Chapter 10

Arrival in Alabasta

Opening (if you so choose): Core Pride (from Blue Exorcist, cover by Amalee)

"Ugh," Gin moaned, trying to shade his eyes from the harsh sun as he stepped onto the deck. The familiar pain of a hangover made his vision swim, the man leaning against the wall as he shuffled his way toward the kitchen. Whispers reached him as he opened the door, a number of his crewmates also dealing with temporary sound sensitivity.

"Gin!" Luffy yelled, most of the room hunching over and covering their ears.

"Please, Don," Gin groaned with a slur, a free hand coming up to rub his forehead. "I know yer liver's stronger 'an some of ours, but please don' rub it in an' make it worse."

"It's your own fault for being such a wimp," Zoro shrugged, already halfway through a breakfast of ham and booze.

"Shut up," the tonfa-user sighed, sitting at the table as Sanji provided some food.

"Now that everyone is here," Nami began, dealing with her hangover far better than Gin, Amy, Usopp, and Vivi, "we need to make sure all of us are on the same page. For Chopper, we'll go over everything. Vivi?"

"What?" the blunette questioned, looking up from where she had been shading her eyes by hiding her face in the table. "Oh, right. So, my kingdom of Alabasta is currently trapped in a civil war because Baroque Works framed the drought we're having on my father. I infiltrated Baroque Works with Igaram, the head of castle security, two years ago to try to learn who was in charge, and we found out less than a month ago that it's Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."

"The Warlords?" Chopper asked, unaware of such matters.

"They are pirates who work for the World Government," Coby explained. "They're supposed to be so strong that the Navy essentially gives up on chasing them in return for their help in dealing with other strong pirates. It only works because some pirates don't care who they work for if they get to fight strong people or get riches."

"That's so scary!"

"Ha!" Usopp laughed, only to flinch as the loud noise aggravated his headache. He quickly lowered his volume, though not his bravado. "We can take the stupid sand-croc. We're real strong."

"He does have an entire secret organization under his control," Amy reminded them. "Most of the Millions and Billions aren't that strong, but they're bloodthirsty and there are a lot of them. Grace and I worked for Baroque Works for three years and worked with hundreds of others."

"No one in the organization knows the real name of anyone else," Zoro chuckled, still finding the idea stupid. "They're all given stupid codenames and the higher ones get numbers."

"Speaking of," Gin added, getting his language under control, "I'd like to know who we might be going up against. At least the number guys."

Grace turned to Amy, silent as she nibbled on a rice cracker. Amy sighed, deciding she would have to answer despite Grace having been the highest rank of the three former agents. That she was also the youngest and laziest made the situation ironic in hindsight.

"Originally, there were 14 special pairs that answered directly to Crocodile, through everyone only knows him as Mr. 0, and his partner Ms. Allsunday. Under him are the Mr. 1 through Mr. 13 pairs, and most of them are made of a male and female agent. My partner was Mr. 5 and Grace's was Mr. 3. Vivi was paired with Mr. 9 and her guard was Mr. 8. Between those and the Mr. 13 pair that Sanji killed on Little Garden, that leaves eight pairs, Croc, and his partner."

"What can you tell us about them?" Zoro urged.

"We don't have to worry about the Mr. 6, 10, 11, or 12 pairs," Vivi offered. "They are the ones in charge of maintaining the networks in the Blues. It would take them too long to get to Alabasta to be any threat to us."

"That leaves the 1, 2, 4, and 7 pairs that we might meet," Amy picked up. "Mr. 1 is paired with Ms. Doublefinger, and both have Devil Fruits. Mr. 2 is his own partner, which I do not understand since I haven't met him. Mr. 3 was left on Little Garden with Mr. 5 when we joined the crew. Mr. 4 is paired with Ms. Merrychristmas, and they have a pair of Fruits, but he isn't one of them?"

"It's his dog," Grace piped up. "Lasso's a good boy."

"And then the Mr. 7 pair is him and Ms. Fathersday. They specialize in guns."

"If I may ask," Nami said, "why did you two join Baroque Works in the first place? I mean, you seemed pretty eager to join us."

"We didn't join for the cause, if that's what you mean," Amy sighed. "We ended up with them three years ago after they rescued us. Grace and I come from a small island in the South Blue called Greenbank. The population was small and close-knit; no more than 200 people, give or take. When that winter came, it was especially bad. All the winter crops we had couldn't stand the cold and a virus worked its way through the people. I managed to get over it and Grace didn't get sick, but our parents – who were best friends – didn't make it. Grace and I lived with a group of other orphans for about a month before pirates attacked. They called themselves the Greedy Dog Pirates and they took us to sell us as slaves on the Grand Line."

"That's awful!" Vivi gasped.

"Those bastards!" Sanji fumed, everyone else's eye's narrowing at the information.

"Grace and I came into the Grand Line in their hold, but their first stop was one of Baroque Works' island bases. They freed us, so us and the other orphans chose to join them. That was about three years ago. I was 17 and Grace was 13."

"You're 16?" Gin balked, his head swiveling to stare at Grace. "I thought you were 12 or somethin'."

Grace blinked, not responding.

"We can't be that surprised," Nami offered. "Despite his looks, Coby's also 16."

"Yeah, I- Hey! Despite my looks?"

"If you don't mind me asking," Chopper jumped in, "what was the name of that virus?"

"I don't remember," Amy answered, shaking her head. "Between my parent's deaths and being kidnapped, I've blocked out most of the memories. To be honest, I don't even know if Greenbank is still there."

"Oh." Chopper's face fell.

"Well, you're with us now," Nami smiled, grabbing one of Amy's hands. "I know we didn't get along before, but you're our crewmate now, so let's have a fresh start, ok?"

