palm happily, a bloodthristy look emerging in his eyes.

Amande stood back as he started to approach the duo, both too preoccupied with running around outside the museum to see the approaching threat.

"Strong… and a good diversion" Amande smiled as she rolled her shoulders to remove any cramps and warm up a little, not wanting to unsheathe her sword just yet.

But knowing the strength of their quarry, she knew she'd get to use her Shirauo soon.

And to deadly effect no less.

(In the museum)

The vivrecard in her palm pointed directly towards him, it couldn't be anyone else. No one else was in the area, aside from herself and Luffy.

They'd found their quarry.

Nami couldn't help but look dumbfounded at the man in front of her.

Scratch that.

It was a stretch to call the figure in front of her… man.

If anything, Luffy's uncle Francisco, the dreaded, reviled and renowned smuggler named Coyle the Fruit Merchant, did not even look human anymore.

When they'd met his echo thanks to director Falco's devilfruit powers, Nami hadn't cared to note that there had been a certain resemblance between the smuggler and her own captain. Slim but not without muscle, blackhaired and a somewhat relaxed dress code.

The slim build they'd shared was lost,

and the black hair too. The man was balder than Nami was greedy (or Brook was perverted).

If anything, Francis looked more like someone had put a loose bathrobe around a small hill of mashed potatoes and somehow managed to stick two thin legs underneath it for support. Nami vaguely remembered that Fran had said her brother had gotten bigger… but she'd never believed that that woman would've made an understatement that humongous! Luffy's maternal uncle Francis looked to weigh at least as much as Franky did, metal and all!

To Nami, there honestly was something vaguely Jinbe-esque about the once infamous smugglers' physique, but where the fishman looked intimidating like only a shichibukai could muster, Francis… did not.

With a pair of runny eyes, the broad mouth of a toad and his left hand tugged into the folds of his robe with the colours and patterns so faded, Nami could hardly tell what it had originally been, not to mention the fact that he was the same height as her (or perhaps an inch shorter), he looked nothing like someone to be feared. The only intimidating thing about him was the potential for others to turn out the same way. He looked ridiculous.

And revolting.

"Hey snail guy, we're looking for someone, have you seen him?!"

Nami starred at Luffy as he approached the pile of a man before them, the vivrecard obviously forgotten, asking for directions…

from the very person they were looking for…

Her exasperation didn't diminish when Luffy turned to her "Nami did you bring moms' brothers' wanted poster?"

"…no…" she responded, too surprised at his oblivious mindset to note that Luffy had a good idea that didn't involve eating or fighting something.

"Aww" Luffy's face dropped instantly, his shoulders sagged as he moaned "Then he can't tell us if he's seen hiiiim!"

In response, the navigator held up the vivrecard in the palm of her hand. The little piece of paper slowly pulled in the direction of the potatomash man in front of the pair.

Nami didn't need to say anything, as even Luffy should be able to put two and two together.

Or could he?

"You're moms' brother?" the captain pointed at the man, who simply starred back, not moving a muscle (if there were even muscle left in his body) "Aww are you going to play the silent game too?"

Cringing at the thought, Nami remembered how hard it'd been to make the echo of Coyle talk when they'd met him/it earlier, and Frans' numerous overtures not to anger him. Somehow, the navigator doubted they should try and blackmail him again (authors note: that was back in chapter 16). Not that it would've helped them in the least, Viola was too far away to be of any help at this point, and Francis ghost-echo seemed to have scared her to silence anyway.

"Strawhat…" the pile began to speak, taking both of the pirates aback. The voice had lost none of it's harshness from their previous meeting, but where it had had a high pitch, the smugglers' voice had gotten bitter and dark, deep and resounding, as if spoken through a cave. It both fit and didn't fit the body it came out of. Perhaps if he had been in a cellar and insisted on holding a speech from down there. What made Nami most uneasy however, was that the mouth wasn't even moving.

"…I do not have time for you now, but I'll agree to a walk and talk" the pile shifted and began to walk towards the smugglers wing, dragging the suitcase behind him and leaving both of them behind.

"Huh?" Luffy looked at the man, supposedly his uncle, waddle away, a look of confusion on the pirate captains' face.

"HEY! Wait up! We've got to talk to you!"

"Walk and talk boy" Luffy's uncle didn't even slow down as he responded, his voice carrying the edge of an annoyed teacher being patient with a particularly slow student, but somewhere the voice of an army drill sergeant snuck in with a gruff "Keep up" the finality of the voice gave Nami a sad feeling that he had more than a touch of his sisters' explosive temper.

The navigator gave him a confused look before she and Luffy followed the former smuggler through the hall, past cabinets filled with old reconstructions of former pirate captains' uniforms (making her internal fashionista cringe at how outdated they were) and weaponry.

Of all lukewarm meetings! Was all she could think as the pile-man, to her surprise, swiftly made his way to the almost destroyed wing.

As soon as they entered, they were greeted with an only partially cleaned (and half demolished) room. Plenty of Francis' old notes were still on the floor, but the vast majority had been collected in boxes, leaving the remainder to occasionally blow around freely, courtesy of the hole in the wall barely being covered up with boards, revealing that plaster and wooden beams that made up the entire structure. Busted glass cabinets had been emptied and the contents strewn over several tables. Bent plaques, bullet riddled drawings and bits of the two statues covered the floor. Though mostly, it was bits of stone that covered the floor, the statue of Vice Admiral Hoodie had been easy to shatter by the bullets the marines had put into it. Trying, in vain to deal with the pirates that, scant hours before, had hidden behind the makeshift barricade.

The statue of Francis himself, the gaudy one of gold and precious gems, had been damaged, but hadn't broken like the other one had, instead it had been riddled with small craters, making it resemble desert sand right after a heavy rain.

Nami decided to leave the chatting to the uncle and nephew due as she tried to pry some precious stones of Francis statue.

She regretted it fast

"Hey, You've got to come with us!"

"No" was all the pirate captains' uncle had to say, not even breaking stride or shifting, only, Nami presumed, looking the room over, not revealing any interest or even happiness at the mess of old notes and paraphernalia from his glory days or the damage from their previous visit.

Not into nostalgia that one… Nami pondered, watching the man waddle over to a crate and examining the contents.

"Umm" she began "You mentioned talking… Coyle-san?" What are we supposed to call you anyway? So many names for one guy!

"And neither of you did so" the big figure responded with a cavernous scoff, not bothering to turn around and address her properly. His attention was obviously on the box's contents.

"You walked too fast Fraggle" Luffy responded out of the blue "You got to come with us, Now!"

"No"

Nami sighed "Listen, you might not know this…"

"I already know why you're here"

Both pirates were startled at the response, especially because Francis still hadn't turned to look at the pair. Still rifling through the papers in the box, one hand still tugged into the folds of his robe.

Of course he does… Nami reasoned, thinking of all the things he'd figured out about them (and passed off to Luffy's mother for some reason) I have to find out how he did that anyway...

"You want my help…" still the man hadn't turned around, bending over another box on the table.

"Yes, we're kinda in a hurry so…"

"Fran spoke, I assume?" the question was more of a statement and still he hadn't turned around, instead continuing to flip through the papers. When he was done, Francis simply put it atop the other one and began to go through a third at an increased pace.

