Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.
Alabasta Arc opening: Know Know Know by Does (Gintama Op. 15)
On his hands and knees, barely able to move, Gian was hurting all over. It felt like his bones were about to dismantle. Beside him, Betrugus' body was lying face down, blood seeping through the bed rock.
His battle with the opposing Kaiju-Zoan user was over, but the fight for Alabasta wasn't.
No, not until Crocodile was taken down once and for all.
Gian hissed as he glanced at the final wound Mr. 0.5 dealt him, it was still bleeding. Normally his healing factor would mend him by now, but the massive amount of energy he overexerted has slowed it down. A wound that normally took mere seconds to heal now took a few minutes.
The words from Mr. 0.5 was still fresh in his head; how can he even forget such a revelation? There was so many things to know… so many things he had no idea of. He was a just the first mate of a small pirate crew, why was all this suddenly a thing?
"Supposedly there are other Kaiju-Zoan users that have the power to threaten this world, and I'm a part of that group?" a much more dreadful thought manifested "And… what will happen to the crew…? What are they going to do against that?!" Thoughts of his friends drifted through his mind, their smiling faces, all they've been through…
And one day they'll all suffer death by Kaiju… indirectly, but still him… Gian gasped in horror at the thought.
"NO! I can't… I won't! There's no way any of that could be true, right? This is just that psychopath getting into your head!"
But now he wasn't so sure. There were so many things that Triton never mentioned to him, and only now was he finding out that this power is more than it seems. There is a possibility that he may have not known of it, but the fact that he's only now hearing about this was beginning to become overwhelming.
And to think, just a few weeks ago, he was just leaving his home island to go on an adventure…
Before he could ponder further, the room suddenly shook violently. Unable to move, Gian can only gasp in shock as the ground beneath him collapsed even further. Barely able to move a muscle, he could do nothing as he fell into the abyss.
It was only when he landed that he realized he isn't able to rest, not just yet.
"You making this tomb cave in means nothing. It will not stop me at all." An all too familiar voice made Gian's blood run cold.
"Now that I know Pluton does exist, I'll just have to look for it myself…" Crocodile growled with annoyance.
"You won't get away with this!"
Gian looked around, seeing King Cobra glaring defiantly at the Shichibukai. Other things he noted was that he was in an underground chamber of some sort, one that seemed to have existed for quite a long time.
His eyes widened at the most shocking things in the room, however. A large stone block with incomprehensible writing was located at the center of the chamber. Gian felt a shock as he realized that it looked very similar to the large block on Little Garden. Could they be connected?
The other was Miss All-Sunday, or now that he knew her name, Nico Robin. The partner of Crocodile was no longer by his side, but now collapsed with a fresh wound, clearly from Crocodile's hook. In her hand was a vial of water, it appears that she attempted to strike him, but failed.
"C-C-Crocodile…" for some reason, seeing her prone form lying down on the ground, bleeding into the sand, triggered something within him. She was possibly the only one that could offer him any solace now, the only one with answers. If she dies here…
"T-then I'll never have the answers I need…" gritting his teeth, as his body was burning with pain, Gian fired an Atom Ray towards the Shichibukai. It was much weaker than what he'd normally breathe out, more of a wisp than a fiery beam. Crocodile saw it coming from a mile away, and easily sidestepped it.
"You… I remember you… back there in the desert… It seems that you've taken down Mr. 0.5…" the Shichibukai growled in annoyance. His suspicions were confirmed when he spotted the body of the killer, still lying beside Gian, no longer breathing.
"To think… even he could only be so useful…"
"W-what… did you-" Gian growled weakly "That woman…"
"She's served her purpose, she is no longer useful to me. She was meant to translate this Poneglyph to find Pluton, but it appears this doesn't mention it at all…" Crocodile shrugged nonchalantly "And 'Hunter Killer' Betrugus… even he has a limit. It appears you've surpassed him."
Crocodile strode over to the fallen Kaiju-Zoan user, glaring down at him "I wouldn't normally ask this of people, but you possess a power greater than that of Betrugus… your Kaiju-Zoan fruit will even stronger than his… yes, I think that would be the best choice of action… Once my takeover of Alabasta is complete, I will use you as a substitute for Mr. 0.5."
"W-what are you talking about?!"
"It's not hard to comprehend, I'm talking about military power. A Kaiju-Zoan, regardless of which side he's on or what his allegiance is to, is a big asset to the military power of whomever possesses one in their ranks. Originally, the best course of action would be to have both of you, but that wouldn't be possible; Mr. 0.5 wanted to kill you personally after all. So I will simply make do with you. It isn't Pluton, but it could be something better."
"I get it now… you want me to work for you as a weapon of mass destruction…" Crocodile snarled as Gian spat in his face "Don't make me laugh… that's the most preposterous reason one could give me… I'm the first mate of the Straw Hat Pirates… no one else tells me what to do but Monkey D.- GARK!"
The pain of Crocodile slamming his foot down on his chest had amplified by his exhaustion.
"It would be wise not to throw away a chance at life…" the man growled "Do you think… as you are right now… have any reason to throw away my offer?! You're not trying to stop me, are you? Look at you right now… weakened by your battle with Betrugus, you can hardly lift an arm, let alone be defiant! Your wounds aren't even healing at their accelerated pace! You don't even have that seastone weapon of yours…"
"Go… to hell…" Gian wheezed out, before sand smashed into him, as Crocodile forced it to mold around the Kaiju-Zoan user.
"If you're that eager to meet death… then I'll send you to her!" Crocodile snarled as more sand wrapped around his body. Gian let out a pained wheeze as he felt the pressure tighten. It seems like it truly over now.