"Ok." Amy smiled, Grace settling into a smug smirk now that her choice to join the crew with her sister was irreversible. "I'm Amy Palant, a sadist and chocolatier who ate the Kilo-Kilo Fruit. I will do anything to protect my little sister Grace. She's a lazy artist who loves painting and rice crackers."

"You're stuck with us now," Gin chuckled, glancing at the practically-vibrating form of their captain. "No take-backs."

"One of us!" Luffy yelled, throwing his hands up as the still-hungover flinched.

"Why don't we get moving?" Coby suggested. "Merry isn't going to sail herself to Alabasta."

"Coby's right," Vivi agreed, some hesitation in her voice since the bright light outside would do her no favors in her current state.

"Let's get moving," Nami nodded, standing. "All hands on deck. And that includes you, Zoro!"

"Thank you so for saving my life!" Most of the crew stared in equal parts confusion and horror as a reedy man in far too much make-up, puffy clothing that defied definition, and ballet shoes twirled on the toes of his left foot. Two decorations shaped like swans sat on his shoulders and his pink coat read "Bon Clay" on the back in kanji, barely distracting from his hairy and exposed legs. "I was so certain my life was going to come to such a sudden and tragic end, but what happens but you all find me! Snatching me from the vile jaws of the unforgiving ocean!"

Shortly after the Merry continued on her way, the Straw Hat Pirates came upon an area of the sea with stream rising from its surface. Much to Chopper's awe, Nami explained that there was an underwater volcano below it, and that it would become a new island in a few hundred years. Though the steam itself was harmless, it did taste like rotten eggs, an outcome they were unprepared for. In the midst of this steam, cries for help echoed over their starboard bow, Luffy's powers reaching for the desperate castaway immediately. He was revealed as soon as the steam cleared, leaving the crew here, with the man dancing.

"Uh," Coby blinked, trying not to let the man's wardrobe get to him. "Why were you in the middle of the ocean?"

"My tale is one of woe!" the... person cried. "You see, I was practicing my ballet for my crew upon my ship when that wretched steam appeared! In the confusion, one of my jeté took me too far and I plunged into the sea. But perhaps it was fate!"

"Is your crew nearby," Sanji tried, hope clear in his voice. "Please tell me you know where they are so we can get ri- er, get you back to them."

"Alas, I do not know!" Ballet Okama answered, turning with a pirouette to face the chef. Said chef shivered, silently wishing he could be in the kitchen with Grace and Gin, the latter of whom was apparently suffering from a minor case of alcohol poisoning. "It seems I must wait for their arrival. In the meantime, would you folks like to see a trick?"

"Yes!" Luffy yelled, instantly answering for the crew, through Usopp and Chopper were quick to echo his cry.

"Then, my friends, watch this!" the man's right arm shot forward, smacking Luffy in the face. The captain squawked, the force wrenching him from between Usopp and Chopper and into the wall behind them.

"Hey!" Chopper gasped.

"What was that for, you jerk!" Usopp agreed.

"Jerk!" the doctor echoed. "Really rude jerk!"

"Slow down, my friends!" the okama said, his voice calming. "That was simply the set-up, for my personal talents require me to either touch a person's face or simply memorize it after many hours. Behold!"

With his set-up established, the womanly man placed his left hand on his own cheek. His form blurred for a second before the face replaced itself with an exact copy of Luffy's, though the okama's clothes were still something of a fashion nightmare.

"Woah!" the Kiddy Trio gasped, enthralled.

"Wait, you said you couldn't swim," Coby realized as the man – who had yet to give his name, the Ancient Zoan noted – tapped both Usopp and Chopper. "You have a Devil Fruit."

"I do, I do!" the guest responded, spinning to tap Nami, a sleeping Zoro, and Amy. Sanji, for his part, backed away while Coby was out of reach. Their guest's form shifted again, becoming Usopp. "This is the power of the Clone-Clone Fruit!" He became Chopper, shrinking down to the deer's Brain Point height. "I can change my appearance to many different forms." He became Zoro. "So many people in the world," – He became Amy, – "and I can become anyone famous." He turned into a tan man somewhere in the older age range, smile lines by his eyes and a distinctive beard that matched his neck-length, curly black hair. Hidden behind most of the Straw Hats where no one could see her, Vivi swallowed a gasp. "And it's not just the faces, but their obvious body parts as well." He shifted into Nami before opening the front of his shirt, revealing an impressive sight to the male population on the deck. Though it was only visible for all of a single second on account of the original rushing forward with righteous feminine fury, both Luffy and Sanji were blown backwards by nosebleeds, their bodies hitting the deck with a thump.

"Honestly, that's such a waste of your power," Amy noted, the okama donning his original face with an added black eye.

"Come again?" he asked.

"It's a waste," Amy repeated. "You're treating your ability like it's a Zoan, but I'd bet my umbrella that it's-"

"It's a Paramecia, isn't it?!" Chopper interrupted, his eyes taking on a whole new type of sparkle. "Amy's right! Based on the powers you've shown us, your Fruit can't possibly be a Zoan or a Logia! Though Doctor Vegapunk's A Comprehensive Guide to Devil Fruits names those types as the more powerful initially, he also notes that Paramecias are the ones most difficult to pin down or counter! They are only limited by the user's imagination!"

"Well, most of them," Amy agreed. "Sure, some things like our Captain's Fruit are cut-and-dry, but it's how you use it that make it strong. Your word is 'Clone', so clone things."