"Yeeeeaaaaah…" Nami dragged it out, sheepishly. The man in front of her gave her the creeps. Something about him felt truly off… an unsettling feeling in her stomach, the sort of feeling she got when a storm was about to go off out of the blue, but not something she could recognise by reading the clouds and temperatures, instead the feeling originated in her gut.

The fact that the man knew perfectly well what was going on and still didn't as much as bat an eyelid, focussing instead on the tiny detail of his sister disobeying him, was as flabbergasting as his appearance.

Who the heck cares that Fran told us about your whereabouts, despite your obviously strict demands that she shouldn't? your daughters lives are at risk!

Nami was starting to agree with Luffy that his uncle had some of his sisters' more unpleasant traits, like an unreasonable/crassness streak a mile wide.

"What's so important in those notes since you're ignore us?" Nami blurted out, outraged at the man and anxious to get going as fast as possible.

She was surprised when the pile-man answered with a simple and ominous:

"Secrets…"

"Ooooh like a surprise?"

"FOCUS Luffy!"

"Listen to your navigator Strawhat" the pile added, still not deeming either a glance, focussing completely on his old notes and papers.

"…Yeah, what he said" Nami reluctantly agreed with the man, much to her surprise.

"Okay…" Luffy slumped his shoulders with a pout before almost immediately bouncing back with a loud: "You got to come with us!"

"No" the man responded flatly. Nami was reminded of a stone not giving a damn that a storm was about to hit it (given the speed Luffy could launch punches (and his uncles' looks), it seemed a fitting metaphor).

"…Sir, it's really important you come with us" the navigator reasoned, hoping that a polite response would help smooth things over, Frans' constant warnings against making Francis mad bearing heavily on her mind. Can't have you disappear for 20 years over some little insult… Rindo and Marguerite doesn't have that long… and Luffy'd never forgive himself if that happened… or you for that matter.

"I'm aware of your predicament and I will help" the man reassured them, though his voice sounded anything but supportive, a humanoid answering tone could sound more pleasant than him.

"After I've figured out what it is the foolish marines have found in my old notes"

Luffy blinked with his arms folded, a rictus grin appearing on his face "Can't that wait? You can come with us now and you can come back later"

Not for the first time, Nami was surprised when Luffy said anything sensible, but the captains' uncle didn't miss a beat in responding.

"That's the problem Strawhat, the marines can glimpse more from the notes in the meantime, and I don't' want' them to, best deal with it now before that happens"

"What is it you're looking for anyway?" Nami looked, or tried to, past the piles' wide body, glancing the notes in his hand

"What they've found so far…" the former smuggler replied with his calm cave-voice, yet there was an edge to the tone that belied some sort of uncertainty "It's strange… nothing of this should give them a clue… but they bragged in the newspaper about how they'd restored some of my notes…"

"Couldn't that be that girl?"

Nami gave her captain a puzzled look, then remembering who else they'd seen on the island "Yeah, it could be that marine woman"

"What woman?" Finally Luffy's uncle turned to face them, glassy eyes feeling like he looked straight through them (and the air in front of the pair, but not at them).

"A marine, Ajin or something…" Nami began to explain, only for Luffy to highjack the exposition

"She once turned Nami, Chopper and Brook into kids!"

While Nami whacked the rubberman over the head with the back of her hand, the pirate captain's uncle looked at them in silence, seriousness emanating off him like heat from a stove (or sparkles from one of Franky's new haircuts).

"A marine with the Devil fruit ability to turn back time… to when something was young…" the conclusion was slow, the tone angry and the stony expression the man had going was more than a little unnerving, like a regular person that had a hard time holding in a major temper tantrum. Fortunately, the man didn't seem to want to unleash it on Nami and Luffy. It was all reserved for the marines.

"Yeah, though Brook didn't get turned into a child" Nami commented though he is a huge baby normally "it turns back time for something… about a decade perhaps, too many touches and you'll turn into a baby… or worse" she gulped, still a bit afraid that it'd happen again.

"And that girl is here and helping the marines?"

Both Nami and Luffy nodded in unison

"Now that could be very problematic" Francis growled. It was the only thing about him that gave any indication to his mood, his face hadn't changed in the least.

"Those notes are over two decades old… either the girl had improved since you met her… or, She had help…."

"Look, she won't be a problem if we just get off the Island" Nami argued staunchly, hoping the man would listen to reason "Besides, if you just hide or take your notes with you, then the marines will never find out whatever secrets you've got"

For a moment Nami thought that it had sunk in, then the pile spoke "Not good enough, best way to make certain is to kill the girl, what does she look like?"

(in the town)

Jinbe barely had time to block as something big barrelled into him with enough force to ram through a ships' hull.

Slamming into the side of a building he was soon buried in debris, the crash and crack of mortar and stone filling his ears, while dust clogged his gills and eyes.

Even as he coughed, his haki was telling him that whatever had charged him was not done, going straight through the rest of the house like the fishman would if it was water.

Digging himself out, he could hear the clash of steel.

Wiping his eyes, Jinbe wasn't surprised to see Zoro, all three swords out (why the man like to have one between the teeth would never cease to puzzle him) trying to force back another blade.

A blade he knew well.

Hell, everyone bar a Yonko or their commanders knew to fear that blade.

And its wielder.

Charlotte Amande might not be on par with the sweet commanders or the shichibukai, but the womans' swords(wo)manship was second to none in the Big mom Pirates (Jinbe had a nasty feeling that her skills were at least equal to her sister Smoothie's).

As ever the long necked third daughter of Big Mom didn't smile, only puffing ominously on her cigarette as she almost effortlessly pressed Zoro back.

A crash behind him made Jinbe turn and realise that the juggernaut from before was returning, intent on finishing the job.

Jumping out of the way, the former shichibukai barely avoided two fists the size of hams slam into the rubble, reducing it to dust and gravel.

He instantly knew his opponent.

"Durum I presume" he took up a stance, eyeing the rodent like face of the huge bruiser, knowing full well the man wouldn't back down even when his ribs were shattered. It was strange how stupid people (including Jinbe's new captain) had that stubborn quality in common.

"Actually, it's Dacquoise" another voice called out.

Jinbe narrowly avoided the attack from above dodging to the side as the smaller mans' heel descended from above him.

"From behind Devilman? Not very impressive and highly honourless…" Jinbe scolded, his fist making a jab at the air above his foes head, narrowly missing him, but blowing one of the man's dreadlocks clean off. Jinbe knew who he was, he knew all three of them, one daughter of Big Mom and two nasty underlings, but at least none of them favoured long range weapons.

"Who cares where the attacks' from, as long as I take you do…"

He didn't get to say more as the water droplets that Jinbe moved from before, sent him flying straight across the street, breaking a merchants' stall to kindling. The blow wasn't enough to make the winged pirate stay down however, as he angrily tossed the remains of the stall to the side, stumbling as he got to his feet.

His comrade wasn't late to capitalize on the diversion, trying to catch Jinbe in an unbreakable bearhug.

Jumping to the side again, Jinbe launched a fist into the bloke's side. Even with enough force to rival a rocket, all the blow did was make him cough and swing his arm wildly at Jinbe. Drawing on his training, the fishman easily diverted the swing and launched a fist into Durums' face.

