Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I only own my OC, Aurora and Kai.
So... I had posted this chapter yesterday, but when I woke up this morning I realized I had made some errors when writing the Baroque Works meeting out. That, in turn, made me realize I'd made a mistake in the previous chapter as well. So I took this one down, fixed it, and also revised Chapter 29 again.
I didn't change much in Chapter 29, just fixed one of the newer parts I added the other day. I still recommend checking it out though, just to be safe.
Now, please enjoy!
Chapter 30
"Aaaaah…"
"Would you stop going "Aaaah Aaaah" already, Luffy?!" Nami berated the boy, fanning herself with her hand. "You're just wasting energy…"
"Aaaaah… I'm burning… can't even sweat…"
Aurora sighed. "Luffy, it's impossible for you not to sweat."
"… can't sweat…"
The angel rolled her eyes. "Forget it…"
"I can't stand the heat…" Chopper moaned, now lying on a makeshift sled. "But I'm fine in the cold…"
"It's cause you're all fuzzy." Usopp piped up, supporting himself with a walking stick. "Why don't you take that costume off?"
Chopper grew in size. "Don't mess with a reindeer, punk!"
"Gyaaaaaaaa! A monster!"
"Don't get huge like that, Chopper, or else I won't pull you!" Zoro warned.
Sanji glanced over at the blue-haired princess. "You don't seem to mind the heat, Vivi."
"I grew up here, so I'm fine, more or less."
"Why are there so many damn hills? It's like we're climbing mountains."
"This is an ancient desert. The largest dunes are over 300 M. tall." Vivi explained.
"300M…?!" Usopp was in shock. "No wonder it seems like a mountain…"
"Water." Luffy groaned, grabbing hold of the straw sticking out from the water barrel.
Nami eyed the boy carefully. "Just enough to fill your mouth, Luffy."
"Right."
Luffy took a drink, his mouth expanding from the amount of water he took in.
Aurora scowled. "Guess you should've been more specific considering he's a rubber-man."
Nami punched Luffy in the head, their captain spitting the water out. "THAT'S TOO MUCH!"
Usopp followed the navigator's lead. "GIVE IT TO ME! THAT WAS YOUR 13TH SWALLOW!"
"NO WAIT, YOU JUST DRANK! IT'S MY TURN NEXT!" Sanji joined in.
A tussle started, Luffy caught in the middle. "What the hell are you guys doing?! You made me spit it ou!"
"What was that?!"
Vivi attempted to break them up. "Don't fight! You're just wasting stamina!"
Tired, cranky, and unbearably hot, Aurora blasted the three boys with her holy power, effectively ending the fight. "That's enough! We don't have time for one of your petty squabbles!"
Zoro smirked, amused by this side of the angel. "Someone's cranky."
"Yes, I am. So if I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut."
The swordsman held his hands up in surrender, smirk still prominent on his face. "Ok, ok. No need to bite my head off."
"Hey Sanji." Luffy had popped back up. "Let's eat lunch. "Pirate Lunchbox" time."
"Nope, not till Vivi says it's okay."
"Vivi! Let's eat, I'm starving."
"But we're not even a quarter of the way to Yuba yet, Luffy."
"Jeez, you're dumb. Haven't you ever heard this proverb? "Eat when thou art hungry"."
Usopp frowned. "You just made that up."
"I understand…" Vivi caved. "Why don't we take a break when we reach the next rock?"
"Okay! Next rock… roooock?! Aaaaah."
Aurora sidled up next to the princess, speaking in a low voice. "That was pretty sneaky. If I remember correctly, according to the map, we won't see any rocks for quite some time."
Vivi shrugged. "I needed a way to motivate Luffy to keep going."
"I say… well done."
"Heavy…" Luffy moaned, dragging along the crew's supplies. "Heavy… hot…"
"You lost at Janken, so shut up and pull." Sanji wasn't sympathetic.
"Don't drop it, Luffy!" Nami chided.
"Aaaaaah…"
Usopp came to a stop, pulling his goggles down over his eyes. "All right! Rocks sighted dead ahead!"
"REALLY?!" Luffy bolted. "BREAK TIME!"