That is, until a piercing war cry sounded.
"CROOOOCODIIIILLLLLLE!"
The Shichibukai barely managed to turn before a bloody fist smashed into his face. With what parts of his head remained outside of the sand, Gian saw Luffy running down the stairs to the chamber, battered, but still determined to fight.
"L-Luffy…"
"You… why can't you just die?!" Crocodile shouted with rage as blood dripped down his face.
"I'll never fall! Not while this country is still suffering! As long as you're here, Vivi will always be in pain!" the captain shouted.
As Crocodile charged him, Luffy lashed out with another fist, this time also smashing Crocodile in the face, he followed up with a kick, hitting him in the stomach. With all the blood on his body, it was able to cancel out the invulnerability that Crocodile's Suna Suna no Mi normally granted him.
As the two battled it out, King Cobra hurried over to the buried Kaiju-Zoan user and hastily uncovered him from the sand.
"That boy… Is he actually thinking of taking on Crocodile?" Cobra wondered.
"Heh… Luffy isn't the type to give up. You can beat him down repeatedly, but he just doesn't break." Gian smiled weakly, before suddenly remembering something.
"Hey… king… you got anything to eat…?"
"…pardon?"
"Food… like bread, grapes, anything. I just need something to eat."
"Why is that a concern as of right now?" the king asked.
"Because I have to go help him. He's strong, but I'm not taking any chances with Crocodile."
Cobra's eyes widened as Gian staggered up, with quite some difficulty "But you're injured! You look like you can barely stand, let alone fight! Why not just have faith in-"
"Luffy's been pushing himself way too hard here. I can't just stand by and do nothing! Normally I'd stay out of his way, but this time I have to make an exception." The thought of his future self potentially bringing destruction to his friends, somehow that's pushing him to the edge. There is no way, no way in the world, he'll let that happen. And he'll prove it by giving his all here as well.
"Besides, Crocodile almost suffocated me in sand, I don't like that very much."
"But how are you able to fight?"
"Like I said, give me a bite to eat and I'll manage."
The king stared for a few more seconds, unsure of what to do. Then he resigned and produced a small cake from his robes. It was a snack he had brought earlier, and it barely weighed anything. Gian snatched it up regardless and wolfed it down. The minute he swallowed he felt strength returning to his body; a small amount, but it will do.
"Thank you, this is all I need." Then the king's eyes widened in shock once more, as Gian morphed into his Partial Transformation. His breathing was heavy; it's possible that this could all backfire and he'd transform back completely wasted during the middle of the fight. But right now, Luffy needed his help.
And help was definitely appreciated. After figuring out the blood on the boy pirate's fists and feet were able to make him touch him. Crocodile decided to throw mercy out the window. The next time Luffy was struck by his hook, he got a nasty surprise as his vision began to blur and his head became heavy.
"And there we have it… the poison in this hook is now coursing through your body… you should drop within 5 minute, that is if you don't get buried first!" Crocodile sneered before rushing forwards. Luffy was too disorientated to avoid the blow as he watched as the now poison tipped hook swung towards his head.
Before a pair of jaws bit around the weapon and pushed Crocodile to the side.
"Gian?! When did you get here?!" Luffy realized who came to his rescue.
"Why… WHY WON'T ANY OF YOU DIE?!" Crocodile roared with frustration as he tried to untangle the Partial Transformation's teeth away from his hook. This proved to be a mistake as Gian, using all of his strength, ripped the hook from the base, leaving Crocodile weaponless.
"PWAH! I got poison in my mouth…" Gian panted "Sorry, Luffy. Normally I'd let you handle your own business, but I want a piece of Crocodile as well!"
Luffy grinned "Then we'll kick his ass together!"
"Fools… both of you! Standing against me will be the biggest mistake you will ever make!" Crocodile shouted in anger "Both of you are weakened beyond belief at the moment, it's a wonder you two can even move!"
"It's more than enough… to let us kick your ass!" Luffy panted. It was true, Crocodile's poison hook was now making his muscles very rigid, and soon he wouldn't be able to stand.
"Why do the two of you think all this struggling is worth it in the first place?!" Crocodile demanded "You purposely choose to charge headfirst towards death, and for what?! Helping a pathetic princess? All this could've been avoided… you wouldn't have been hobbling and soon to be buried under tons of rubble, all this, if you'd just stayed out of my way!"
"That doesn't work for us Croc, we're taking you down one way or another…" Gian snarled. His own fists were dabbed with the still bleeding blood of his shoulder; it was healing quicker now, but still slower than normal. The food energy was also beginning to drop, he figured he has about another minute left only.
"Two rookie pirates who are way over their heads think they can stand up to me?! By the time this tomb caves in, you'll both be nothing more than another casualty in the success of my plan!" Crocodile sneered.
"That's why we'll keep fighting! We're not giving up, just as Vivi isn't giving up on the country, we won't give up until we beat you down!" Luffy shot back.
"Then that will be the last mistake you'll ever make! Ground Secco…"
"Gian, jump! We have to avoid that!"
"GROUND DEATH!"
The two had to jump around as pillars around them dissolved into sand. Fortunately, the king was out of range for the attack to drain him of his moisture. He watched in rapt amazement as the two youths, both heavily injured, continued to stand up to the Shichibukai.
And what teamwork! As Luffy launched a barrage of fists, Gian took advantage of Crocodile's focus on avoiding those blows, snuck behind him, and raked his claws down his back. As Crocodile sent another blade of sand towards the Partially Transformed Kaiju-Zoan user, he was sent flying by one of Luffy's kicks.