Feeling his knuckles connect, Jinbe concluded that he'd at the very least broken the man's nose, but that wasn't enough to stop the behemoth from charging him again. Albeit his opponent was no where near the league of Oven or some of Big Mom's executives, Jinbe knew he'd had a hard time just beating him unconscious. That Dacquoise was ready for another assault would be another delay to the fishman's schedule.

He risked a quick glance at the two swordwielders, not being all that happy when he heard Zoro's voice above the din of his own opponents grunting and the screeching steel of four colliding swords.

"Three against two… I thought you had enough men here to make it a fair fight?"

"Bold words from someone who has yet to make a cut, even with three swords in play" Amande countered, disengaging from her duel with the former bounty hunter, placing her blade behind her head, ready to swing it at her opponent.

"Zoro, avoid her blade! Don't try and block it"

Albeit reluctantly, the green haired swordsman did as Jinbe told him and ducked out of the way.

Amande's long sword slashed at empty air, the sheer force behind it sending out an air wave that cleaved straight through the building in front of her, six meters in front of her.

The air wave didn't stop there either.

It was coming straight for Jinbe too!

Jumping above the deadly attack, Jinbe had, despite part of him finding it dishonourable, hoped that one of his opponents wouldn't get out of the way.

But either of the two pirates ducked under the wave.

Risking another glance at Zoro, Jinbe smiled as the swordsman took the opening that was provided "You're wide open!"

Aiming to catch the slender woman in a scissor attack between the swords in his hands, Zoro was shocked to realise that the woman was spinning slowly above him, carried off by the force of her previous attack, yet somehow still too fast for him to react.

"Slow Pirouette"

"Damn Amande-san! I didn't know you could fly!" Dacquoise looked at her in shock and awe, amazement evident on his face.

"It helps having a good wide hat" the woman replied with a scoff, before slamming her shoe straight into Zoro's face, sending the man reeling backwards a small trail of blood in the air.

Jinbe winced at the sight, when they made their escape, he didn't cherish the idea of hearing Zoro complain that he'd gotten a nose-piercing by a high heel.

But that had to wait, for now the Fishman had slowed down enough for him to use some fancy moves of his own. Making the most of it, he barrelled off the side of a building, descending towards Durum with a haki coated fist held before him.

He didn't dodge.

Hitting the man with the force of a meteor, Jinbe used his opponents head to make a small crater in the street, the impact kicking up dust and sending cobblestones through the air as if someone had made a cannonball in a pool. The tremendous sound of the crash had rattled even Jinbe's teeth.

Rising up Jinbe looked at the other opponent he had acquired "Think you can take me?"

The shiver that went through the man told him everything.

"Doesn't matter what you think" Jinbe shrugged "I've gotta end this quickly"

Meanwhile Amande had landed, and was in the process of driving a, now infuriated, Zoro backwards, down the hill and away from Jinbe.

Even as Jinbe turned to rush towards his ally, he felt a hand grasp his ankle

"What the… how're you STILL conscious?!"

(In the museum)

"WHAT?!" both Nami and Luffy said in unison

"Killing the girl is better and more effective than letting her remain at large, now give me a description."

"But that could take all night!"

"5 minutes at most Strawhat, the girl isn't Big Mom and unlike you and that accomplice of yours, I wouldn't make a mess of it, now, the girls' height, hair colour, any specific features at all." the pile looked expectantly at them, silently demanding an answer.

While Nami chuckled nervously, her eyebrow quivering, Luffy was about to lose his temper and strike at his uncle (presumably only being stopped by the thought of the man being exactly like the captains' mother stayed his hand).

He still cracked his knuckles though. Licking his lips, he took a deep breath

"Why are your secrets so important anyway?"

"If the Marines figured out what I had been doing back then, well, it'd put the entire New World in disorder, Paradise too… where you've made more than a few friends I recall, the little princess Vivi for example… or Drum Kingdom"

"What problems?" Nami demanded, eyeing the pile with worry "And how's that related to Vivi"

"The kind that'd threaten the peace of the entire region"

"So? That's not Vivi's problem"

"It will be soon enough, she didn't mention that her father is dying I presume? The second he's gone, all his responsibilities would be hers" Nami paled at his words, Luffy blinked.

"So, I suggest that you tell me exactly, what I want to know, so we can get going"

"Wait!" Nami blurted out hurriedly "How do you know about Cobra-sans health anyway?"

"Espionage" Luffy's uncle responded bluntly, while surprisingly looking at her.

"Can't you just use some espionage to find out what the marines know about your secrets?" Luffy argued impatiently, his reservations beginning to evaporate, having half a mind to punch his uncle Froyles lights out.

"There's no time for me to be gentle about this Strawhat" the pile snarled, whipping his head to glare at Luffy "It's getting rid of one problem, before a thousand taking its' place!" his uncle argued, keeping his nephew fixed with a watery stare.

Luffy was just about to punch the man, but something stopped him:

"Let's start by removing TWO, shall we?"

At the sound of the strangers' voice, Luffy turned around, looking straight at the marine they'd been discussing a moment prior, arms outstretched and rushing towards them.

Remembering the woman's powers, Luffy grabbed Nami's hand and pulled her to the side, narrowly avoiding the womans' touch.

Meanwhile Luffys' uncle had jumped backwards evading the bluehaired marines hands out of sheer reflex.

"Dammit woman can't you do anything right?" the voice growled.

Luffy looked and saw a stoop backed marine that stood in the opening of the room.

"Then perhaps you shouldn't have pushed me like a dog!" the bluehaired girl shot back "or shouted out some lame battle-quip that warned our targets…" she gave Luffy' uncle a confused look "And this… ci-vi-li-an…." She drew out the sentence, squinting her eyes at the man, unsure what it was she was looking at.

At least that was what Luffy thought she was doing. In truth he had more important things to think about.

"He's probably their accomplice, a contractor of some sort!" the green dressed marine sneered "We can dispose of the freak without a problem"

"Hey, don't call him a freak! We need him to…" Luffy began, only for the female marine to jump towards him as he was preoccupied. Almost at the same time, Nami stepped forward, warding off the other woman's touch with a spin of her old clima-tact.

"Thanks Nami" Luffy smiled gratefully, giving the orangette a thumbs-up before trying to speak some sense into his uncle. The navigator didn't smile back, her undivided attention being focussed so hard on the other woman in the room that it might've made the bluenette spontaneously combust. Luffy presumed she really didn't want to be turned into a kid like last time they'd met her (he didn't want it to happen to himself either for that matter, Luffy really didn't like it when that had happened after he used his gear 3 form back in Paradise).

"So, I presume that is the girl the marines have used?"

"Oh, come on, you can't mean that you sti…"

Nami stopped talking almost as soon as she'd started, bolting backwards to avoid being grappled by her opponent.

A swift strike with her staff sent the bluehaired woman back towards the other marine.

Shaken but not defeated, the former neomarine rubbed her bruised temple, scowling at everyone in front of her, her eyes warily darting back and forth between the trio.

"A little help here!" she grumbled, shooting a deathly stare over her shoulder at the other marine

"Your abilities should be more than enough to deal with those two!" the man snarled back at her "Especially if you hadn't bungled that ambush before! Their backs were even turned!"

