The next morning came fast and the crew got ready to go "Okay, the plan was to get to Yuba and talk with the rebel leader, who is your old friend, so he can stop the rebel, and everybody can live in peace?" Shay stood there for what felt like forever.
The crew nodded "I going to kick Crocodile's ass" Luffy declared, "See now that's something I can get on board with" Shayla agreed. "You two are more alike than we thought" Usopp sighed, "So we are just going all the way back again?" she questioned and Luffy sat down.
"No, seriously what's the plan?" all looked at her confused, "So you didn't think: what if the leader doesn't stop or what if the army already left or is Crocodile just going to keep quiet? You know, had another plan somehow."
They look at her curiously, "You guys need to look above it all. The rebel isn't the problem, they want to protect the country because they think the king let them down. And who made them think that? Crocodile. so, if you take him out you stop the war."
Luffy agreed with her "If we stop the rebels, will Crocodile stop? Even if we reach Katorea, there is nothing we can do. We're pirates. You'd be better off going on your own." Vivi was speechless and he continued, "You don't want anyone to die, even though we are fighting a warlord and over a million people are involved. All you want is for no one to get hurt. Aren't you fooling yourself," he said facing her.
"What's wrong with that?" Vivi was mad, "People die" he casually said and was slapped. The two argued for some time, at the end they agreed on going to Crocodile who was in Rainbase a city close by.
Before arriving, Shayla jumped down from the camel and took Luffy by the arm, walking a little head of the others, "huh, where are you guys going" Nami asked, "Let them be, they haven't had much time to talk since they met" Zoro reasoned.
Shay smiled gratefully at him and turned to Luffy "Who would have thought that my little crybaby would grow so much stronger" with a big proud smile on her face while hugging his arm.
Luffy was a bit taller than her, now. Which felt weird for her.
"That's rude. I stopped being a crybaby long ago." He replied and she giggled, "You were completely right with the situation and that's what makes you an amazing captain" his eyes were shining, Shay's opinion meant a lot to him.
"You don't like Vivi very much" Luffy suddenly stated, "No, I don't," she said without regret, "Then why are you helping Vivi," waiting for a response, he probably already knew.
"You know, I have actually nothing better to do. So, let me help you help her" she said before smirking and he looked at her, "But you don't like her".
"That's true, but I love you and I would do anything to help you," Shay said with a bright smile, and Luffy's easily rivaled hers.
This was the second time she stayed with him. Shay didn't know what it was but why was it so hard to say no to him? He had his crew, and she knew he didn't need her like he used to, but he wanted her here regardless and it warmed her heart.
They just walked in silence while looking at each other from time to time almost and knew what the other was thinking. Luffy would always have a special place in her heart, he was a gift that made 17 years away from her other family seem somehow worth it.
Rainbase was appearing right in front of them. Luffy and Usopp ran ahead to get some water so the rest of them sat down near a water spring. "What are we going to do now" Sanji questioned, "Simple, we'll beat Crocodile," Shay said casually.
Before anyone could say anything, they heard their two crewmates running towards them with Smoker right behind them. "Let's go. Vivi, where is Crocodile" Luffy asked as she pointed at the giant pyramid and everybody split up to shake off the marines.
Shay ended up with Usopp and they were blocked by marines, "Shayla, I know you can do it" he said in full confidence.
"Alright, you are a sniper, right? So, cover me if anything happens" she started tramping on the ground to make the enemy lose balance as she blew them away with her wind. "Great job! Just as I instructed" Usopp praised himself as she slapped him over the head, "let's go over there".
At the entrance, they met up with Zoro and Nami as Luffy yelled at them to go inside. Crocodile was basically inviting them in and with every step, Shay felt there was an underground layer. She was guessing that the place the boss was and that the only way to really meet him was to play along.
That's why she didn't do anything when the floor just opened up and everyone went down, and they were now in a cage. "What a clever trap" Luffy started, "Indeed, there was no way we could have avoid it" Usopp agreed while touching the bars.
Nami disagreed wholeheartedly and started screaming at them.
Luffy suddenly lost his energy and Smoker hit him with his jitter and started to explain it. Shay got angry and kicked him hard into the cage, "Don't do that to him, bastard".
He was struggling to get up and he looked at her, "What's Whitebeard pirates' Hell Bender doing with Straw Hat," he couldn't do anything against her because she was a lot stronger, "None of your business, marine" she kicks him again.
"Wow, Shay I didn't know you were that strong" Nami praised, "But how were you able to touch him" Luffy questioned, "Will power" she simply stated and sat down on one of the benches next to Zoro.
"You should try to get along considering that you all are dying together," a deep voice said from the other side of the cage.