"Damn, he's fast!"
"OH NOOOO!" Luffy had only been gone seconds and was already racing back.
"Why's he coming back…?!"
"There's a bunch of dying birds back there! Come on, Chopper, heal them!"
The reindeer perked up. "O… Okay, I'm coming!"
"Birds?!" Vivi was alarmed. "Wait, Luffy! Those birds are…!"
Taking note of the princess' distress, the Straw Hat Pirates swiftly made their way to the grouping of rocks up ahead.
"ALL OUR STUFF IS GONE!"
"Oh no…"
"THERE WERE DYING BIRDS HERE, I SWEAR!"
"Warusagi are called the "Thieves of the Desert". They fool travelers and steal their luggage. I should have told you…" Vivi realized her error.
"THEY WERE PLAYING INJURED?!" Usopp couldn't believe it. "THEY'RE "SAGI"!"
"Yes. They're "Sagi"."
Sanji grabbed Luffy by the coat, yanking the boy towards him. "That was luggage for three days, Luffy! How could you let a bunch of birds steal it?! And that was all of our luggage! Without food or water, how are we going to…"
"But I was tricked, I can't help it!" Luffy got defensive.
"You're dumber than a bird!"
"What?!"
"Cut it out!" Zoro yelled at the two, taking a seat on the ground. "Let's take a rest… you're getting angry because of the heat. Chill out for a minute. We're going to get to Yuba at night, right?"
"Yes…" Vivi answered.
"If it's an oasis then we'll just have patience. We're not gonna die! Just forget about this. Thinking about it makes my throat dry up. We'll rest 10 minutes, then leave."
Strange sounds came from nearby.
Aurora perked up. 'That almost sounds like a… bird…' The angel turned her head, a group of white herons now in her line of vision. Herons that had their supplies!
"AAAAAAAHHHH!" Luffy reacted to their appearance. "THERE THEY ARE!" He charged. "GIVE US BACK OUR STUFF!"
"Gwak Gwaaaak!" the herons ran, smug looks on their faces.
"Don't follow them, Luffy!" Nami shouted. "How will you get back?!"
"Yeah, that would be even worse! Come back, Luffy!" Vivi called out.
He was long out of sight.
Sanji huffed. "That moron…"
Vivi turned to the angel next to her. "Aurora… maybe you could…"
She sighed, shedding her coat and shroud so as to release her wings. "I'll go get him. Hopefully we won't be too long. I'd rather not suffer from sun poisoning."
She crouched, leaping up into the air and spreading her wings. Aurora flapped with all her might, attempting to go fast enough so as to catch up with Luffy. Surprisingly, it didn't take all that long to reach him.
Aurora stopped, hovering in mid-air. "What the…?"
Luffy was running back towards her with a camel in tow, screaming his head off. "WAAAAAHHHHHH!"
She flew down in front of the boy. "Luffy, what's-"
Aurora got cut off, Luffy wrapping an arm around her waist and pinning her against his side. He continued to run, screaming the whole way. The angel was forced to go along for the ride. Something had spooked Luffy… but what?
Aurora glanced back, eyes growing wide when she saw something chasing after them… and it wasn't the Warusagi. A giant purple lizard had popped up from underneath the sand, stalking the two pirates and the camel running alongside them. It was the hunter… and they were the prey.
"WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Luffy continued to scream.
"WHAT IS IT NOW?!" the others were getting annoyed again.
"They're being chased…!" Nami realized.
Vivi recognized the creature immediately. "A giant Sandora Lizard!"
"IT'S HUGE!"
Aurora's head snapped towards the group. "YES, IT'S HUGE! NOW STOP GAWKING AND HELP US!"
"I suppose we should save that camel running beside him…" Sanji mused, ready to fight.
Zoro drew a sword, muttering to himself. "What star was I born under that gives me all this damn trouble?"
"Rrgh!" Luffy growled. "That's it…" He flung Aurora towards the others. "Get to safety! Gomu Gomu…"
"Tatsu…"
"Epaule…!"
"WHIP!"
"MAKI!"
"SHOOT!"