Scoffing at him, the bluenette looked at her three opponents "What did that other one…" she briefly looked at pile-man with something approaching nervous disgust "…mean?"

"Was that the girl? A simple yes is sufficient you know" for some instinctive reason Luffy gulped as his uncle looked at him, his unnatural eyes making him feel uneasy, the older mans' annoyed tone wasn't helping either: "Or is that question too advanced for you?"

"Could you focus Faffle?"

"…At least try and get his name right Luffy…" Nami sighed next to him, while keeping her eyes plastered to the two marines.

The male marine watched them intently, before bluntly concluding "He must be some contact to the underworld!" He pointed at the pile of a man "Deal with him too, Ain!"

"That's good enough for an answer" Luffy's uncle responded, grabbing the table in one hand and in the next moment, effortlessly flinging it at the two marines.

Luffy felt a twinge of pity for the two, as the furniture whooshed through the air and collided with the doorway, splintering against the walls, both marines narrowly avoiding the makeshift projectile. The woman rolled under it, while the man yelped in surprise and panic, diving for the floor.

Ain, the female marine, didn't get time to catch her breath, as a heavy foot came stomping down on her. Rolling again she starred at the spot where she'd been a fraction of a second before.

The stone tiles had cracked on impact.

Glaring up at her assailant she mouthed a curse before rolling away from Coyle's fist, thundering towards her. Off to the side, the other marine was howling for reinforcements, cursing them for not coming faster to "Fill those bastards with Bullets!"

"Oi let's get going Frapper!" Luffy ranted at him trying to draw his attention away from the prone marine, let alone those that his haki showed him coming down the hall. Not that many though…

"At least try and get my name right Strawhat! A certain someone should have mentioned it several times!" the pile responded angrily before turning his attention back to the marine woman who was scrambling to get away from him.

Luffy scratched beneath his hat, not sure who he meant "You mean mom?"

The pile stood still instantly.

Then turned.

Behind Luffy, he could feel Nami cringe at the approach of the man.

When his uncle stopped in front of him, Luffy was just about to repeat his question when he felt part of his face hit the floor with a smack.

As most of his faces' left side returned to normal, it didn't take Luffy long to realise what had happened, mostly because Nami gasped "Don't slap him!"

The pile in front of him ignored her, looking intently at Luffy with eyes that would make the sun blink, his voice, once subterranean, had gotten a deeper, darker tone, with fast and insistent words. It was a voice that gave orders "Do not mention my sister, not when there's marines and other enemies around, now I have to dispose of the other one too!" the pile had glared down at Luffy as he spoke, making the whole scene resemble one man in front of a hill or a dune that was about to collapse on him and the captain briefly had to check that his uncle wasn't tiptoeing to do so.

Did he grow taller out of the blue?

Luffy shook his head, dismissing the thought, he can't stretch like me… can he?

The pile had turned back to the marines, both of whom were eyeing him warily, both scrambling backwards to get away from the approaching figure.

"Oh come on Fable" Luffy tried to reason, somehow still forgetting that his Uncles' name was Francis(co) "You know she'll get so furious, if we don't get you!"

At the mention of his sister, the hill of a man turned around, raised a finger and was seemingly about to lecture Luffy, when the captain suddenly darted to the side.

Strawhat Luffy only had his observation haki to thank, as the swordslash had almost cut him.

"Hey watch out!" he yelled at the newly arrived marine, who to his surprise, was someone he'd already met.

Jaw set in determination that mirrored her eyes, the marine held her blade in a guard position, shielding the two underlings behind her.

"Vice admiral Gion!" both of the stricken marines yelled in relief, happy to have gained reinforcements at last. The woman had arrived at the head of a group of marines, who, even to Luffy, seemed more than capable of fighting back. Next to him, Luffy could feel his navigator grit her teeth nervously as twelve of the marines swarmed into the room, about half (which to Luffy was 7-8) levelling rifles at the duo.

The young Vice Admiral scoffed at the first marines to arive "You should've known better Durkey, you couldn't take these two down on your own" her eyes not leaving Luffy and Nami as she spoke.

"If Ain had done her job, they'd be children now and…" the green dressed marine responded, his joy swiftly turning to bitter fury

"AND WHAT? You'd have beaten them? Sent a pair of kids before a judge who'd have sent them to Impel Down? Is that what you'd have done Commodore?" Gion snarled at him

"…yes…" the commodore responded sheepishly, his voice low and mousy.

Steeling her resolve and with narroweyes, the vice admiral stared down the two pirates before her, not paying much heed to the third, larger, person in the room.

"Strawhat, Cat Burglar…" she eventually said, starring them both down with a smouldering leer "If you surrender, then I'll make sure…"

"You almost cut my hat!" Luffy yelled at her, pointing furiously at the headwear in his hand.

"…I barely nicked it Strawhat!" Gion said, giving him a confused look "Now surrender or…"

She didn't get to finish her sentence as the one person she'd ignored, swung his suitcase at her head.

Raising her sword at the last second, dark with Haki, Gion deflected the equally dark suitcase with a screech as the steel met the leather-covering of the impromptu weapon.

Ramming the butt of the sword-handle into the shoulder of her sudden assailant, the woman pushed the larger man away, towards the middle of the devastated room.

"Now, sir, I think you need to calm down and…"

"No" was all the response Luffy's uncle gave, speeding off towards his first targets, the prone Ain.

Raising his suitcase high above his head, he intended to bring it down on the defenceless bluehaired woman, no doubt shattering her to bits.

Then something happened.

A small tornado of pinkish leaves surrounded the old smuggler, flying furiously around him, obstructing his vision.

Within the whirlwind the Vice Admirals sword flashed around him menacingly, threatening to cut him if he made even the slightest movement.

Luffy was dumbstruck before a wide smile burst forth on his face "WHOOOOOAAAAUWWWW!" he yelled excitedly with stars in his eyes "Cool! We gotta tell the others about this later Nami!"

"It's not cool, if it's someone, who wants to imprison us Luffy!"

Then the smugglers' suitcase descended, dark with haki causing the logia fruit to turn back into flesh, leaving the Vice Admiral targetable.

Still the woman didn't give up, her sword held over her head, one hand on the back of the blade to support it against the suitcase.

For a brief moment the two stood there, the descent of the luggage stopped and the pair of combatants eyeing each other intensely, neither willing to give ground.

But even Luffy could see that one of them would have to.

Grunting, the Vice Admiral struggled to hold the blade aloft, as the larger man still pushed it further down. As the pair stood so closely, the rest of the marines couldn't shoot for fear of hitting their superior, instead holding Luffy and Nami at bay, preventing them from helping the large man.

Eventually Gion went to one knee with a grunt, sweat running down her brow.

In the next moment, the woman, with a show of strength that amazed Luffy, got to her knees and aimed a powerful kick into the mans' abdomen sending him back towards Nami and Luffy, eventually standing next to his nephew, Nami guarding the other side.

The former smuggler didn't even flinch or cough at the attack. Only looking at her with that dreadful dead stare.

"The Hasu Hasu no Mi…." was all he said, his voice sounding tired and hollow "…how pathetic"

"Aww come on fubble, that move was awesome!" Luffy protested, ignoring the sound of Nami trying to quell the urge to bat him over the head.