"Amazing… those two are giving it their all…! But how long will it last?"
Thanks to the blood on their arms, both boys were able to bypass the intangibility Crocodile's logia fruit normally grants him. But the President of Baroque Works wasn't a Shichibukai for nothing, and soon both of them got that experience. As Gian rushed towards him from the right, Crocodile blindsided him with his now hookless prosthesis, only for a dagger to extend out of the blade and slashed the Kaiju-Zoan user in an upwards swing, cutting a gash across his chest. Luffy dash forwards as well to avenge his nakama, but had to leap over Crocodile's right hand to avoid getting drained. He soon found out this was planned however, as the Shichibukai whirled around and gave him another cut across his back. The two landed with a loud thud, only to stagger back up, gritting their teeth to continue.
"You two should just give up now! For rookies who haven't an ounce of knowledge about the real world, you're in way over your heads!" Crocodile snarled "So, why… why won't you two stay down?!"
"I don't give a shit… I'm going to help Vivi… and I'll beat you here!" Luffy demanded.
"Heh… I've seen enough of the world to know where I'm headed… and it ain't dying in some tomb!" Gian grinned before lunging and Crocodile. As Crocodile raised his dagger again, Gian wrapped his arms around his midsection, grappling him.
"You had your chance to join me, 'Beast Warrior'… now you'll know what happens when you bite the hand that feeds you!" Crocodile sneered; in this position, the Kaiju-Zoan user was wide open for his right hand to drain him. But he soon noted Gian's grin, and in shock that before charging him, Gian had wiped some blood onto his brow.
"And I've told you… your offer can eat shit!"
Gian's never head-butted someone before, but there was a first time for everything. And that was exactly what he chose to do. As Crocodile reeled back in shock, he never blocked the massive uppercut that sent him flying to the air above.
It was only further impacted when Luffy leapt upwards as well.
"Gomu Gomu no…. Gatling!"
His fists still bloody, it was enough to land a few blows on the airborne pirate. Crocodile soon recovered however, before whirling around as sand condensed around his palm.
"You two… ARE SERIOUSLY PISSING ME OFF!" he roared as the sand was actually crackling with energy build up.
"Luffy! Be careful, he has something planned!" heeding this, the rubber boy quickly landed, and Gian had to run under the Shichibukai to prepare a retaliation.
"Atom Ray!"
"Sables… PESADO!"
It wasn't a sandstorm this time, it was a shockwave of super condensed sand particles that collided with the beam of radiation. The entire room exploded with the two attacks smashed together, sending both ground combatants slamming into the ground with a slam, while sending the President of Baroque Works higher.
"That… Won't stop me!" Luffy shouted as he got up first. Gian got up woozily soon after, as he noticed his captains twisting his body around.
It was now then that his Partial Transformation dissipated, he really had no more energy to keep it up after that.
But he could still do one thing.
Even after all this, even after taking all that abuse, Luffy still had the will to fight on. His determination hasn't dulled the least.
And Gian knew at that moment, no matter what his future self may do, harming his captain is something he'll never do.
Luffy felt a hand weakly touch him, before his entire body temperature flared up. His eyes widened to look as his entire body was surrounded by a bright blue aura.
"W-what is this?!"
"Go on… Attack… it's the last of my Atomic energy… I can't move anymore… so hit Crocodile ten times as hard!" Gian grinned.
"Gian… I got it!" Luffy smiled, before wincing "This kind of burns…"
"I know… that's why you need to attack now…!"
Luffy's eyes were then full of fire as he completed his stance. This last attack, will free Alabasta from the grip of the tyrant, was what he thought as he let his body loose.
"Gomu Gomu no…"
Crocodile's eyes widened as he realized what his opponent was planning. Sand whipped around his arm as he desperately attempted one last time to kill them.
"DESERT LA SPADA!" he roared as multiple sand blades snaked towards the two.
"… ATOMIC SUPERNOVA!"
It was decisive, the sand blades instantly shattered by the joint attack. Luffy's radiation charged fists were hitting Crocodile so hard, he felt like meteorites were smacking into his body. And in a way, he'd be right. Each punch caused a miniature explosion to form on the Shichibukai's sandy body, still tangible due to the remaining blood, and even if he decided to do so, the heat would've vaporized his sand anyway.
It was like this that Crocodile was blown through the very bedrock itself. As the concerned citizens above heard the square rip open as the pirate was airborne for a split second, even they could not comprehend what had happened. Crocodile blacked out even before he landed, as a crack of lightning flashed, and he began to fall.
It was only when he landed with a heavy crash, did the people of Alabasta finally knew what had happened.
"Luffy-san… he did it! Alabasta is free!" Vivi wept in happiness.
As the shock wore off, gradually replaced by cheering, it was made all the sweeter as the clouds finally burst.
"Rain… rain in Alabasta…! WE REALLY HAVE WON!" the entire crowd cheered. Truly it was heaven at this point.
Back below ground, Luffy finally dropped to a knee after the attack ended. A smile started growing as he took in his victory.
"On second thought… maybe I shouldn't have lend you that atomic energy… that was complete overkill!" Gian laughed, which was cut off as he doubled over in coughing.
"I don't believe it…! They actually did it…! They actually saved the country!" King Cobra had tears of happiness as well.
"Fufufu… of course they would..." his celebration was cut short as his head snapped around to see a wounded Nico Robin softly smile at the scene as well "When those who bear the Will of D. joins a Kaiju… the power they can unleash could change the course of the world itself…"
"W-what are you…?"