"I… I see!" the okama gaped. "Of course! Oh great miracle-worker Ivankov, how could I have been so blind? I have been using my powers for espionage and parlor tricks when it could be so much more!" Reaching to his shoulder, the dancer removed one of the swans, cradling the decoration in his hands. His eyes narrowed as he focused, a visible drop of sweat beading on his brow before rolling down, carving a line through his make-up. The face of the swan wavered before settling, unchanged save for the second beak under the first.

"It worked!" he cried, flinging wide his arms to bring Amy into a hug that twirled her in a circle. He planted a kiss right on her lips in his excitement, the blonde pushing him away with a disgusted grunt, green lipstick smeared on her lips. She tried to rub it off.

The okama, undeterred by her lack of enthusiasm, danced.

"Captain!" a chorus of voices called, a ship with a swan figurehead pulling up alongside the Going Merry. "Captain, we found you!"

"Oh, my brave crew!" the okama smiled. "This is where we must part, my friends, but I know that the winds of fate will have is meet again! Until then! Un, deux, trois!" With another jeté, the dancer leapt to his own ship. "Set sail!"

"Yes sir, Mr. 2, Mr. Bon Clay, sir!"

"What?" Nami gasped, a strangled sound like a drowning cat clawing its way from Amy's throat. The rest of the crew reacted with various forms of shock, unable to do any more as the apparent Baroque Works Number Agent sailed away.

"Th-That was…" Coby tried.

"And you just made him stronger!" Usopp yelled, rounding to point a finger at the Kilo-woman. "You're still on their side!"

"I am not!" Amy shot back, her anger at herself now coming out on a different target. "How was I supposed to know? I'd never met him before!"

"He didn't tell us his name," Coby whispered, his voice still carrying to the others. Coby sucked in a breath, repeating himself again with a little more confidence. "He never told us his name. I should have said something before, but it all happened so fast, and now he can turn into any of us."

"Not all of us," Sanji offered, lighting a fresh cigarette. "He didn't get you or me or Vivi-chwan, and Gin and Grace-chan missed this whole thing."

"I should have stopped him," Vivi muttered. "He… That face… That face he showed us that wasn't one of yours, that was my father's face. He has my father's face!"

"So?" Luffy asked, stepping forward. "He's one of those broke guys, right. If we see him again, we'll kick his ass while we stop Croc. Maybe he'll be a friend like Gin and Grace and Amy, maybe not, but we'll do that later."

The deck froze as Luffy's little speech came to an end, the crew staring at him in shock.

"What? Is there meat on my face?"

"That was actually really profound, Luffy," Nami offered, breaking the surprised silence.

"I'm not sure if 'really' is the correct modifier there," Coby muttered.

"A pro found me? What's he do? Is it a pro cook? I really hope it's a pro cook."

"Aaaaand the moment's gone," Usopp sighed.

"Sanji, I'm hungry! Give me meat!"

"Hold up!" Nami ordered, grabbing the back of Luffy's shirt before he could race for the kitchen. "Now that Mr. 2 has our faces, we can't do nothing. We need some way to make sure we don't get fooled."

"We can figure that out while we eat," Luffy shrugged. "Come on!"

"Land ho!" Sanji called from the crow's nest, his announcement pulling the rest of the crew from their various tasks around the ship. The temperature noticeably rose as the Merry drew closer, the desert kingdom rising from the horizon like a great, tan line. On the shore stood a bustling city with a sprawling area of docks, ships of all sizes and makes bobbing in the water.

"It's Nanohana," Vivi said, a nostalgic sigh escaping her at the sight. She leaned forward, her hands resting on the rail as she watched her kingdom near. "It's been two whole years since the last time I was here."

Her hands shifted to a cloth wrap tied around her left wrist, a wrap shared by every human (or part human) in the crew. They held a contingency for facing Mr. 2 should it come to it. Even with the crew's special tattoos, there was no guarantee that the clone-man couldn't copy them.

The princess was snapped out of her musings as a small hand tugged on her sleeve, the blunette looking down to see Grace chewing on a rice cracker. The painter looked up to make eye contact, only to turn toward the shore and point.

"Familiar," the redhead said

"What?" Vivi questioned, recognition flashing across her face. "Shit. That's Mr. 3's ship in the harbor."

"I thought you said you all left him on Little Garden," Chopper blinked.

"He and Mr. 5 must have found a way back," Amy frowned. "They probably got past us while we were on Drum Island, but how? It takes a year for a log pose to reset there."

"It's possible that there are log poses from other crews that didn't survive," Coby offered with a thoughtful tilt of his head and a hand on his chin.

"Why didn't we think of that?" Nami sighed, only for a yelp to escape her as Luffy rushed past like a missile. He didn't make it too far before crashing into the water with a splash, but his reasoning was explained through the lingering echo of "food!" hanging in the air.

"You dumbass!" Nami, Zoro, Sanji, and Gin chorused.

"Wah!" Carue agreed.

"I'll save you!" Chopper yelled, shifting into his Heavy Point and diving over the side.

"You can't swim!" Coby tried, his warning too late. His hand rose, pressing against his forehead in aggravation as his gaze turned to the sky. "Oh, for the love of-! Goddess Namaka, you may hate them and you may hate me now, but please forgive them their failure to think."

"What that a prayer?" Usopp blinked, Gin diving into the water after their captain and doctor. "I don't think I've ever heard you pray before, Coby."

"I don't do it too often," the roset responded. "Mowan's gods are mostly focused on the ocean, which doesn't help me when I can't swim now. I haven't been able to actively do anything for years, anyway. For a time, I thought they'd forsaken me."

"That's… kind of morbid," the sniper frowned.

"Well, we've recovered Luffy and Chopper," Nami interjected, "so I guess we can start making plans to go get supplies. Luffy's going to want to run off, so I'd like someone to go with him to at least try to keep him out of trouble."