Aurora flapped her wings, catching herself in the air after Luffy had tossed her. She watched with wide eyes as all three attacks hit, the Sandora Lizard falling to the ground, dead. The others mirrored her expression, mouths agape in shock at how easily the creature went down.
Usopp sweatdropped. "T… They didn't have to go that far…"
Nami agreed. "The three of them are stronger than a monster…"
"Sanji, is this thing edible?"
"Yeah, looks like it."
"Perfect timing…"
A few minutes later, the lizard was cut into pieces and cooked.
"Whoa! Check it out… These rocks are like nature's frying pans!"
"What's up with the camel…?" Zoro asked Luffy.
"Dunno… when I was chasing the birds, he came running up. Then I saw the lizard chasing him, so I started running too."
"It doesn't look wild. It's got a saddle and everything."
"We can ride it! That'll be so nice!"
"Yeah, good thing. I bet two people could ride on it."
"You really do need camels in the desert."
Luffy began to climb into the saddle. "Okay, I'll go on fir…"
"Vwoo Vwo!" the camel bit him.
"Oww! What?!"
"I am just a passing camel. Thanks for rescuing me." Chopper translated. "I'll let you ride me, but…"
"Vwo…"
"I won't let any guys ride." Chopper finished. "That's what he says."
Luffy, Sanji and Usopp began to beat the camel up. "You stupid punk, who do you think saved your worthless life?!"
"Vwo Vwo!"
Nami shoved them away, beginning to pet the camel. "I'm sorry my bandits are so mean to you. What a good boy. What should I call you?"
The camel's eyes took on a familiar heart shape, blood dripping from its nostril. Aurora twitched, slowly stepping away. Dealing with Sanji was bad enough. She didn't need to deal with a perverse camel too.
"Idiot."
"Moron."
"Dumbass."
"Okay, how about Eyelashes?" Nami ignored the suggestions, hopping into the saddle.
"Vwo." He seemed to like the name.
Zoro sweatdropped. "That's worse than the other names."
"Aurora, Vivi! One of you get on!"
"No, I'm fine. I can still walk." Vivi politely declined.
Aurora practically shoved the princess into the saddle. "Vivi, please, I insist! Take a load off. You could use the rest. We need you in tip-top shape when we reach Yuba."
Nami eyed the angel knowingly. "Well, at least now we can get to Yuba a little faster." She snapped the reins. "Let's go, Eyelashes!"
"Vwo!" the camel took off.
"WAIT A MINUTE!"
"Hurry up, everyone! If you get lost, you'll never make it out of the desert alive!"
"Still love you, Nami~!" Sanji cooed.
"SCREW YOU!"
"IT'S A TSUNAMI!" Luffy suddenly yelled, arms flailing.
"Huh?!"
"What is it, Luffy?!"
"What is it now?!"
"Luffy, what's wrong?" Aurora cautiously made her way over, yelping as she dodged a wild swing. "Luffy!"
"Do you think that it could've been that thing?!"
Sanji turned to Usopp. "What thing…?!"
"When we stopped for the lizard meat, he also ate a cactus over there…"
"I'M DROWNING!"
"A cactus?! Like this one?" Chopper pointed.
"Yeah, one of those round ones."
"Oh no, that's a mescal cactus! It causes hallucinations!"
"What?!"
"GET READY EVERYONE, I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASSES! GOMU GOMUUUUUUU…" Luffy began to trail off, Aurora barely managing to catch the boy as he slumped over.
"Tranquilizer!" Chopper held the needle up victoriously.
Sanji gave a thumbs up. "Right! Good job, Chopper!"
"Look how far away that stupid camel is!" Usopp fretted.
"Hurry up!" Zoro ordered. "We gotta follow it!"
The swordsman made his way over to Aurora and Luffy, seeing that the angel was struggling with his dead weight. He grabbed hold of the boy, dragging him along as they raced after the camel. Aurora sent him a small smile, nodding in appreciation.
The rest of their day was spent attempting to catch up to Eyelashes and the girls. The sun beat down on them, members of the group lagging behind at times due to exhaustion and the heat. A series of misfortunes occurred during that time, from being chased by a giant frog to the wind picking up and blowing sand every which way. There was even a brief period where Luffy woke up and the boys beat the crap out of him for earlier. Eventually, the boys and Aurora managed to catch up to the girls and Eyelashes.