"Even I don't know… what they do is something people cannot predict…" the woman responded before wincing in pain.
"That reminds me… why did you lie earlier?" the king suddenly remembered "I cannot read the writing, but I do know of its contents. That Poneglyph really does state the whereabouts of Pluton, so why did you say it didn't?
"It may be too late to say this now… but I never wish for the awakening of one of the Ancient Weapons… all I want is to find history…" Robin mumbled "That dream had made many enemies for me… but I seek it regardless…"
"I…I don't…" Cobra started before he realized that the woman had given him a small bottle.
"This contains the antidote for Crocodile's poison… you should give it to 'Straw Hat' Luffy quickly…" the king nodded quickly before rushing over two the two tired fighters. As soon as the liquid went down his throat Luffy stopped shaking as the poison faded.
"I cannot thank you two enough for what you've done… You've saved us all…!"
"Heh… we had a friend I need… we won't just ignore her…" Gian smiled weakly "Also… this place is still caving in; we may have even made it collapse faster… which is the way out…?"
"Right… we will leave immediately." The king nodded as he lifted the two of them, now both too weak to stand. They managed to get a few steps before Gian suddenly froze.
"Wait… one more thing…"
At this point Robin had resigned to fate. During her life, there wasn't one moment of solace. Of course, none of it is her fault, but circumstance drove her to do some unsavory things to survive.
"Well… it did pay off sometimes… now that I see it, dying isn't so-"
Her eyes suddenly widened as she felt herself being lifted. Despite his muscles literally screaming at him to fall, for some reason this last little bit made Gian able to keep walking. Of course, he could barely manage a hobble, but somehow, he needed this woman to live.
"W-what are you doing?!"
"What… does it look like…?" Gian grunted "I'm leaving… don't wanna… get buried…"
"Put me down at once! I have no more to seek… just leave me to die!" the woman shouted.
"Yeah… that ain't happening… I've told you… I want answers… what you do afterwards is up to you… but we both have to get out of here first…!" Ignoring her protests he continued to push himself towards the exit.
"Gian, hurry. We have to go!" Luffy shouted from near a stairwell. It seems the exit is there. Gian nodded, before carrying his reluctant passenger with him as the 4 of them trudged out of the tomb.
It says that those who endure, find the sweetest rewards at the end of their road.
As the drops of rain fell on their skin... as they took in the sound of cheers… as they saw Vivi's tearful smile… as they saw their nakama racing towards them… Luffy and Gian both smiled.
They've won. Alabasta was liberated. The Civil War is over.
And only then, did the two of them allowed themselves to fall.
After an unknown amount of time:
"Onee-sama! Where are you?! I'm scared"
Everything was a blur, there was so much noise. It sounded like crying, of fear, of loss and confusion. People cutting other people down, looks of fear on either face. Sound of what appears to be something whistling through the air, but nothing could be seen.
The sound of footsteps were everywhere, it was disorienting. Nothing made sense, why did this happen?!
"Onee-sama!" he cried.
"Gian!"
Then wrapped around the embrace of another. It was one of the girls, the younger one. She had been crying, she was equally confused. She was in her teens, he was still fairly childlike.
"Onee-sama… what is going on?! Why is this happening?!"
"Something bad has happened… even I don't know why… all I can tell you is this, nothing can be the same anymore!"
"W-why? Where is father? Where is mother? Where is S-?"
"Please, Gian! You have to be brave! Promise me, that whatever happens, you will always be brave! If you do not then-!"
"FUFUFUFUFU-!"
"STOP IT!"
He was in a bed. The room was clean and had multiple other beds just like this one.
Gian was breathing hard; who wouldn't? It was that girl again, but this time there was only one of them; the other was nowhere to be seen. But what matters was that he never had this dream sequence before.
"What the hell is happening to me?!"
He was so preoccupied with that that he got quite the startle when he looked up to see his nakama standing beside his bed.
"Did you have to be so lively about it?" Zoro grumbled "You were tossing and turning so much and mumbling all the while. We had no idea what was happening and Chopper was terrified."
"W-what happened?"
"Don't you remember? Baroque Works was defeated. Alabasta is at peace now. Whatever you and Luffy did, you guys did it." Sanji replied.
"…How long was I out for?"
"2 and a half days. I think your healing helped here. Luffy is still out of it." Usopp breathed a sigh of relief.
"Where did Nico Robin go?"
"Who?" Nami tilted her head "When we found the king it was only you and Luffy unconscious."
"So she left then…" Gian sighed. Who knows when he'll meet her again? There were still so many things he needed to know!
"Well, at least I feel like I can walk now." Gian nodded as he looked himself over. A good part of his body was wrapped in bandages, something that rarely happens due to his healing factor. With a good amount of bedrest, it seems like the energy expended during his fight with Mr. 0.5 had mostly recovered.
"WAAAAH, GIAN I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO DIE!" Chopper cried. Gian chuckled before picking up the doctor.
"Well, I feel better now. Thank you, you've must have played a part in stabilizing me." Chopper had been working nonstop with the local doctors to get the two of them back under stable conditions. With all they've been through, it was surprising to see their bodies handle it at all! For the past few days, they been sleeping and unable to wake.
"S-shut up! Saying that isn't going to make me happy you know!" The reindeer stammered as he did his little dance.