"I'll do it," Coby offered quickly, looking for something to distract himself just as much as he wanted to keep his captain out of trouble, like jumping into the water again. "I don't have any interest in going shopping for supplies. I trust you all don't need another pair of hands."

"I'll go, too," Grace piped up, pulling her bottle of green paint from her bag. "My paint can calm him down so he doesn't-"

"Food!"

SPLASH

"…Do that."

"Namaka, give me strength," Coby sighed, the Merry finally floating into the harbor as Gin, with a sigh, jumped in to fetch their captain once more. "Please let that paint work."

Coby and Grace trailed behind a calm, quiet Luffy as the behatted teen walked though the streets of Nanohana. His eyes were closed, the pirate captain following the smell of tasty food for his path. Grace couldn't help but stare at the sight, a swirl of her Calming Green painted across his back.

"So," Coby began in order to break the silence, pulling the artist from her thoughts, "have you ever been to Alabasta before?"

Grace shifted her head just enough to see the Zoan in the edge of her vision, considering the question.

"No,," she answered with a small shake of her head. "Mr. 3 said a lot about Alabasta, but I don't know how much was true now."

"Vivi told us that it's a desert country with little rain. They are one of the original members of the World Government and the ruling family are the Nefertari Family. Other than that, we only know that Crocodile has a base here somewhere and is planning a takeover."

"Ok." Grace turned her head as they continued, studying the surroundings in order to paint them later. Landscapes were a basic skill of any artist, but range in such artwork was more difficult than the average viewer thought. Silence stretched between them,

"...My swords were made here," Coby offered, uncomfortable with the silence.

"Really?" That was actually an interesting piece of trivia.

"Yeah," Coby nodded. "I bought them back in Loguetown in the East Blue. I knew Alabasta was a desert kingdom from what I'd seen in the papers, so I decided to call them the Sabaku no Kiba, the Desert's Fangs. I thought it would be appropriate."

"But this is your first time here."

"I'd like to meet the blacksmith that made them, but it's a big country and we don't have time to spare to go looking."

"Maybe when we're done, you can go looking."

"We found it," Luffy interrupted, bringing the trio to a stop before a simple, small bar without a visible name. Following his nose, Luffy stepped inside while Coby and Grace glanced at each other.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Coby sighed before the two followed their captain.

Contrary to his normal energy, the Calming Green paint on Luffy made him quietly enter the bar, coming to a stop behind the person in the center of the bar facing the counter. It was a bear of a man wearing a fur-lined jacket in white colors despite the heat. A blue jutte was strapped to his back.

"I don't care that you aren't here to pillage," the man was saying, his gruff voice sending a shiver down Coby's spine, though he had not ever seen the man. "You are a wanted pirate and it's is my job to take you in."

"Aw, don't be like that," the man the marine was presumably talking to waved off. "I'm just here waiting for someone I want to check up on. Besides, a fight between us would cause damage but go nowhere."

While Coby reacted to the voice of the marine, Luffy reacted to the voice of the other man. Ignoring the lawman, Luffy stepped around him without a care to see the one sitting at the counter. The man who was sitting seemed to be in his late teens to early 20's with a mop of jet-black hair under an orange hat. His grinning face was a splash of freckles under his dark eyes that danced with excitement. He wore no shirt to show off his toned torso and six-pack. His shorts were orange in color to match his hat and khaki-style to provide a plethora of pockets. Completing his outfit were black shoes and hat decorations in the form of a happy face and frowny face pair of buttons.

"Despite your words, you are a pirate. I cannot let you-"

The marine's words fizzled as Luffy stepped around him, walking up to his fellow behatted pirate before wrapping his arms around him.

"Luffy!" the pirate laughed, returning the hug.

"Hey, Ace. It's been a while."

"Did you get my message?"

"What message? We just got here from Drum."

"But that's where… Nevermind. Lu, you're acting weird," Ace muttered, concerned. "Did something happen to you after I left?"

"Oh, that," Luffy blinked. "I've got mystery paint on my back that's making me calm or something."

"It's chemistry, not mystery," Coby heard Grace whine beside him. On the other side of the bar, Ace reached around Luffy's back to smear the paint affecting him.

"Ace!" Luffy jumped, tackling Ace to the floor with all his pent-up energy. "It's been too long, Ace! I've missed you so much!"

"That's better!" Ace laughed, ruffling Luffy's hair.

"What is this?" the marine demanded, smoke rising from the sleeves of his shirt. "No. That doesn't matter. The fact is that my prey has come before me. I'm here for you, 'Straw Hat' Luffy."

"Do I know you?" Luffy questioned, a visible vein growing on the marine's forehead. "Wait, you're Smokey from Log place!"

"That's Captain Smoker from Loguetown, pirate!" Smoker's arms dissipated, turning into smoke that hovered around him. Other patrons of the bar screamed, fleeing out the door whether they had paid for their food or not. "'Straw Hat' Luffy and "Fire Fist' Ace. I don't need to go into the extensive list of what you've done, Fire Fist, but you, Straw Hat, ruined my perfect streak at Loguetown, but that man isn't here to save you. For crimes against the World Government, you are both under arrest. White Snake!"

Luffy dove to the side, preemptively dodging the sudden attack. Behind the marine, Coby and Grace readied themselves for a fight.

The hand that reached for the pirates was met by a pillar of fire, the two attacks cancelling each other's forward motion. The smoke and fire spiraled, wrestling with each other until the rising heat blasted a hole in the roof and raised the temperature of the room a few degrees.