The shichibukai came to them with a big confident smile and had a boring conversation with Smoker about good and bad, marines, and pirates… Blah blah blah.
She looked at him, So, he finally decided to show himself? She observed him. He was a tall man with a scar across his face and had a smug smile on his face. As if he'd already won. Crocodile wasn't one of the shichibukais she met, and she wasn't even sure he was one 7 years ago.
Shayla looked over the cage and she already knew a way out of here. No cage could really hold her. The only thing preventing her from doing it right now was her curiosity about what Crocodile's goal was.
Because she refused to believe he just wanted to take over the country.
There was just no way he would go to this length to make the people believe he was the hero, just to sit on the throne without ulterior motives. When it clicked for her, there had to be secrets the king was hiding for him to be interesting.
But what was worth it enough to go through at least 3 years of planning?
He didn't seem like the person to care unless it was that important. Shay doubted the princess knew and even if she did there was no way she would tell.
Shay sighed, there went her chance to find anything exciting in this country. Then she just had to settle for stopping a civil war. She was disappointed.
Her attention went to Luffy and Usopp who made Sanji and Zoro impression which she laughed at "That's quite good", Shay said before Nami punched the two of them for not taking it seriously and Zoro for being carefree while he slept. 'yep, a funny crew' she thought smiling before leaning back and closed her eyes.
"I've wanted to get my revenge on Whitebeard for some time now" Crocodile started she didn't open her eyes, "Well, it's not my fault that you are too weak to do so". He didn't take his eyes off her, "I just found another way to hurt him even deeper than his death. That is to kill his precious daughter."
Luffy and his crew stepped in front of Shayla with protectiveness, ignoring the daughter part for now, "I won't allow you to touch her" Luffy said.
Shayla smiled and opened her eyes before stepping up to the bars, "Don't flatter yourself. There's no way I'll lose to you. You know what, I'm going to kick your ass for even thinking that you could" she said, and kicked the cage.
"There's no way you can break sea stone with devil fruit powers" he mocked but there was a small bump. Crocodile looked shocked for a second before he composed himself. She sat back down on the bench and smirked at him, "Oi, Shay, I said I was going to kick his ass", Luffy complained.
Shayla suddenly felt annoyed, and she realized why when Vivi came in with a black-haired woman. Luffy told her to let them out but instead, she ran toward Crocodile and attacked him with some weak weapon that it didn't hurt him at all.
"Tch" Shay heard beside her and she realized that Zoro was annoyed too. Crocodile turned into sand and came behind her before trapped her in a chair when he told her his plan.
It was to make the country fight itself and that their love was what would destroy it. 'Alabasta could have avoided a lot of things if they just would have trusted their king' Shayla thought.
Crocodile showed them the key to the cage and threw it into a shaft to be eaten by crocodiles and letting water get in. He told the princess that she had to choose between saving her people or saving them but was a slim chance of either.
Shay stood up and walked over to the cage with a bored expression and everyone's eyes were on her. She smirked before tramping the floor hard and the key flew up again and she blew the wind to herself. She didn't need anyone to save her.
She looked at the boss with a smirk before showing him the key now in her hand. Shay threw it to Nami so she could open the door, "Nice job, Shay. I knew you were different from these carefree idiots".
Soon they found out that the key didn't and heard Crocodile laugh, "You bastard. You like giving people false hope" Shay said pissed off.
The two partners left while letting the crocodiles out. There was suddenly a call for Crocodile, and it was Sanji tricking him as Mr. prince. For someone so smart he fell pretty quickly for the old 'get them out of the build so I can get in trick'
The banana crocodile stood tall before Vivi and she tried to fight but when it came attacking, she dodged, and it took a bite off the stairs. It was about to attack her again, but Shayla hit it in the jaw with her earth powers.
The ting fell to the floor and that gave Vivi the chance of escaping while promising to get help. The crocodiles were coming and attacking them, but the cage protected them. Which was bad considering Nami wanted it to bite it open, but its teeth broke.
Smoker told them that the woman with Crocodile was wanted from 20 years ago and that it was involving the entire world if those two worked together. Luffy didn't care because he was going to beat Crocodile so matter the reason.
"Then how do we get out of here," the marine captain asked.
Shay sighed and went over to the cage, "Sea-stone is a form of stone, right?". The other looked at her with understanding, "You think, you can break it?" Zoro asked hopeful, "There is only one way to find out" She touched the metal and felt properties of both earth and water.
She had originally thought of opening the floor up and escape that way but then she kicked it before it made her curious to see the limit of her powers.