"Thank you very much Strawhat" the Vice Admiral did a small curtsy, still not letting her guard down, despite the small confident smirk grazing her lips "But all three of you are still under arrest". Behind her one of the Marines was helping the bluenette and the greendressed marine up, handing the latter a small pistol as he did so.

"You are being charged with repeated counts of piracy, attacking marines, assault, vandalism…"

"Strawhat, if you are going to call me anything, at least stick to one mispronunciation" the large figure turned to him, ignoring the, now furious, female Vice Admiral (Luffy knew that expression all too well, Nami had had it many times when they had somehow lost the chance to get treasure).

"Ok uncle" he responded with an oblivious smile and a thumbs up "I couldn't remember all your names all that good anyway"

The marines all cocked an eyebrow at this, some even muttering "Those two can't possibly be related…" ending with an almost fearful "Can they?"

"Not that Strawhat" the man responded with what sounded like a tired sigh

"But aren't you? I mean you are moms' brother… right?"

Why Nami groaned as he asked the question, Luffy didn't know, nor the glassy stares the Marines were sending him, their eyes whipping back and forth between the pirate captain and the former smuggler in rapt disbelief.

His uncle just stood there. Looking at Luffy in a manner that was all too much Like Nami when she was being patient with his stupidity.

Then he spoke, his voice low, slow and tired, which made his intentions sound more like an inconvenience than a challenge.

"Very well… now, I have to kill everyone in the room…"

(In the museum, further down the hall)

At the sound of crashing and the running of feet, they duo had dived off to the side.

Moments later they'd seen over a dozen of marines storm down the hall towards the smugglers wing.

Lastly a couple of stragglers stumbled their way after the larger group, huffing and puffing in exhaustion. Before keeling over to the side.

Helped along by a little devilfruit shenanigans, they wouldn't rise again.

Dragging them off to the side, they decided to wait and see when it was best to strike again.

(On the streets)

"Really what is it that makes you come back up?!" Jinbe growled as his opponent, the brute of a man, once again standing up as if he'd only tripped over his own feet.

"Tha Kadagui-Dietd!" he bellowed proudly before assaulting the fishman again, forcing him back while the other one with the wings aimed a punch at his back.

"Donuts an tee an no' leavn any left-owas!" the bucktoothed juggernaut continued, gnashing his incisors as he pressed his assault.

It shamed Zoro that he couldn't aid Jinbe, but the woman he was dealing with was a tough nut to crack.

Even as he tried his Rengoku Oni Giri (purgatori ogre cutter) he couldn't bypass that woman's defence. In return, her strikes were driving him backwards like there was no tomorrow. The blueskinned woman was a far different opponent than that squeaky voiced underling of Doflamingo had been, and he could meld with the freaking stones!

This one was just strong, and, what was actually bad from Zoros' perspective, far more vicious that what he was used to. Sure, racist fishmen and crazed monsters from a mad scientist was bad, but they lacked a specific quality, that infectious feeling that he might actually die. When he'd trained under Mihawk there had been times when he thought the training would kill him, but not because his teacher wanted him dead, that was never the case. This was so different, this one saw Zoro as he saw most other opponents, like meat for the chopping block, but without assuming she'd improve by winning over him. The thought that he was outmatched, and his opponent could back it up so easily, made him grit his teeth tighter around his favourite sword.

Deflecting another of the longnecked woman's strikes, Zoro ducked under the blade to try and use the opening, only to almost loose his eye to the swords' guard as it sliced over his cheek.

The damn fish-shaped thing had edges as sharp as Nami's wit when it came to money. And the woman willingly used it against him.

"Slow Pravo" was all the woman said, not even cracking a smile as Zoro's cheek began to bleed swiftly colouring his face red in the pale light of the rising moon. That was another thing that irked him. The woman's complexion and the moonlight made her appear almost ethereal, and a big part of Zoro knew that if either Usopp or Chopper saw her, they'd scream so loud that it'd wake up half of the Grand Line (Even Brook would be terrified of facing that ghostly thing).

Zoro had just enough time to put up his swords in an x-shaped guard before the blue woman's blade could cut off his head.

This whole thing wasn't something he'd win in a heartbeat.

Good he thought as he dug in his heels to push back the forceful woman, I've gotten complacent after all those easy victories anyway!

(In the smugglers wing in the museum)

After Luffy's uncle had uttered that disturbing sentence Nami had given him a nervous stare.

Does he ever decide NOTto kill people?

"Come on Uncle!" Luffy complained at the large man "We've got to get out of here!"

"AFTER I've silenced all of these fools" the pile responded with an offhanded gesture at their opposition.

The marines were naturally not going to let that happen. All those armed with guns pointed them menacingly at the large man (and to Nami's horror, at her and Luffy too, even if her captain was bulletproof (and, thankfully, would jump in front of her at a moments notice), it wasn't much of a reassurance).

"Last chance" Gion tried again, looking angrily at the trio "Surrender and…"

"Shoot the big one!" the greendressed commodore yelled off to the side, puling the trigger on his pistol.

He was the only one that did so. The other marines kept their cool and awaited orders from their higherup, the Vice Admiral, who, to Nami's relief, was more interested in taking them alive (way better than the captains they'd run into earlier on this adventure (authors note, that was back in chapter 3)).

The bullet was way off.

Instead of hitting the large man, it struck Luffy in the arm, and thanks to his rubber physique it was returned to sender a moment later, hammering into the commodore's shoulder, sending him down with a howl of pain.

Even above the din of his bellowing screams and complaints that no one followed his lead, Francis dry voice was loud and clear: "Well, now we just need the rest of the marines to be as stupid, shouldn't take long"

"Strawhat, kindly ask you uncle not to escalate the situation further" The Vice Admiral demanded calmly, her tone turning harsh as she looked over her shoulder to the stricken man "Durkey, if you disobey my orders again, and survive…" she paused letting the words sink in "…I'll have you either demoted to seaman or court martialled."

The commodore stopped his wailing to stare at the Vice Admirals' back in a silent panic, his face turning sweaty and as pale as a sheet. To Nami the idiot resembled a tub of curdled milk more than a man at this point, but she knew that she'd look very similar sooner rather than later, if they couldn't get Luffy's mad uncle to listen to reason for a change.

"Hey uncle, let's just get going, we don't have time for this!"

"Strawhat, the objective that you want my help for isn't going anywhere, so yes, I have the time"

"Could you two get serious?" Gion scolded the pair "We're outnumbering you, and even if you can reflect a bullet doesn't mean that we'll just go down without a fight!"

"Down isn't necessary" Francis scoffed condescendingly at her "You can be showed to the side, stabbed, be punched up in the air, suffocated or forced through each other, it doesn't matter, you just need to die"

More than one of the marines swallowed nervously at the last example, giving the large man a shaken look, after which they'd look back at the Vice Admiral, who, after narrowing her eyes at Luffy's uncle, sighed "You really want it this way then?"

"It's not about wanting little marine" the former smuggler retorted matter-of-factly, not even bothering to shrug at the Vice Admiral as she turned ever more agitated at the rotund man "It's about requirements and necessities"

"If you think it's necessary to destroy, when you can choose a better way, then you're in need of help" Gion expression as she gave her spiel to the old smuggler, seemed to imply that help included a trip to the gym (to loose weight, not to build muscle, the Vice admiral had taken note that he did not need more of that).