"It's nighttime…"
"The temperature's the exact opposite from the daytime." Vivi explained. "The desert goes below freezing at night."
"Achoo! Freezing?!"
"There!" Vivi pointed, now traveling by foot once more. "Can you see the light?!"
"Did we make it to Yuba?!"
Luffy shielded his eyes. "I can't tell, there's too much sand blowing around…!"
"Why is the earth rumbling?!"
Vivi's eyes grew wide. "Something's wrong with the town…! A SANDSTORM! YUBA'S BEING ATTACKED BY A SANDSTORM!"
Kingdom of Alabasta, Yuba Oasis…
"Impossible…" Vivi was despondent, staring at the remains of the oasis after the sandstorm.
"Damn…!" Zoro took a look around, Usopp slung over his shoulder. "This place isn't any different from Erumalu…!"
Aurora frowned. "It's completely uninhabitable…"
"WHERE'S THE WATER?!" Luffy panted, searching high and low for the coveted prize.
"Wasn't this supposed to be an oasis, Vivi?!"
"The sand has raised the ground level… the oasis is being swallowed up…!"
"Travelers, eh?" a man's voice rang out. "You must be tired from your trip through the desert. I'm afraid this town's a little dried up…" he paused in his shoveling, turning to the group. "But you can still rest… we have plenty of inns… that's what we're known for…"
Vivi tugged at the hood of her coat, covering her face. "Excuse me… we heard that the rebellion was based here…"
The old man's gaze hardened. "What do you want with the rebellion…?" He began throwing any object he could get his hands on. "DON'T TELL ME YOU WANT TO JOIN THOSE FILTHY REBELS!"
"WHOA, WHOA! WHAT'S GOING ON?!"
He went back to digging. "Those fools… are not here anymore…!"
"WHAAAAAAT?! NO WAY…!"
"That storm you just saw… wasn't the first to attack the town. The drought has been drying us up for the past 3 years. The sandstorms have come more and more frequently! The sand has been steadily eating away at the oasis, and now it is as you see it today." The old man continued to dig. "Without circulation of goods, the rebellion cannot continue their war of endurance… they have moved their base of operations to Katorea…"
"Ah…!" Vivi flinched.
Luffy turned to the princess. "Where's that, Vivi? Is it close?!"
"It's the oasis next to Nanohana."
"NANOHANA?!"
"Hey…! What did we come here for, then?!"
The old man had perked up. "Vivi…?! Did you just say… Vivi…?!"
"Hey mister! Vivi's not a princess, okay?!"
"Don't tell him!" Zoro swatted Luffy with the unconscious Usopp.
Aurora came up from behind, clamping a hand over the boy's mouth. "Please stop talking. You're not helping at all."
"Er… I'm…"
"Are you Vivi…?! Are you really?!"
"What?!"
The old man dropped his shovel, surging towards the princess and grabbing her by the shoulders. "I'm so glad you're alive…! It's me! Don't you remember?!"
Vivi took a good, long look at the man's face, realization crossing her features. "Mr. Toto…?!"
He began to cry. "That's right…"
Vivi clamped a hand over her mouth, unable to believe it. "No…!"
"Mr. Toto?" Luffy repeated.
"Listen to me… Vivi! I believe in the king…! He would never betray our country…! Isn't that right?! This rebellion is absurd…! Please… I beg of you! Stop those fools! You're the only one who can do it!"
"Toto…?!"
11 Years Ago, Alubarna…
"Our village is dry. Why didn't you save it?!" a young village boy by the name of Kohza wept.
"But weather is the work of God… my powers as king cannot affect that…!"
"But my dad said the king can do anything!" Kohza was defiant, standing tall before King Cobra.
"All that I can do is human in nature…"
"Your majesty! This boy's father has come to the palace!"
A younger and much bigger Toto burst through the doors. "Your highness! What terrible rudeness has my son…?! I take all responsibility! I am prepared to receive any punishment you wish to visit…!" Toto bowed down to his king, forcing his son to do the same. "Ungrateful child! You little fool! Ingrate!"