"You're trying to break sea-stone with devil's fruit power. That's impossible" Smoker discouraged but she ignored him nothing is impossible and she didn't have a devil's fruit. Shay managed to do some bent some of it.
She stopped for a second then she saw some coming and kicking the reptile hard. That was Sanji.
"That was so cool," Shay praised as everyone cheered. "Nami-swan, Shayla-swan do you love me" he danced with heart eyes like a fool. Not have the time to answer she pulled it apart and forced the hole to be bigger until it was big enough to get out of and everybody was ready to escape.
Shay was the first one out and went over to one of the animals and kicked it so hard that it spat something out. After she went over to the hole in the wall and closed it by freezing the water coming in.
Sanji gave a weird man with 3 as hair a piece of paper and kicked him hard into a wall.
She turned around only to see Luffy and Zoro defeating the others and Vivi crying about how she couldn't even beat one of them.
"If you that frustrated, then get stronger," Shay said as she walked past them, but the glass broke, and the room was quickly underwater. The pirate girl stood in front of them and stopped the water from hitting them with her powers.
Shay made the water circle around them and a room for them to breathe it as the room was filled with water, "that's amazing" they observed with admiration. The Yonko's daughter slammed her foot down the floor and made a surface to stand on.
She made sure everyone had space to hold on to, as Shayla was ready to hurry out of there. "Shay, save him too" Luffy almost begged, she sighed and moved her wrist to get Smoker inside the spear, to breathe. He coughed a few times before looking at her angrily.
"Everybody, get ready," she said before freezing the water around them like a shield and then shot them all out of there.
A few moments later they were on land, "That was so cool, Shay" She smiled at them fondly. "Why did you save me," Smoker asked her, but Zoro blocked his jitter with his sword. "You have no right demanding an explanation for my actions. By the way, owe us now" She smirked.
The pirates ran away and Smoker 'let them go'. "Let's head for Alubarna," the young captain said. "But are we supposed to run all the way there?" Usopp asked and Nami wanted to ride the camel.
But Sanji already had a plan and Chopper came riding a giant crab. It was the camel's friend, and they all went on it. Everything went well, that was until a hook took the princess away.
Shay was about to do something but Luffy grabbed the hook and threw Vivi back to them. He told them to get her home and that he would take care of things here. Shayla wanted to do something, but she couldn't interfere with his duty as captain.
It was hard for them all and that why Zoro told Vivi to focus on the country and no matter what happened to them, she had to survive.
The rest of them rode into the sunset leaving Luffy behind.
"Zoro, you shouldn't waste your strength" Nami started, "Shut up" he responded annoyed. Sanji explained that he was worried that Luffy might actually lose but he wasn't the only one.
It had them all on edge, "He's annoyingly persistence and he wouldn't be dead until he's beaten Crocodile" Shay said as comfort to the crew.
Shay closed her eyes slowly drifting into sleep
-x-
She woke up when they hit the water and Sanji caught her. To Shayla this was one of the worst ways to get up and noticed everyone started swimming, "What's going on" she asked the man, "Oh, Shayla-san you okay? The crab can't swim so the only thing we can do is to swim ourselves".
"But he's a crab?" she said confused, "That's what I said" Usopp yelled in front of her. Shay sighed and soon an ugly fish tried to attack them, but some cute but weird creatures defeated it.
They pulled it along while the pirates rode on it but to Shay, it was going way too slow, so she moved it forward faster with her powers.
Soon they arrived at the other side of the river and the small crew didn't know how to get through the desert. Shay thought it was funny how they just charging to Alubarna without any kind of planning.
She went over to one of the stone pillars and kicked it in half, "Everyone, get on" she said while jumping up herself. But before anyone could do anything something was heading towards them in the distance, and suddenly weird creatures stood in front of them.
Everyone except Hell Bender was already on it back, "What are you waiting for, Shay. Get on" Nami asked. She hesitantly went over to one of them and observed it, "What is it even" she asked maybe harshly because she could somehow tell.
"Shayla-san, please we have to hurry before the rebel army gets-" Vivi said nervously, "I know" the pirate girl had to force herself because to her this thing not only looked creepy but evil.
Weird considering, they were ducks.
It was like they flew through the sand, 'they're pretty fast,' Shay thought and when they were closing in, they stopped.
They made a plan that the pirates would get baroque works away from Vivi while she would talk to the rebel army leader. It sounded simple enough. They decided to split up and ride it to the city at the different entrances and meet up when everything was done.
Shayla did as plan and saw five people close to the city. It was like they were guarding the place and preventing them from entering.
Which ended up being true.
She rode for some time and stopped. She looked behind but there was no one there. Why didn't one of them chase her so she could fight?
What was Shay going to do now?