Which one of the marksmen behind her picked up on.

"You could require less lunches fat man!" he mocked from behind his gunbarrel "Like skip out on the meat and go for a salad instead!"

Both Luffy and his uncle fell instantaneously silent, turned to the sniper, and simply starred at the man for a moment, Francis with his colddead glasslike eyes and Luffy with his pitch black ones, making the man visibly nervous. Then both spoke in unison, making the following cacophony of sound appear as if an orchestra was trying to play Binks Sake and a funeral march at the same time, while also cleaning their instruments with steel brushes.

"Salad! What sort of heretic spawned you?"

"You can never say no to meat!"

"Have you no sense of what a meal is composed of boy? Entrée, fish, soup, main dish with meat! Cheese and then desert. Imbecile!"

"And meat for every part of it"

"What sort of barbarian wants a salad only?"

"Yeah, what sort?!"

If Nami hadn't been preoccupied with being afraid of the dozen plus marines in the room, she might've snickered.

Oh good god of greed in you palace of gold, jewels and gilded beli (which I'm gonna steal when I find it)…. They're… actually. Bonding. Over. Food! Pffffft! Why am I not surprised?

After having met the ghost of Francis past, hearing Fran's description of her shortfused brother and then meeting the apathic single-minded present-day version, Nami had honestly had her doubts that Luffy and he were related in any way. Those doubts were now laid to rest, as the nephew-uncle duo proceeded to verbally trash the poor marine into oblivion. Over eating meat (and eating in general). They're definitely related… if we get him for dinner Sanji is going to get traumatized...

Good.

She smiled inwardly at the last one, still not having forgiven the chef for his actions while they were in Tottoland.

Amongst the marines, silent confusion reigned while their targets ranted some more at the poor man.

"WOULD YOU TWO BE SILENT?"

For a moment, they were, then Francis responded to the Vice Admiral "Don't you know it's rude to interrupt?"

"Surren…" and be taken into custody, was what Nami envisioned the woman saying, but Francis had already moved, Luffy not a heartbeat behind him.

The Vice Admiral moved like a snake, trying to both avoid the hook that the rotund smuggler aimed at her temple, and get out of the marksmen's line of sight, allowing them to fire.

Ducking under the blow, the woman was immediately surprised that the huge pile of a man had lifted his leg for a kick as well.

Scattering in a storm of pinkish petals, the female marine avoided that as well.

Not only had she defended against the mans' attack, she had left him open and the marksmen fired directly at him.

Not a single bullet hit.

Luffy had gotten in between and the bullets almost immediately flew back at gunmen.

Having learnt their lesson from before the marines had quickly ducked out of the way.

The pirate turned around with an angry tone

"Hey uncle, we gotta go!"

"Strawhat, cease calling me that and don't get in my way" the man stormed forward almost running the Strawhat captain over as he rammed into the disorganised marines. A humongous, vicious bowling ball against a dozen poor defenceless pins.

"Why won't he listen?" Nami shook her head at the mans' behaviour as she went to help Luffy up, he's almost as pigheaded as his sister.

But before she reached her captain, the petals gathered around him, and a long sword materialised at his throat.

"Strawhat, out of respect for your grandfather, I'll say this once: Surrender and get a fair trial!" the Vice Admirals head began to form from a myriad of petals, shifting and turning as if caught in a breeze, the sword in her hand drawing the tiniest trickly of blood from Luffy neck "Think of your comrade" she gestured to Nami her expression stern "She won't last long, when my comrades start firing at her! The same for your uncle"

While Luffy gritted his teeth and Francis apparently ignored them, too busy hammering a marine's face into the floor, Nami struck.

Extending her clima-tact at the Vice Admirals hand she muttered "Gust Sword!"

The blast of wind spread the petals into air and slammed into several of the marines, knocking them off their feet. The sword clattered to the ground and the female marine looked at her in surprise, which was just enough of an opening to allow Luffy to wrench free of her grasp and put some distance between the two.

For a moment silence reigned as the marines tried to rise, only for the large smuggler to smash into them with either a foot or his fist.

The marine leader quickly shifted her focus from the pirates and surrounded the pile of a man with a whirlwind of petals before he actually made good of his homicidal promise.

"Give up, you can't expect to kill us all!"

"You can't expect to kill a single one with your incompetence!" the trapped man snarked back at her

"What?!"

"I said: You are incompetent, that little girl just got the drop on you" while it was almost impossible to see through the swarm of petals, Nami though she saw him nod in her direction, before following up with a half disgusted and half overbearing "…and you're using your powers like an amateur!"

"Oh gods! How can he insult people now?" Nami half-whined half-grumbled as the cloud of flowers got thicker, obscuring the form completely

"Yeah uncle, we've got more important things to do!"

"One more move Strawhat and I'll take out your uncle" the Vice Admiral called back angrily ignoring whatever meaning or implications of the pirate captains words, while the pink red storm got tighter "Sir.." she addressed the man caught in her floral cell "You've only tried to murder people that… threatened your family, the courts will be merciful!"

"You couldn't take out the trash, if you lived next to the bin!"

"You tell her uncle!"

With a sigh that told far too much for Nami's liking, the Vice Admiral decided that enough was enough, and the whirlwind of petals began to tighten around the large figure trapped within.

A moment later the old smuggler was covered in petals, restricting his movements and threatening to suffocate him.

It didn't last long.

Not letting the opening go to waste, Luffy launched a fist straight at the Vice Admirals head, haki covered and swift.

The punch hit home and the woman momentarily took physical form and lost her concentration.

Swiftly drawing her sword, she aimed it at the smuggler, who was breaking free of his fragrant confinement.

"I'm warning you…" the next moment saw her slam into the wall face ramming through it, courtesy of a shoulderblow from her former, now freed, prisoner.

"Amateur" the man scoffed as her brushed the last of the petals of his body with a disdainful scowl "Does none of you buffoons know what you're doing?"

The marines had already aimed the rifles in response, and firering!

Luffy grabbed the large mans' collar and pulled him to the side, to his vocal displeasure, avoiding the bulllets which proceeded to hit the other end of the room.

"Let go of me boy!"

"We don't have time for this!"

"Listen to you nephew mr. Francis!" Nami pleaded as she ran after the two men (though that was only in the loosest terms of the sense in Francis' case) "We really do need to get going!"

"Not before I'm done with those…" the huge man raged but Nami interjected him, being fed up with his priorities (and wanting to get the hell away from the reloading Marines)

"Luffy, just head for the hole in the wall!" she shrieked and pointed at the hole they'd made when they visited the museum the first time.

The captain immediately grinned and dragged his struggling rotund uncle after him.

They didn't get far.

With a sickeningly wet "creeeeeeeeaaaakkkkk", the wooden beams that held up the wall and surrounded the hole in it, sprang to life and formed a wall of branches, fresh leaves and bark in front of them, cracking plaster and boards to splinters and debris.

For a moment Nami and Luffy stood still as statues (Francis still struggling in his nephews grasp) starring at the barricade that had suddenly formed in front of them

Swfitly whipping around Nami was surprised to see the bluehaired woman hold onto a wooden beam at the entrance, the green dressed marine holding her shoulders with a sickeningly smug grin, while Ain herself was alternating between staring intently at the now captured pirates and giving the other marine the stink eye.