They soon filled out what happened during those two days. Soon after, Vivi and the King both officially ended the Civil War, after clarification of the King's doppelganger was brought to light. The country had already begun the process of recovery. Assistance has been sent to places such as Yuba which were affected most by the drought, with both the former Rebel Army now working in close tandem with the Alabastan Royal Guard. Rebel Leader Kohza soon recovered enough to oversee some of that. Chopper also played a role in that as he assisted in tending to the injured as much as he can, split between them and the crew. Vivi's guardian Igaram was also revealed to be alive following their encounter at Whiskey Peak, somehow surviving the destruction of his ship. It was him that recovered Gian's Atom Splitter and had returned it to the crew.
Speaking of them, they were only just invited to the palace. Originally they turned the offer down, seeing as their status of pirates could induce suspicion upon the Marines that are still active in the country. Gian was not surprised to see that Smoker was still doing what had to be done; swiftly giving orders for the arrest of Crocodile and any Baroque Works member they could find. He became concerned when he heard that Smoker now had other company. Captain 'Black Cage' Hina had joined him about a day ago, and soon they will have to leave for their own safety. It took a bit of convincing from Vivi and even the king himself to finally relocate the crew from the streets to within the palace.
A knock on the door revealed a beaming Nefeltari Vivi, now dressed up in formal wear, alongside the 3 Royal Guards.
"Gian-san, you are awake!"
"I'm still a bit sore… but I'm better now. Luffy is still sleeping though."
"I'm glad. I'm sure Luffy-san will be up soon as well. In the meantime, would you mind coming with us? Father wishes to speak to you personally."
"What does His Majesty want with me?" Gian was confused. The rest of the crew were quite surprised as well, except for Chopper, who was more concerned with another fact:
"WHAA?! Gian can't get up! He has to stay in bed and rest!"
"I'm healed now though!" Gian reminded him.
"You may be healed physically but the mental stress is still there! You're exhausted! I forbid you to leave the room until you are no longer tired!" Chopper tried to execute his authority as a doctor, but was only picked up and given to Zoro to hold as he got up to follow the princess.
"This is why I like you, Chopper. Never change."
"WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH- GET BACK HERE!"
Soon, the 3 Royal Guards walked ahead, while Gian and Vivi hung back for a bit.
"I must say, even for a princess you guys know your decorations!" Gian commented as he looked around. Vivi giggled at that.
"Well, it seems like everything is over, for everything we've been through, I'd say for the most part bringing you back here went pretty well."
"Yes… we've made it to the end of the journey." Vivi agreed with a tint of sadness in her voice, one that was not missed by her companion. Truth be told, once they leave, having no princess on the ship would be pretty quiet. The bond between them all was definitely there, and to go their separate ways is hard for both of them.
"…You know, Luffy might ask you to join the crew…" Gian offhandedly commented. Vivi flinched at that; it was certainly something she'd thought about, hell she was thinking it just moments before too! And she'd be lying to herself if she said she doesn't want to be a part of that. They really are her friends, she doesn't want to see them go. But she can't just leave…?
"Well… that's- that's-"
"You're right, it's too difficult to think about. We're not pressuring you or anything, considering the spot you're in." Gian assured her, a part of him wants her to stay as well. But being a princess is a large burden, and she has her own responsibilities "Let's not talk about that now, ok?"
"Yes… that would be for the best."
They soon arrived at the throne room. Igaram went ahead and requested entry.
"Your Majesty, 'Beast Warrior' Gian has arrived."
"Yes, thank you Igaram. I will speak with him alone." Pell obliged and beckoned him to enter.
"First order of business, I think you've heard this already. But I want to thank you all for saving us all." The King smiled.
"It really isn't that big of a deal. Vivi is our friend, and we see her as such." Gian replied.
"Believe me, for not only helping my daughter, saving my life, and giving us our country's future back, we have more than enough to thank you for."
"We are but mere pirates, these acts of gratitude should not be meant for us."
"As your friends have already noted. That aside, there's something else I wish to speak to you about." The king grew somber at that.
"Please tell." Gian piqued.
"Back in the Grave of Kings, Crocodile mentioned that you're a Kaiju-Zoan user… from what I saw you seem to be rather agitated by the fact."
"I mean, you've seen it yourself haven't you?" Gian sighed "However, there's been recent events that have been… revealed to me, that I did not know of before."
Cobra nodded "And you are concerned that this newfound knowledge will affect you and your friends in some way?"
"Precisely."
"I see. Although I cannot relate to such feelings, I can offer you some insight, if it may ease your thoughts."
Gian was alerted by this "Please, do tell! Any knowledge would help me!"
"Though Alabasta has seen very little Kaiju-Zoan users up until that underling of Crocodile's, the concept of Kaiju are not unfamiliar to us, at least to those who were its rulers" Cobra sighed "However, the presence of Kaiju were not something that were often celebrated. Like the natural world itself, their presence have both spelled prosperity and destruction for the country."
"How have the Kaiju affected Alabasta's history?"
"The Poneglyph within the Grave of Kings tells us about some of this." Cobra continued "There have been 4 instances of Kaiju in Alabastan History. Twice, they have been a scourge, but twice more have those beasts been our guardians."
"According to the scripture, there was once a time when certain rulers of Alabasta had sought the favor of Kaiju, whether it was for conquest, protection, we do not know. The same could be said about why the former two examples on why the Kaiju attacked Alabasta. History has always been very sparse in this area…" Cobra sighed "Other times it seems that Kaiju have seemingly been sent as a form of divine punishment, as they ravaged the country under their power. Unfortunately, I do not have the ability to read the ancient writings upon the Poneglyph, and thus most of my knowledge were passed down from previous generations, however small."
"The Kaiju… they weren't just mindless beasts… they actually interacted with people!" Gian's eyes widened in wonder. He remembered seeing some of this in his vision on Little Garden, but now more was revealed to him.