"Your name is Toto… right?"
"Yes, sir."
"The country will temporarily guarantee the lives of villagers hurt by drought. You will come and live in Alubarna, and make plans for your future…!"
Toto bowed more deeply. "What magnificent benevolence! Thank you! Thank you!"
"Yeah, right!" Kohza broke free of his father's grasp. "How would you understand the villagers' feelings?!" He abruptly ran out of the palace.
"Hey! Kohza!" Toto called after his son. "Wait!"
"Toto…"
"Sir." He bowed once more.
"He is a good boy…" Cobra complimented. "He said "the villagers' feelings"… he came here… for the sake of his fellow villagers…"
Just outside the throne room, a young Vivi leaned against the wall, a young Carue at her side. She watched Kohza come running out. "What's wrong with you? Crybaby!"
Kohza came to a halt, staring the princess down. "What do you want, midget…?!"
"King Cobra."
"What is it, Igaram?"
"I hate to say this, but… our budget isn't enough to support them…"
Cobra karate-chopped the man on his head. "Just take anything they need out of our living expenses, you fool!"
"Ouch!" Igaram yelped. "… As you wish."
A guard burst through the door. "YOUR MAJESTY! IT'S PRINCESS VIVI!"
The young girl was brought in the room, her hair unbound and bruises littering every visible part of her body. Blood dripped from her nose. "I got in a fight. But I lost…"
"Vivi!"
"Princess Vivi!" Igaram reacted violently, Cobra struggling to hold him back. "I'll tear that little shithead limb from limb!"
"Wait! Wait, Igaram!"
"Pleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaase forgive me!" Toto wailed, holding up a large knife. "I will kill myself in apology!"
Cobra karate-chopped the two men. "Settle down, dammit!"
"Oww…!"
"It's just a fight, you dunderheads…!"
Capital, Alubarna… Outskirts of Town…
"it's a battle!"
"Don't hold back cuz she's the princess, Kohza!"
"Beat that stupid princess up!"
"Go, Vivi!"
"Hey, our leader is Kohza!"
The princess cracked her knuckles. "If I win, then I'll become your leader!"
"I'm not losing to you, shrimpy!" Kohza declared, arms crossed over his chest. "I've always been the leader in my hometown."
The two children went at each other. They tugged and pulled. They kicked and scratched. The battle seemed never ending. They were evenly matched.
"Listen up, guys!" a beat up Kohza called, clapping a hand on an equally beat up Vivi's shoulder. "From now on, Vivi's the subleader of the Suna Suna Clan! ANY OBJECTIONS?!"
"NOOO!"
"Look, Igaram…" an incognito Cobra spied on his daughter. "Vivi has made friends…"
"Yes."
"The most valuable thing she can ever have… to lead Alabasta in the future…!"
"Hey, the king." One of the children noticed the two men. "It's the king. And Guard Captain Igaram, too."
"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Toto!" Vivi greeted the couple. "Where's Leader?!"
"You mean Kohza…? He already left. The usual spot, right?"
"What about lunch, Vivi?" Toto's wife called.
She waved at the woman as she ran off. "Oh, thank you!"
Toto chuckled. "What a strange country this is… where the princess can mingle with the common folk like this."
"It's proof of peace…"
"Igaram, you want something to eat?" Toto called out to the man that was trailing after Vivi.
"W-Wha-?! No, I brought my own Onigiri!" he continued to shuffle along. "Pardon me!"
"Your majesty!" Toto's jaw dropped at the sight of the poorly disguised man. "You too?!"
Igaram didn't even realize his king was there. "Gah! You were following, too?!"
"But I'm worried about Vivi!"
"Go back!" Igaram ordered. "My responsibility has doubled now!"
"What?!"
"I'm serious!"
Vivi continued to run up the hill, unaware of the scene that was unfolding behind her.
"Hey, baby…" a voice rang out.
"On a walk…?" another voice joined in. "Should we escort you?"
"Get 'em Suna Suna Clan!" Kohza jumped out of nowhere, the rest of the group attacking the men as well. "Damn! They aren't dead yet?!"
"Leader! Guys!"