"Ah ah ah," Ace taunted, wagging his burning finger as if he were scolding a naughty child. "Bad. You aren't allowed to lay a hand on my baby brother."

"Baby brother?!" Smoker, Coby, and Grace gasped in unison.

"Cool!" Luffy grinned. "Did you eat a Devil Fruit, Ace?"

"I sure did," Luffy's apparent brother nodded. "It's a Logia called the Flame-Flame Fruit."

"Ace!" Luffy jumped to his feet, grabbing his older brother's arm. "I want you to meet my crew! I've got my own ship and everything!"

"Do not ignore me!" Smoker demanded, launching another attack. His hand, however, almost immediately curved upward and behind him, slamming into a red swirl painted in the corner of the room. He turned, confusion written on his face, only for his next punch to do the same thing. "What the Hell is this?"

"Color Trap: Bullfight Red," Grace yawned, already replacing her paints in her satchel. "Until you get some help, you can't attack anywhere else."

"And you are?" the marine demanded.

"Come on!" Luffy yelled, leaving Smoker's question unanswered. The pirate captain wrapped his rubbery arm all the way around Ace's waist, dragging him out of the establishment, leaving Smoker, Grace, and Coby behind.

"You can't get away from me, Straw Hat!"

"… He's gone," Coby realized with a blink. "Aw, crap. Grace…" He turned to the artist, only to find her staring at a plate of onigiri on the counter. Seeming to feel his gaze, the artist turned to him, pointing at the plate without a word. Coby sighed. "Fine, what do you want?"

"That."

Trying to ignore the Captain for the moment, the roset stepped up to the counter where the owner was cowering. The man swallowed, afraid that this kid with the swords would do something to him considering he came in with Straw Hat and the girl with the paint.

"A plate of onigiri, please," Coby ordered, dropping money on the counter. With shaky hands, the man pushed a plate to the teen. Coby took it with quiet thanks, carrying it back to his companion who took it from him. While she sated her hunger, Coby turned his attention to the Logia glaring at them.

"Marine Captain Smoker!" Coby began, snapping into a salute he had perfected over the many years since his parents' deaths. "Greetings!"

"…What is this, some sort of bad joke?" Smoker asked.

"No joke, sir. I just want to thank you for the work that you do, limited as you are. Even so, I would like to tell you something while you are forced to listen to me. Once upon a time, I wanted to be a marine, back before a pirate saved me. That was before I realized that the government was corrupt and that I could do more good outside the law than within it. Please consider my words and do not blindly follow your orders. Question the morality of what they tell you to do. Thank you."

Coby dropped his salute, walking back over to Grace who was on her last rice ball. She quirked an eyebrow as he approached.

"What?"

"Talking to the marine?"

"It's a personal thing," Coby began, walking past her to the door. "Back before I met Captain Luffy, I…" He trailed off, the space behind him empty. He turned, seeing Grace standing where she had been. "Are you coming?"

"I don't feel like walking, Coby."

The roset blinked. "Really? Now?" Grace shrugged, causing her companion to let out a heavy sigh. His face turned to the ceiling, two fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine, I'll carry you back to the ship."

"'Kay." Without argument, Grace settled onto Coby's back, resting her chin on the top of his head.

"I can't believe you," the Zoan grumbled. His words, however, were not able to cover the laugh of one of the patrons as they left.

"Poor kid. He's whipped and doesn't even know it."

Coby's face burned, the teen all too aware of the heat in his cheeks as the two young pirates left the bar behind.

"Nami-swan~! Vivi-chwan~!" Sanji's voice called, attracting the attentions of the female pirate and princess currently tucked inside the broken walls of a stone building destroyed in a recent pirate attack yet to be rebuilt. Said building was next to the market, close enough that it was something of an agreed meeting point since the crew had gone their separate ways to prepare for their trip into the desert. Sanji, his legs like a tornado and his arms like noodles, approached the girls, offering the bags he was carrying. "I bought those clothes you needed, Vivi-chwan~!"

"Thank you, Sanji," the blunette nodded, accepting the blue bag the chef offered. Her smile only lasted until the pulled the clothing out to take a look at it. "Wait a minute. These are skimpy dancer outfits!"

"Aren't they marvelous?" the blond nodded. "I tried to image you and Nami-swan and Amy-chwan in them, but I know my imagination won't compare to the real sight!"

"I hope this wasn't the sort the deal where you pay more for less cloth," Nami frowned, studying her own outfit. "I mean, we're gonna be covered up, and it might also help us keep cool..."

"I… Well, yes," Vivi conceded. "That's true."

"Try them on," Sanji insisted, steam coming from his nose. "I need to know if I got the measurements right!"

"I don't know if I want them to be right or wrong," the princess flinched.

"Try them on!" Sanji insisted.

"Fine," the navigator responded, dragging Vivi behind a tall part of the wall so they could change in private. They emerged a moment later, Vivi's outfit was mostly blue while Nami's was closer to a dark purple, both with golden accents. The blunette shuffled uncomfortably, unused to showing so much skin. Sanji, however, adored them both.

"You're gorgeous!" the blond noodled. "Oh be still, my heart!"

"I can't believe I'm wearing this," Vivi grumbled.

"I can't wait until Amy-chwan tries hers on as well."

"I'm sure it won't bother her," Nami commented, far less embarrassed than their crew's… is client the proper word? "As long as you didn't buy one for Grace."

"I didn't," the chef answered. "They didn't have any in her size."

"That shouldn't be your reason!" Vivi exclaimed. "Grace is too young to be wearing something like this!"

"Well, she looks young, but she is 16," Nami thought aloud. "She's only a few years younger than us."