Of course… she makes things younger by touching them…. Was all she could think of as the other marines levelled their riffles at them again,

And fired…

(On the streets)

The loud clashes of steel vs steel could be heard several streets away, the toppling of a building and the screech of stone against stone from a tower that had somehow been sliced up from base to crown, made the battle impossible to ignore.

But some did just that.

However, as the man in the huge coat forced his way through the throng of fleeing civilians as their homes and shops were thrashed by whatever parties were fighting, he had a hard time ignoring their voices.

Some of them yapped about an army,

others of fearsome pirates bent to sack and take the city, screaming for the population to flee to the smaller islands.

Most wailed about where the marines were, and why they hadn't come to the battle yet.

He did dismiss most of those voices, focussing on the scarce few he could use…

"A Demonwoman"

"…Three swords…"

"Freakishly huge!"

"Sicklooking fat guy!"

"Strawhat had to make trouble eh?" he sighed, Can't be helped then,,, if they're between me and y target then they're going to bleed, he though as he renewed his efforts, walking harder through the press of bodies towards his destination,

Battle

(In the museum)

The bullets rammed into the statue almost as soon as Luffy had pulled the golden monstrosity in their path.

Nami hid behind it and for the first time out loud cursed that it was solid gold statue (or that anything was fold for that matter).

"Why're you angry about that Nami?"

"Because gold is soft and the bullets will either soon pierce through it or make shrapnel fly towards us" the huge man he held onto responded deadpan "I'm honestly surprised that one of your friends-" he said the word like someone would define a rash or a disease "-besides Nico Robin or your crews' doctor, that have an inkling of intelligence"

Nami was both surprised that he had given her an offhand compliment and openly insulted the crew in the same breath.

"…thanks…"

"Let go of me Strawhat, I can't deal with those fools and having to drag you along!"

"Froggle you really need to stop acting like that…"

You need to decide on something to call him Luffy… Nami cringed as more shots began to ram into the statue she was leaning against.

"Haven't we already been through this?"

"Yeah earlier today, why're you asking?"

"It's just not right to do the same all over again"

"So you're actually going to start attacking, instead of fleeing like frightened rodents?"

"…No mr. Francis, I'd just really like to get out of here!"

"That is not compatible with my plans Cat Burglar" the former smuggler began, before proposing an alternative "We can meet up on Dvorak later, after I'm done with these clowns"

"NO!" Luffy looked at him with outrage, his uncle looked even less enthused than usual

"…You know, you're starting to act a lot like Fran"

"AM NOT!"

"And you've also inherited her lack of self-reflection."

While the pair bickered, Nami cursed as the bullet stopped, which could only mean one thing.

She just had enough time to nudge her blustering captain in the ribs before the first attacker was upon them.

Not surprisingly it was one of the big burly marines, lifting a sabre longer than Nami's leg above his head, ready to strike down at either of the trio covering behind the statue.

Luffy's fist shut up however, and the marine slammed into the ceiling and fell to the floor, unconscious. And the Captain wasn't even done. A moment later, another attacker thundered into another marine, and both went through the wall spreading a mist of dust and pulverized plaster in the room.

Unfortunately, Luffy couldn't keep hold of his single-mindedly truculent uncle at the same time.

Though as two marines screamed, one in terror the other in deadly pain, Nami felt that it was, by far, the marines that had the worst of the situation.

"HEY stop doing that! we've got to get going!" Luffy yelled as he disarmed a marine of his cudgel and K.O'd him with a solid punch in the gut.

"Only 13 left to end, then we can move" he stomped down on the chest of a marine with a crunch, forcing the man further down into the floor "I'll be down to a dozen in a moment"

"No, we're moving now"

"When I'm done boy"

Nami trembled at the idea, the man was even more stubborn than Luffy, when there was even the slightest chance, that the captain wouldn't get 90% of the meat on the Sunny. Though the thought of coldblooded murder, was less chilling than the casual tone the man used when talking about it.

Looking back at Luffy, she saw that he was about to get surrounded.

Moving fast she jumped and swung her clima-tact at the nearest one.

The marine parried the blow with his cutlass, eliciting a loud "kiiiin" as the weapons grinded against eachother.

The marine smiled as he started to force her staff downwards, Nami struggling against his strength, but to no avail. The man wasn't stupid, he'd seen her use her Gust Sword against the Vice Admiral and wasn't about to fall for the same trick. Two other marines swiftly moved in from the side to corner the navigator, trying to box her in. whether it was to kill her or take her prisoner, Nami didn't know, the bloodthirsty smile on one's face indicated the latter.

The marine with the cutlass didn't even have the time to comprehend when Nami suddenly smiled.

Idiots, as if Gust Sword is the only thing my weapon can do!

"Burakku Boru, Raiun Roddo (Black Ball: Raiun Rod)!"

The initial look on the three marines' faces as dark cloud shot out of either end of Nami's weapon was one of confusion, then, as the cutlass-wielder was electrocuted by the cloud at his feet, the two others jumped back, hoping to avoid the same fate. The one with the cutlass was still standing however, but Nami knocked him out with a strike from her staff to the temple, simultaneously sending the two other black clouds at the remaining marines.

Luffy's opponents, though still focussed on their target, noted the navigators' progress.

One of the marines, a big burly man with a cudgel, bullcharged Luffy from the side, and though the captain sent him to the ground with a punch, he was still sent stumbling into Nami's attack.

Luckily the Rubberman was immune to lightning, and rather than score a cheap point in the battle, the sight of seeing him be electrocuted and not take any damaged, rattled the remaining marines to their core. Luffy capitalized on it quickly, ramming a fist into a marines' face faster than a bullet.

Meanwhile the other black cloud took out the marine with the bloodthirsty smile, his expression now one of painful frozen shock.

"You seem to be doing decently" Luffys' uncle remarked dryly, his brief hesitation giving another pair of marines the chance to get him off the marine he'd been crushing. The pair were only successful in driving him off, as the rotund man backhanded one of them into a table, splintering the wood as if it was made of withered leaves.

The other one tried to bearhug him into submission.

Nami could tell that it wouldn't work any better for him than it had his comrade. Though it created an opening for the crunched man to be pulled up by another of the marines.

Then ony thing that stopped Nami from being relieved, was that the helping Marine was the Vice Admiral, recovered and glaring daggers at all three of them, seemingly pondering whom to attack first.

Nami was even less happy to see that the other woman decided that the navigator and her captain were the bigger threat, not Luffy's crazed uncle.

With a Swordswing Nami barely managed to parry the Vice Admiral re-joined the fray. The shock of the blow made Nami's arms feel numb.

This isn't going to be easy… the orangehaired woman thought as the Vice Admiral retracted her blade to strike again.

When she did so, Luffy pulled Nami to the side, switching opponents with her. Now Nami was forced to deal with the cudgel marine.

Bigger than her, and with vastly more muscle, the navigator was forced to rely on finesse to fight him.

The other marines didn't think the big guy'd need help and disengaged so not to get in the way of the fight. Instead they charged at Coyle, who was in the process of strangling the hugger from before.

"Mirage Tempo!" hoping that the element of surprise would give her the edge, Nami was happy to see that the marine's eyes darted left and right as four identical Nami's appeared before him.