Kohza turned to the princess. "RUN, VIVI! THEY'RE TRYING TO GET YOU!"
More of the kids cried out. "HURRY! RUN, VIVI!"
"THEY'RE GONNA KILL YOU!"
The princess was frozen. "But… Leader!"
"Ahahahahaha!" one of the men chuckled. "We ain't gonna kill ya. All we want is money. We're just kidnappin' ya!" he threw the kids off of him. "SO COME HERE, PRINCESS VIVI!"
The Suna Suna Clan stood protectively in front of her. "We're not handing her over! Fight to the death, Suna Suna Clan!"
"Right!"
Vivi remained frozen in shock.
"Hahaha, what stupid guards…!" a third man grabbed Vivi from behind.
"Ah!"
"Damn, another one?!"
The princess managed to wrangle herself from the man's grasp, fleeing.
"Shit! She got away!"
"Waaaaaaahh!"
"She's going to the ruins! Capture her!"
"Don't let them!"
"Raahh!"
"What in the world…?!" Igaram was horrified, the members of the Suna Suna clan laid out in a heap. "Hey! What happened to you?! What happened here?!"
One of the boys struggled to sit up. "These bad guys took Vivi…! Big bad guys with knives… They went towards the ruins! Kohza followed them…"
"Where the hell is she hiding…?"
"Look harder! Don't let her get away!"
"Hah… hah…" Vivi panted in exhaustion, tired from evading the men.
Two of them appeared atop the wall she was hiding behind. "Aha, here you are…! Stop resisting us, little girl. Just give in."
"Aaaaah!"
"WAIT!" a small figure swung a club, taking them out.
"LEADER!"
Kohza shielded Vivi. "Don't underestimate the Suna Suna Clan! Get out of our town! Leave!"
The man sat up, knife in hand. "Hey kid… shut up and give me the princess… don't try to piss me off any further…!"
A knife…!" Vivi was alarmed, quickly realizing the danger her friend was in. "Run, Leader!"
"I'm not afraid of that!"
"Huh?!"
"Haahh… hahhh…" Kohza panted.
"You ever been… cut before, boy…?"
Vivi started to cry. "Leader…! Stop it!"
"It hurts, you know…?!" the man charged, knife at the ready. Kohza didn't back down, standing his ground. The man sliced Kohza's left eye. Blood pooled from the wound.
"Rrrrrrrrrr..." Kohza growled, swinging his club. "YAAAHHHH!"
The man was hit, falling to the ground as his knife went sailing through the air.
"Oww…" Kohza cried out, holding a hand over his eye.
Vivi knelt next to the boy. "Leader!"
"Awww, you laid our buddy out flat…!"
"What do you think? Should we kill these little brats…?!"
"Ah…"
"C'mere…" one of the men growled.
"YOU FILTHY JACKALS!" Cobra came from out of nowhere, swiftly taking the men down.
"BEH!"
"Papa… Igaram…"
"Princess Vivi, are you okay…?!"
"WHAT THE HELL YOU DOIN' TO MY BABY?!" Cobra continued to assault the kidnappers. "Worthless punks!"
"These guys… seem to be with them…" a voice called out.
"Chaka, Pell." Cobra acknowledged the two men. "Why are you out here…?"
"Why here? That's what I'd like to know."
"Why is the King out here, so far from the palace? Please refrain from these activities in the future…"
"Igaram!" Vivi cried out. "Kohza's gonna-!"
"Right…! Let's take him to a doctor. And the rest of the Suna Suna Clan, as well…!" he turned to his two companions. "Chaka! Pell! Make arrangements!"
"Yes, sir…"
"Brave children…"
"What's wrong, Vivi? How long are you gonna huddle up like that?"
"But I was so scared…!" the princess admitted, curled into a ball next to the bed Kohza resided in.
"I was scared too, you know." The boy told her. "They had knives…"
"NO! You said "fight to the death"…!" Vivi wept, rubbing tears from her eyes. "Don't ever say "death", Leader…!"
'She was most afraid… of losing her friends…' Igaram realized.
Cobra headed for the door. "Vivi is still young, but a princess. Your work today was great, Kohza. I thank you."
"Of course I did it. Vivi's my friend."