"I… but…"

"Anyway, it's good that Sanji couldn't find one for her, even if I think she wouldn't mind wearing it if Coby was watching."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You haven't noticed?" Sanji blinked. "I've caught them glancing at each other when the other isn't looking every hour since we left Drum."

Their conversation, however, was interrupted by yelling in the distance, Zoro and Usopp jumping a wall and hiding behind it. Both were trying to steady their breathing.

"What did you do?" Nami accused.

"What makes you think we did anything?" Usopp hissed, spying over the wall where a blue-haired woman had a sword drawn. "And keep your voice down or she'll find us."

"She who?" another voice asked. The pirates jumped, their response scaring Chopper who also jumped with a scream. His surprise had the adverse effect of attracting the attention of whomever Zoro and Usopp were running from.

"There you are, Roronoa! Come fight me, you sexist coward!"

"I didn't pull my punches because you're a woman, you copycat!" Zoro immediately shot back, giving away his position.

"What the Hell are you getting us into?" Nami demanded, much of the crew jumping back as the woman's sword slashed an entrance through the broken wall.

"She's beautiful!" Sanji danced.

"She's a marine, dumbass!" Zoro rebuffed, drawing Wado Ichimonji to catch Tashigi's blade. "I don't care if you think she's pretty!"

"Everyone, let's meet back up at the ship," Vivi advised, a company of marines flooding in from the surrounding streets. "It'll be easier to lose them if we split up."

"Good enough for me," Nami agreed. "Run!"

Taking the the women's advice, Zoro pushed Tashigi over and turned, running the opposite direction of Sanji.

"Wait a second," Luffy frowned, studying the crowd of armed men that had surrounded him and his brother in one of the wider back alleys. "This isn't the way to the docks… is it?"

"Really," the man who seemed to be the leader of the men asked. "A small army surrounds you, and you're worried about being lost?"

"Yeah. We've got places to be."

"I apologize for my baby brother," Ace commented, though he didn't sound very sorry. "So, who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Well…" The goon seemed taken aback by the polite response, but quickly shook that off. "Listen up. 'Straw Hat' Luffy and 'Fire Fist' Ace, you both have bounties on your heads. I'm what you call a Billion in the organization I work for, but killing you both would prove my skill and earn me a promotion. Nothing personal."

"Oh, you're one of Croc's guys," Luffy nodded, visible confusion passing through the crowd. "If you want a fight, I'll give you one. Gum-Gum Pistol!"

"What are you-?" The Billion didn't get to finish his question, Luffy's fist planting itself in his face. The force launched him backward and up, the man crashing through a second-story window.

"Wow, Lu!" Ace laughed. "You sure have gotten stronger since I left!"

"More than that has changed," Luffy commented, unconcerned as the rest of the Billions charged in. Luffy ducked as a pair of swords cut the air above him, one continuing on to slash through Ace. The man didn't move, the sword causing him no damage on account of his Logia constitution. Ace smiled, spiking his powers so the sword melted completely as it left him, the steel splattering in the sand and dirt at their feet. "Wow, Ace! That was awesome!"

"That was nothing, Lu! These guys are nothing compared to what I've seen in the three years since I left. I've got this friend, Ya-"

"Die, freaks!" The cracks of gunfire echoed through the street, a volley of bullets converging on the two pirates. Predictably, the bullets had no effect on the brothers, one reflecting them back while the other let them pass through, hitting the bounty hunters on the other side.

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed, the Billions in disarray. "You guys are stupid! Don't you know that freaks are strong?"

"It's only a couple of pirates!" another Billion yelled, charging in with his sword. Ace reacted in a moment, almost before the man had moved. With fingers tipped with some sort of black substance, not that Luffy could see, Ace caught the weapon.

"Wh-What the Hell?" the sword's wielder stuttered, trying with all his might to pull his blade free with no luck. Ace squeezed, shattering the blade.

"They sure don't make them how they use to, eh, Lu?" Ace asked, the brothers almost casually continuing down their path in the direction of the docks. Or at lease, Luffy hoped that was the way they were going.

"Yup," the captain agreed. "This is nostalgic."

"Since when did you know a word like nostalgic? I know that's not one we used on Mount Corvo."

"Nami taught it to me," Luffy answered, punching a Billion out of their path. "She uses big words sometimes, so she teaches them to me."

"And Nami is...?"

"My girlfriend."

Ace stumbled, shocked, two blades passing through his head harmlessly. He recovered quickly, kicking his foes away before running up to catch his baby brother.

"You?" Ace blinked. "You got a girlfriend? How the Hell did that happen? Tell me about her."

"I beat up the guy holding her captive," Luffy shrugged. "Nami's my crew's navigator. She's got really pretty brown eyes and orange hair."

"I can't wait to meet her."

"She's awesome, but my whole crew is really interesting. We've got two swordsmen, one that fights with three swords and wants to be the world's greatest swordsman and his student who fights with two and can turn into a dinosaur. Then we've got our perverted cook, Sanji. I got him from a floating restaurant. At the same time, I recruited a member from the Krieg" - he spat out the name - "Pirates named Gin. And we've got a liar who's a really good shot. After getting to the Grand Line, I gained three more members. Two of them are sisters, one with a Devil Fruit, and a doctor. Get this! Our doctor is a reindeer."

Ace laughed. "You don't say. That's, what, ten of you? I guess that's a pretty good-sized crew you got there."

"Yeah, but I'm still looking for a musician."

"Would you consider joining the Whitebeard Pirates?"

"You know Whitebeard?" Luffy may be oblivious to most things, but even he'd heard of the famous Whitebeard, if only through Coby.