Then a broad smile appeared on his face, and the rushing blush on his cheeks and the steam coming out of his nostrils told Nami exactly what he was thinking.

"Pig!" she growled at she slammed the end of her staff up in the marines' groin, toppling him with a howl of pain, clutching his privates in agony.

"Oi Nami that ain't necessary!" Luffy interjected, turning halfway to give her a unhappy look

"A low blow indeed" the vice Admiral agreed, disapprovement written in her eyes.

"Are you two fighting or what?!" Nami yelled back at the pair of leaders, who resumed their duel a moment later.

Relief flooded over Nami as she saw that the marine woman was at a disadvantage, her Logia powers being nullified by Luffy's armament haki, though her speed and strength more than breached the gap, having left small red lines on both of Luffy's arms and Nami felt that the other woman could do worse still.

Deciding to help, despite Not having Haki, Nami moved to strike the Vice Admiral from the side.

The marine woman moved backwards in the opposite direction, towards the door.

"Can't I fight her myself?"

"Stop complaining Luffy, and let's finish this!"

"Hmmm, You two almost sound like a married couple…" the Vice Admiral scoffed in amusement, before she lunged forward blade held in one hand, while her other was turning into pinkish white petals behind her, trying to profit on Nami's bluster at the comment.

Luffy didn't let her.

Catching the marines, blade in haki coated hands, he stopped her attack instantly, holding her in place.

Then the marine smiled, and both pirates whipped their heads around to see Coyle once more covered in a storm of petals.

Growling in rage, the man cursed that he couldn't finish the marines off when he couldn't see them. Which was to a great reprieve for the foru marines that were lying battered on the floor around him. Nami just caught the look of relief on the Vice Admirals face when she faced her again.

A split second later the expression was gone, covered by Luffy's black fist the sent the woman through the doorway.

Nami wasn't late to point her staff at the entrance "Miruki Boru (Milky Ball)!"

Making sure to cover the entire doorway in the white material, Nami hoped the Vice admiral wound't find any cracks to seep in through. If all went well, they could make their escape before this Gion got through.

Looking back over her shoulder, she saw that the storm of petals was dispersing, releasing the corpulent form of Luffy's smuggler uncle.

Just in time for two people to rush at him.

Ain, both hands grasping at him and the green dressed marine holding on to the younger woman with a disturbing smile on his face.

Coyle didn't have time to react as the females' hands were planted into his face.

Light began to spread from the hands all over the smugglers' body.

Luffy wasn't taken aback from the sight, being more focussed on the fight, so he swiftly extended his arm to strike the greendressed marine in the face, sending him into the wall and knocking him out instantly.

Nami felt a tad of sympathy at the Smugglers predicament, his entire form wriggling, changing shape, not like Nami, Chopper, Brook or Robin had been. They'd just gotten turned into younger versions of themselves, being noticeably smaller than before.

Coyle was bending and turning as if he was liquid… or batter beaten with a huge whisk! While it only took a few seconds, the sight was something that took all of them aback.

At one point the lump that was Coyles' head somehow went down into his belly and a smaller, more appropriately shaped, head, took it's place.

Then it was finally over.

And before them stood a far smaller, and seemingly slimmer (suddenly having a waistline that wouldn't fit a pregnant elephant), version of the smuggler Coyle the Fruitmerchant.

Ain looked at the man in the loose hanging threadbare robe in confusion, part of it wrapped around his head, giving him a short elevator look from top to bottom, stopping just around the belt, at which point her face turned redder than a tomato covered in ketchup seen through infrared light.

"KYAAAAAAAAAH!" she screamed, her mouth hanging open, just like Luffy at dinner, and slammed her hands over her eyes and stormed off while screaming in the shrillest, most panicky little schoolgirl voice imaginable and judging from the sound of it, was close to breaking into tears:

"Pweeeeeeeeasssse put ooon sooooome paaaaaants!"

End of chapter 20

A hearty Welcome to new followers (I think this fic have gotten 2-3 since last chapter).

We've hit a benchmark in my writing, since it's the first time one of my fics exceeds 200.000 words and gets a Chapter 20. So cheers and here's to a few more chapters before this story can be concluded.

A sorry for the delay with the updates, I've been busy with other things and have had a hard time writing the serious fics lately, been easy to write the small stuff. Can always find time for those for some reason.

I'd like to take the chance to respond to a review this fic got on March 22nd from an (unfortunately) unnamed guest:

Not to worry, you're not being rude. I'd only wish you had an account (or had used it when writing your review), so that I knew that this message would reach you. Regardless, I hope you read this. And for the record I too, do not want to sound rude, only state the basis for some of my choices in this fic upon which you've commented.

Why "Gion has a devilfruit (non-canon, the Hasu Hasu no Mi is my own creation so far) she doesn't know how to fully use", the whole point of that is to show that the Marines, or the rest of the world, doesn't know everything about DF's, no one does (Coyle knows more than most, though far from everything about the subject, but that's besides the point). DFs are a mysterious power, that doesn't come with a manual for everyone. Using them properly all comes down to imagination and experience, and not just from the user themselves, as I hope to convey over the next few chapters. But what is just as important, is the users' willingness to develop and train their devilfruit. In Gion's case that's a bit hard to do because her DF is so "different" from other Logia, both in in concept (Hasu = lotus petals are hardly a normal element as opposed to lightning or Smoke) and in abilities. Coyle's notes about it from chapter 16 certainly doesn't encourage her to have trained it (admittedly, it doesn't discourage it either, but those that the Marines recovered in the story are pretty much halfway unintelligible). Besides, for her to still reach the rank of Vice Admiral despite not having fully explored df powers, she's substantially more powerful than the regular Vice Admirals like Dalmatian or Smoker, at least as far as I see it (I hope I've made some of her skills evident enough in this chapter and will get to expanding on it over the following chapters as well, so don't worry).

"Gion's not a perfect user for the Hasu Hasu" I don't' think there's a perfect user for a devil fruit for a number of reasons:

First: There's always someone that thinks up different and sometimes stronger ways to use it than the one having eaten it. An example of this is Luffy who got a lot of help from Rayleigh to add to his repertoire of techniques, which eventually led to development of Gear 4. Who can say that there's not a ton of fruit users that have had input or a master that trained them in the use of their powers. The marines would certainly have a few of those, given the amount of DF users in their ranks. I think that Impel down would definetly have someone that makes sure to train the awakened Zoan guards.

Second: perfection is an arbitrary concept that causes a lot of problems and never leaves everyone satisfied. Let me flesh out the version of Gion I've envisioned and let her grow with her understanding of all the different stuff her df can do and then judge if you think she's good enough to have it, or if there's areas where this df or the character could be expanded.

Thank you for liking the df, I'll get to show its unique properties over the next few chapters. I haven't fleshed out the truly epic aspects of it yet, but some of the more mundane abilities are going to be very useful for her.

I hope my response wasn't too long for those following this fic, if so, I'm terribly sorry. But I like to respond to this sort of thing whenever I can.

Until next time I thank you for your patience,

The wait for Chapter 21, it won't be months long this time around, as my exams are over for the time being and have few plans for the summer.

Please RnR if you'd be so kind, the reviews are always enjoyably, when they're related to the story.