"It would seem that way. There was one more instance where the Kaiju was mentioned, this part I specifically found out only after Crocodile's defeat, through his partner."
"Nico Robin…"
"Crocodile had believed that the Poneglyph did not reveal the location of Pluton, but that had been a lie. The Ancient Weapon was indeed stated within the stone, but even intriguing was what it was used for."
"The Ancient Weapons… are related to the existence of Kaiju?" Gian asked.
"It would seem that way. Although what the Weapons were built for have always been of speculation, there was at least one instance within the Poneglyph that mentions the use against Kaiju."
Gian was surprised to hear that.
"Pluton has untold destructive capabilities, and according to the scripture, they witnessed it used to combat the Kaiju directly. The reason leading up to that instance is not known; there are still so many gaps within history that is unknown to us. Even this information I got from that woman…"
"And… was there anything that mentioned the existence of Kaiju-Zoans, or how they came to be?" Gian inquired, but Cobra shook his head.
"Unfortunately, she did not find anything that mentions Devil Fruits similar to yours. Our historical records beyond that also had nothing."
"So it seems like I'll have to ask her myself if I want to know more… if I'll ever see her again." Gian sighed.
"I am sorry, I wish I could have been of more help."
"No, this is more than enough!" Gian smiled "Every little bit of knowledge is helpful."
"I am glad to hear of that. Now, why don't you return to your friends? We have a grand feast planned for you all once 'Straw Hat' Luffy awakes!"
"Skrehahaha… yeah I could use something to eat…" He bowed slightly before taking his leave.
"One more moment if you please!" the king called out.
"Gian… is that the only name you have?" he asked.
"Um… yes? I don't think I've gotten any more, nor do I need it."
"No parents? Or family?"
"I've got a family, they may not be my birth ones but they're family. Whoever my parents are, or were, I'd at least like to know where they went off to…" Gian closed his eyes "Sorry, I've got no memory of my birth parents, everything before the... time… is rather hazy. Can't remember much, and I'd much rather not remind myself of my earlier years."
"Of course… I do apologize for my imprudence." The king nodded.
Gian nodded back before departing. King Cobra sat a while longer, looking at the door.
"Gian… I don't know where, but I've felt like I've heard that name somewhere before…"
The next day:
All journeys must come to an end, and this one is the same.
Luffy finally woke after another half day, naturally he was hungry. At dinner that night he and Gian alone probably caused the entire kitchen to waste a good 3 months' worth of food. After that, the king invited everyone to use their bathhouse. What happened… was interesting.
"MY EYES! MY VIRGIN EYES! WHY MUST THEY BE SUBJECTED TO SUCH LEWDNESS?!"
"STOP OVERREACTING GIAN!"
"Gian-san… about why they're on the ground…"
"I CAN PROBABLY GUESS NOW, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!"
Overall… that night had been fun... in a way…
Now, at the crack of dawn, they had rode a group of ducks to the coast. The plan was to secure the Going Merry before going to Alabasta's eastern coast. They had promised to meet Vivi one last time before leaving. It's going to be a bittersweet farewell when the Princess will come and visit them…
"Alright, guys. Smoker and the rest of the marines may have had a ceasefire with us during the whole stop Baroque Works part, but now they'll be after us again. Do we all know what to do?" Gian reminded everyone.
"I still can't believe the Okama is helping us… it was just a few days ago we were fighting, and now he's getting us out of here." Sanji mused. The night before, Mr. 2 had unexpectedly called in and stated that he will use his Mane Mane no Mi's powers to assist them in escaping. Though suspicious at first, the crew decided that if the Okama was going to help them, they might as well take the chance. Besides, he sounded sincere.
"Well he better get his ass back here soon! He took our ship of all things!" Nami complained.
Soon however, it seems like Mr. 2 may be trustworthy after all as they spotted the Going Merry pulling up. Mr.2 jumped down and greeted them.
"I still don't understand why you guys are going east… shouldn't you be focused on leaving as soon as possible with Hina and Smoker both looking for you guys?" the okama couldn't help but wonder.
"That… is none of your business. We have a promise to keep." Sanji told him.
"Hey, hey. I already told you I'm on your side now! No need to be so hostile…"
"Yeah… you did help us with this… for that we thank you." Gian smiled.
"Yeah! You're so nice! The next time we meet I'll help you out as well!" Luffy assured him.
"It's a promise then!" Mr. 2 cried as he got on his own ship.
With that, they set off, ready to continue.
"I really do hope Vivi can join the crew! We're friends already, it'll be so much fun!" Luffy pondered.
"Yeah! I hope so as well!" Chopper agreed.
"It really is a different place with the princess here… isn't it?" Gian chuckled, but he was less certain. The conversation they had showed that Vivi was rather indecisive about the idea. Not that he could blame her, she does have a lot of responsibilities now.
"She has a country to help run… they'll need her there more than we need her here…"
Their musings were broken when sound of cannon fire were heard, and moments later the waters around them began spraying up.
"The Marines!" Mr. 2 screamed "'Black Cage' Hina has found us!"
Indeed, the pink haired woman was commanding just one ship of marines, 2 more squadrons were also approaching near her.
"The Straw Hat Pirates have been found… be ready to capture them!"
"Yes Hina-taisa!" two men in particular were the first to see to her orders. For some reason, former Black Cat Pirate Jango was now in the Marines, as was former lieutenant Fullbody, now demoted to work under her. Both men seemed not care in the slightest, as they ordered their ship to open fire.
"Spike?! They're firing spikes?!" Usopp screamed as they tried to evade.