"Yeah, I'm a member of his crew. See this mark?" The flame-man gestured to his back which was covered in a tattoo of Whitebeard's famous jolly roger, a skull with a large white mustache over a cross of the same color. "This here is my pride and joy. He's like a father to me. That's why I'm going to help him become the King of the Pirates. Sorry, Lu."

"I guess I'll just have to fight him then." Ace only laughed in response, unsure if Luffy was serious or not. Although, with Luffy's gusto, there was a good chance Whitebeard would try to adopt him, too, even if they did fight.

"There it is!" Luffy cheered, grabbing Ace's wrist while running toward the docks. One ship they passed was a Marine vessel and Ace was sorely tempted to light it on fire, but there didn't seem to be any activity. The marines were probably out chasing pirates, the poor shmucks. The fire-human followed Luffy's gaze to a small caravel with a ram figurehead docked inconspicuously between two larger merchant ships. "That's our ship, the Going Merry!"

"Welcome back, Don Luffy," Gin greeted as the captain arrived, pulling himself and his guest up with liberal use of his rubber powers. "No problems to report, though the others aren't back yet."

"Where did they go?"

"They went out shopping shortly after you, Coby, and Grace left," the tonfa user responded.

"Speaking of, where is my sister?" Luffy, Ace, and Gin turned their attention to the crow's nest where Amy was floating down, her eyes set on their captain. They drifted just enough to see Ace, pausing over his exposed abs. Amy blushed. "And who is this?"

"Gin, Amy, this is my brother, Ace."

"You have a brother?!" Amy and Gin gaped, their jaws hitting the deck.

"You never mentioned me to you crew?" Ace questioned. "Never?"

"It… never came up," Gin offered slowly, studying their guest. He could have sworn he'd seen the man before, but he couldn't quite place it. "Welcome to the Going Merry, the ship of the Straw Hat Pirates."

"It's nice to see that Luffy's being taken care of," Ace grinned.

"Gin! Amy! We're back!"

"Speaking of siblings," Gin commented, walking to the railing where he released the rope ladder. Grace's red hair appeared first, quickly followed by the pink of Coby's as the boy climbed the ladder with the artist holding on to not fall off his back. The Zoan let out a small breath of relief as his feet hit the floorboards. Though Grace was not heavy by any stretch and Zoro's training had done wonders for Coby's strength and stamina, the distance from the restaurant where they left Smoker to the Going Merry was not short.

"I can't wait to hear your reasons for this, Pinky," Amy began, hands on her hips as she studied the boy carrying her little sister.

"She didn't want to walk," Coby tried, knowing the excuse, though true, was flimsy at best.

While her sister grilled Coby, Grace slipped off his back and padded her way to Ace, tapping on his arm to get his attention. The Whitebeard pirate turned.

"Hi," Grace began, being forced to look up just to see his face. "I like your hat."

"Thanks, kid," Ace laughed, noting that the girl had a similar hat herself. "You're the one with the paint, right? You know, I might have something for you." Slinging his bag off his shoulder, Ace reached in, rummaging around for a moment before pulling out a button similar in size to the ones on his hat. Unlike his, which had a comedy and tragedy mask in blue respectively, this one was a nice green with closed eyes and a soft smile, a look of indifference.

"Thanks," Grace nodded, taking the button. Rather than put it on her hat, she pinned it to her satchel on the strap. "I like it."

"Amy, can you go up and find the others?" Luffy asked, growing bored of waiting. "I want them to meet Ace."

"Sure, Luffy," the blonde grunted, giving Coby one more pointed glare as if to say 'I'm watching you' before opening her parasol and floating away. She settled on the top of the mast, balancing herself on the tip before scanning the parts of the city that she could see. Her eye was drawn to several small commotions causing havoc in the streets. Her eyes widening, Amy recognized those being pursued. "Godadammit."

"What is it?!"

"The Marines found them!" the blonde called down to answer her captain's question.

"How close are they?!"

Taking a breath, Amy refocused on the various chance scenes as Usopp and Carue flipped a table of jewelry at the marines chasing them. they seemed to be the closest to the docks with Nami and Vivi a couple streets away, losing the group after them by passing through what may have been the Red Light District, if the way they had to drag Sanji by his collar were any indication. Zoro and Chopper were having more trouble, running in circles while a woman with a sword led the charge after them. Amy relayed this information as best she could, well enough that Gin seemed to recognize one of the marines.

"Those are the ones from Loguetown!" the man realized. "Takashi or something. That woman has it out for Zoro because she thinks he took it easy on her on our way out."

"Oh, her," Coby blinked. "She… might want his swords, too."

"Is that supposed to be an innuendo?" Ace asked.

"What's that?" Luffy blinked. "Can you eat it? Aw, dammit! That reminds me that I didn't get any food!"

"No," Coby answered for both questions. "She wants to take Zoro-sensei's swords from him because they're Named Blades and he's a pirate. Does it look like they're getting away?"

"Not on their life with the hate-boner that marine seems to have," Amy responded.

"The what?"

"Nothing, Lu," Ace intercepted.

"Captain, I want to help," the pink-haired pirate announced. "I can find my way back easy enough and feel like I should be able to delay her long enough for Zoro-sensei and Chopper to get out."

"Oh, the best way for you to get there fast is for Luffy to throw you!" Amy piped up as Usopp arrived on the docks on Carue's back, the marines that had been on their tail nowhere to be found.

"Good idea!" the behatted teen agreed before Coby could protest, one arm wrapping around the younger boy while the other latched onto the mast below Amy. Said Devil Fruit User simply pointed her parasol in the right direction, mentioning the distance.

"Captain, I don't think-!"

Coby didn't finish sentence before Luffy let go with a cry of "Gum-Gum Catapult!"