"Must be to puncture the Merry… as well as so Luffy can't bounce it back!" Zoro cursed.
"See? This is why I told you to get out quickly!" Mr. 2 panicked from his other ship.
"That doesn't matter! We have to see a friend and we're not going to leave without at least seeing her!" Gian shouted back.
Mr. 2 was in tears as he saw the noble reason these guys were risking their lives for. Friendship, what a beautiful thing! And he was going to see that friendship to the end.
"MEN! WE ARE GOING TO BUY THEM TIME! SUCH A BOND BETWEEN FRIENDS MUST BE PROTECTED!"
"YES SIR!"
With that, the okama switched his face with Luffy's before getting the attention of the Marines, with the rest of his crew also taking on the Straw Hat's likeliness and just like that, a group of them broke off and went after the okama, including Hina herself.
"Good luck, go to your friend!" Mr. 2 hoped as he led them further away.
"WHAT A BRAVE GUY! WE'LL NEVER FORGET YOU!" Luffy, Usopp and Chopper cried. The rest of the crew also paid their respects. For a man that potentially sacrified himself so that they may continue with their plan… he really was a great person.
"There's still a few on us! GET OUT OF OUR WAY!" Luffy shouted. The remaining marines without their captain couldn't do a thing to stop them, as Luffy barrled through them.
"We should be at the meeting spot soon!" Nami informed everyone.
And indeed, as they got closer to the cliff, they can here Vivi's voice. Today was actually supposed to be a time for her to give a speech, but she herself has somewhere to be. The King had supported her decision on this, after all they've been through so much! The Straw Hats could hear it clearly, about how despite all the hardships they've faced under Crocodile, all the pain they've been through, they will be strong and prevail. She noted that, in her darkest time, a ship of light had come to her, and carried her through the monstrous waves to the light. She is sure they, as a country, will recover from all this. But it wasn't the princess herself making this speech, it was her bodyguard! Igaram mentally wished her to make it there, as people were beginning to see through the façade.
"It doesn't look like Vivi-chan's coming…" Sanji mumbled. It was to be expected… she is a princess, she was different than them.
"No! She'll be here, I'm know!" Luffy shouted back.
"Luffy! She's a princess! She has a country to take care of! By now, Hina should've caught onto Mr. 2 façade and will be back any minute!" Gian tried to coax.
"THE MARINES ARE COMING BACK!" Usopp screamed.
"See? We might have to go!" but Luffy said nothing.
And it seemed like Luffy's face had paid off! Soon, a cry from atop the cliff made them see that their princess friend had arrived with Carue.
"EVERYONE!" Vivi shouted.
"She's here!" Luffy was about to wave back, but Nami swiftly pinned him down.
"There are marines here! We can't let them see that she has associations with a bunch of pirates!"
"But-"
"Nami's right. If the Marines found out that the Royal Family of Alabasta are associated with us, they might label them as pirate sympathizers, and then it would end badly for them. I don't even think most of the country knows we're involved in this, so it's best to keep this between us." Gian warned. Only then did Luffy shut up.
"I can never thank you all enough for all of this!" Vivi continued "Many times, when I thought I would fall, when I was too scared to go on, you guys would be there… helping me up, helping me every step of the way…!"
Tears began to flow down her face as she continued "Each and every one of you are genuinely my friends! I so wish I could join you on the rest of your journey! The seas, they are filled with so much wonder, and I wish I could be a part of that with you all…!"
"But… I have to say goodbye!"
Luffy nodded sadly, as did the rest of the crew. This bittersweet conclusion, they all knew it was coming, but no one had the courage to face it.
"I so wish… there could be another way! But I love this country too much! I've seen it suffer, and I want to be there to help it recover every step of the way, just like how you've helped me!" tears were flowing freely, letting go of friends was never easy.
"I-I I just have one more thing to say… If we meet again… whenever, wherever… will you still call me a friend? As long as my memory has all of you in it, will we always be friends?"
But only silence met her. Of course, on board the Going Merry, the crew all wanted to shout out their confirmations to her, but with the marines so close, they can't take that risk.
"Please… don't let it end just like this…! Don't leave me like this…!" Vivi wept, with Carue warbling sadly.
And then she saw it.
Luffy's raised arm, with the mark that they made when they first arrived.
The mark of their friendship.
Happy tears were flowing, as Gian's arm shot of next, followed by Zoro's, then Sanji's then Nami's, Usopp's and Choppers. Each and every one of them, arms raised proudly, with one clear message:
Their friendship will never die.
Vivi sobbed in joy, before raising her own marked arm, and Carue raised a wing as well. It was a sign that one day, they will definitely meet again. And Vivi looked forward to that day.
"Alright…" Luffy smiled through tears "Let's set sail."
Later:
"We should be far away now… the marines are no longer following us." Gian noted.
"Yeah… it was pretty close." Zoro confirmed "Where to next?"
His answer was a miserable moan.
"…We have to go somewhere…" Gian sighed, only to be met by another groan. Everyone else except for him and Zoro were looking forlornly over the rails back in the direction of Alabasta.
"WE MISS HER!"
"For crying out loud, if you wanted her to come, you should've just forced her to come!" Zoro snapped, only to be met by angry rebuttals.
"Guys… she has responsibilities now. She has a country that loves her, and which she loves back, as well as people she care about. We can't just take all that away from her." Gian coaxed, the crew thought about it more, but weren't any happier.
"It's just how things work. Sometimes… they just…" Gian continued before sighing and running his hand through his hair "Who am I kidding, I miss her too. She brought an atmosphere that you just can't help but enjoy…"
"It really is rather bittersweet…" Zoro agreed as they all had a moment of silence.