"You're still up to your usual antics, Lu!" Ace laughed, Coby disappearing with almost a twinkle.

"Usual?" Gin choked. "As in, he did this before us?"

Meanwhile, the whistling wind tore the scream from Coby's lips, the tan landscape of roofs and canvas only a blur below him. In the distance, the telltale green of his teacher moved, fleeing from the blue and white of the marines behind. Deciding that he would try to chew his captain out later, the Zoan shifted into his Dino Mode, the form being heavier than his human shape. The increased weight curved him approach, luck landing him directly between his crewmates and the swordswoman leading the charge against them.

Coby hit the ground hard, his legs shaking from the impact and at least one of the bones on his right leg cracked. Not to the point of slowing him down – he'd cracked plenty of bones during training – but just enough to annoy him. His sudden appearance took the female marine by surprise, the blunette slamming into his flank. Coby responded quickly, roaring at the Navy's agents.

"Coby!" Chopper gasped, he and Zoro turning to see the triceratops. "What are you doing here?"

"Captain Luffy wants us back on the ship," the dinosaur commented. "Go on. I'll delay this group."

"You got this, Shrimp," Zoro nodded, starting to head deeper into the city before Chopper grabbed his sleeve to lead him the right way.

Tashigi, a Sergeant Major for a reason, recovered quickly. She unsheathed her sword, ready to resume the chase. Coby, however, would have none of that, his dinosauric tail coming down in front of her. She stepped back, her sword raised.

"Devil Fruit?" the marine asked.

"That's correct," Coby nodded, placing himself between Tashigi and the way to the docks.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "Step aside. Those pirates need to be brought to justice."

"Pardon me if our definitions of justice differ, Ms. Tashigi."

"How do you know my name?"

"Oh, right," Coby blinked, only then realizing he was still in his Dino Mode. "My apologies. My powers are still new, so I forget about my appearance sometimes. This should do it." Pushing up with his front feet so he became bipedal, Coby's body shrunk back into his Human Mode. He gave a polite bow. "This really isn't personal, Ms. Tashigi."

"You!" the marine realized. "You're that kid that was with Roronoa in Loguetown!"

"I'm Coby, Zoro-sensei's student and a practitioner of Two Sword Style."

"Wha-?" the woman gaped. "How can you be so polite as a pirate? Why are you even a student of that bastard? All pirates are evil!"

"Some, but not all," Coby countered, unsheathing his Sabaku no Kiba in an instant. "I lost my parents to pirates years ago, but Captain Luffy and Zoro-sensei changed my whole outlook on the world. I wanted to be a marine, but the World Government is messed up beyond repair, at least for those in need now. I can do more help as a pirate outside the rules and regulations. Please don't hate me for it."

"Get out of my way," Tashigi ordered, lunging forward with a downward slash. Coby caught her sword with a crossblock, bringing her growling face close. "As a swordsman, you should know how rare and powerful the swords Roronoa carries are. Such Legendary Blades do not belong in the hands of pirates."

"Such blades belong to those powerful enough and worthy," Coby countered, jumping back to gain some distance. His form grew, settling into his Hybrid Mode. "Zoro-sensei made a vow to become the strongest. I will not let you cut his dream short because of your misguided sense of justice."

"How dare you call me misguided, you pirate!" Enraged by what she considered hypocrisy, Tashigi rushed in, her Shigure shining in the sunlight. Coby, however, had been trained with a sink-or-swim method by Roronoa Zoro. In comparison, it was like she was moving through water.

His right sword caught the attack, a faint breeze playing with the pink hair on the nape of his neck. Tashigi's arms, powerful enough to fight just about any opponent from the East Blue, strained against Coby's Zoan-enhanced strength.

"You did not save a town from a tyrannical Captain," Coby argued. "You did not save an island from a pirate invasion by Kuro of a Thousand Plans, nor did you save the Baratié from Don Krieg. The marines were nowhere to assist the former Drum Kingdom or relegate the arrogant former king Wapol. At least those times, the marines were absent. At least they weren't actively assisting the pirates like the ones from Branch 16 helping Arlong."

"Shut up!" the woman yelled, pulling back only to attack with a flurry of strikes, each punctuated with another yell. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! You're lying! The Marines are Justice! Not filthy pirates like you and your coward teacher!"

"No need to be rude." Tashigi's hot anger made her sloppy, one overextension allowing Coby to land a pommel strike on her wrist. The hit forced her to let go of her sword, Shigure stabbing into the ground at the Zoan's feet while his other sword rested on Tashigi's shoulder. "I cannot force you to listen to me, but the Marines are not infallible. There are good people in the corps, but even a little power can corrupt. The good are not alone."

"Do it," Tashigi spat, glaring at the Zoan with a sword by her neck. "Kill me. Take another life like the countless others lost in this so-called Great Pirate Era."

"…No." Coby retreated, his Hybrid Mode fading as he sheathed his swords and turned around to walk away. "Captain Luffy doesn't want us to get blood on our hands when we can avoid it. Too many nightmares."

"You coward!" Tashigi hissed. "It's because I'm a woman, isn't it?" Snatching her sword from the ground, the marine charged the pirate's back. There wasn't enough time for Coby to draw his weapons, the blunette getting closer with each passing moment. Desperate, Coby shifted once more, his horns just managing to grow in time to catch Shigure's blade. Sparks sparked as steel fought against ivory bone.

Breaking the stalemate, Coby twisted, his tail catching Tashigi in the gut. While she was disoriented, Coby fled, quickly shrinking back into his Human Mode and blending into the crowds several streets over.

"Damn pirates!"

End of Chapter 10

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-SwordOfTheGods