"Good job on escaping those marines. It seems like we've made it safely."
"Yeah, well it wasn't exactly really easy- WAIT WHAT?!"
The entire crew was alert at that. Gian ripped Atom Splitter from his shoulders and Zoro drew Wado Ichimonji as well. The last person they'd ever expect was now on their ship.
Miss All-Sunday- Nico Robin- was standing with a smile on her lips by the door.
Meanwhile:
Tashigi was not a happy person right now.
Above deck, Hina and Smoker were arguing over what the plan for the Straw Hats were. Normally she'd join in on that, but she has too much on her mind at the moment.
Everything is over, Crocodile was defeated and arrested, and everything should be good now.
So why was it that she found nothing to celebrate to?
A few stray tears fell down her face. She has spent the last few hours crying, not out of sadness, but of anger. Anger at her weakness, at her inability in this mission.
She had failed to save the king from Crocodile, even sustaining injury because of it. Crocodile had taunted her, mocking how their Justice won't save anyone.
And in particular, she had the chance to arrest all the Straw Hats right then and there, while they were passed out in the street. One word, that's all it would've taken.
So why didn't she do it?
Captain Smoker had once told her that she should practice her own vision of justice, on what she believes in. But that justice… had it let those pirates get away.
No, it was because she was too weak.
"I'm going to get stronger… I must!"
*purupurupurupurupuru
The sound of the Transponder Snail brought her out of her thoughts, which she hastily answered.
"H-hello, this is Master Chief Petty Officer Tashigi of Captain Smoker's-"
"Hello, Little Bird. It's great to hear your voice again."
Tashigi's breath hitched. He was right, it has been a long time since they've seen each other. Their separate duties have always made communication between the two few and far between, but when they do get the chance they relish it whenever they could.
"G-Gideon…?"
"Yup, me! Sorry about not calling in earlier, they really didn't let me out of base for a while and now I finally get to leave!"
"T-that's fine! D-Do you want to speak with Smoker-san?"
"…Never would've thought you were a telepath… Well, yeah. I do have something I have to talk to him about. But that can wait, I'm sure it will still be important when I go and see you in a short bit."
"I don't think that's- wait, you're coming?! Here?"
Tashigi almost dropped the snail when waves started crashing against the ship as the sea close to her began to churn…
A/N: And thus, the Alabasta Arc comes to an end.
It really had been quite a journey. This arc is now officially the longest, beating out the previous holder of that title, the Arlong Park arc, by 2 whole chapters. And it had just been over a year ago that I've started this. This story now officially has over 300 reviews, the support we've gotten is tremendous. So truly, thank you all for sticking with us.
Next chapter will officially begin the Sky Island Saga. With the start of the Jaya Arc, we are roughly half way done pre-timeskip stuff. I will, however mention that after Skypiea, we won't go straight to Long Ring Long Island, but instead there will be a small filler arc that, wait for it, is a completely original arc! That's right! The first original arc of the story will take place after Skypiea, so look forwards to that! As for next time, it will have more to do with Kaiju lore, as at this point, mentions of them will begin to pop up more in the story.
Responses to reviews:
To Girlbook: Well… you aren't wrong…
G: Ohhh on the mark…
T: I suppose it would be rather predictable
0.5: Now the question is, does this kill all the hype?
Probably not, they don't know exactly how the story will go at that part.
To Chance Green G King:
Yes, there is a Kaiju-Zoan user under Blackbeard's crew, though you won't see him in Jaya, but you will at Marineford.
All the Robin reactions will happen next chapter!
To JayH120:
G: WE WILL NEVER SLEEP CUZ SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK.
Watch… he's gonna fall in 2 seconds.
To anquan16:
G: Meh, he's a grown man it's natural-
That sounds really beta
G: -And then I'll throw him off the ship
…I stand corrected, but don't do that. Please.
To pokemonking0924:
Indeed, his time has ended, but I hope he made an impact.
And as you will see, the effects of Kaiju will start to show up more.
0.5: I remember one of those people did taste like Dr. Pepper…
G: Wait, how does that work?
More importantly, what is Dr. Pepper doing in the One Piece universe?!
To Matt:
That is right, Mr. 0.5's Kaiju is Baragon.
The internal conflict part will gradually build up, but it hasn't to the point where it warrants a struggle yet. There will however be a point when that topic is brought up by Gian, which may or may not set off a motion on its own.
As for CP9, yes they have their own Kaiju-Zoan user but it isn't any of the ones you mentioned. Thriller Bark will not have a Kaiju-Zoan user, but have a Kaiju related foe, which you could probably guess come next chapter.
And as for Impel Down, I can't see how Gian would somehow be able to sneak in so I don't know if I will do Impel Down arc at all. There will be mentions of it, naturally. As for Hedorah, I'm still in the planning stages for it, now just need somewhere where it can end up.
To Lucas FTW:
G: what even is that?
T: I don't know, seemed to be some kind of ancient language…
0.5: or it could be gibberish
Wait… this looks like Spanish… imma translate it and- Wow.
G: What?
We… We got Rickrolled…
T: What's that?
G: If I remember correctly it's based off of some popular song.
But more than that… we got Rickrolled… in SPANISH.
0.5: is… is that bad?
No… I can't even be mad at this… well played.
And that's all for that! we'll see you next time!
Leave a review for the 3 Kaiju-Zoan users to make a mixtape!
G: you know it will be heat!
T: I get featured!
0.5: I write half the tracks!