"I see. I look forward to seeing you kids carry Alabasta into the next generation." Cobra glanced back at Kohza. "Do you love this country?"
"Yeah… it's the country I was born in!"
Cobra smiled. "Me too." He exited the room, Igaram and Carue in tow.
"I am… slightly worried…" Igaram voiced his concern.
"What is it?"
"Higher status than others requires many severe decisions. Princess Vivi is too kind for this."
"Igaram…"
"Yes…?"
"It's fine." Cobra reassured. "Alabasta is fine like this."
Igaram smiled. "I will serve you, my liege… until the end of my life."
"Yuba."
"Yeah! Your dad was talking to my dad."
"Mr. Toto?"
"It's an empty oasis. We're gonna start a town called "Yuba" there!" Kohza was excited. "All sorts of merchants and travelers will come and go through it. It'll be the intersection of western Alabasta! We'll start a town there! And see how happy we can make the people of this country! Cool, huh?! And my dad decided to be the man for the job!"
"Are you going too, Leader?"
"Yeah! My dad told me to stay home, though… starting a town isn't a normal activity, but we can do it! I'll start a town with these two hands! Yuba is necessary for the kingdom."
"Good luck, Toto…" Cobra shook hands with the man.
"Yes, my lord… I will create a superb village." He turned to the princess. "Well, goodbye, Vivi. Come see us sometime, once the town is built."
"Okay, Mr. Toto."
"It'll be an awesome town!" Kohza cheered. "We'll do it all for the prosperity of the kingdom!" Toto and his group began to leave, Kohza turning to follow. He waved to Vivi. "See you later, Vivi… you'll be a great princess!"
"Okay!" she waved back.
Toto hit his son upside the head. "Kohza! Stop acting up!"
"Ow!"
'Kohza's right…' Vivi thought. 'Yuba will help the kingdom prosper.'
"It's only been 3 years. Who cares if it hasn't rained…?!" Toto continued to ramble. "I believe in the king…! The majority of the people still do…! We've stopped them… over and over… and over again! But you can't tell them anything… the rebellion will not be stopped. Their power will soon overtake ours'… they plan to end this with the next attack! They've caught up to us…! THEY'RE PREPARED TO DIE!"
Vivi's eyes grew wide in horror and shock.
"Please, Vivi…" Toto begged. "Stop those fools, before it's too late!"
"… Mr. Toto." Vivi leaned down, offering the crying man a handkerchief.
"Vivi…"
The princess pulled her hood back, reassuring smile on her face. "We can stop the rebellion!"
"Yes… thank you…!"
"Good work today, boys!" Usopp chirped, having finally regained consciousness. "Let's take a little rest to replenish our strength for tomorrow. Good night!" The sniper laid down on a nearby bed, the pirates now sheltered inside a home Toto had generously offered.
Zoro chucked a pillow at him. "You were sleeping the entire time!"
"Whuh?!" Usopp grabbed a pillow in return, retaliating. "Of course I was, you jerk! I was exhausted, dammit! I'm not a monster like you guys!"
"That's it." Zoro growled.
Usopp flung a pillow in Chopper's face. "And you're the king of the exhausted, bluenose!"
"Oomf!" Chopper grunted. "I can't stand the heat!"
"Sanji…" Vivi stood in front of one of the beds, gazing down at its occupant. "That's mine…"
"Yeah, I figured you didn't want to sleep alone tonight…"
"And what the hell do you think you're doing?!" Usopp roared, throwing a pillow at Sanji now.
The cook reacted violently, an all out pillow war breaking out. "Hey, which one of you jackasses just threw that thing at me?!"
"Don't you guys understand the meaning of the word "sleep"?!" Nami growled from the loft above, one of the pillows hitting her in the face. The navigator was pissed, grabbing the aforementioned pillow and slugging it at the boys.
Next to her, Aurora yelped, a pillow having hit her as well. The angel twitched, disgruntled frown marring her features. She picked up the pillow and fluffed it before chucking it down into the fray below. Her target ended up being none other than Zoro.
The swordsman grunted when it hit, looking in the direction the projectile had come from. An evil smirk crossed his face when his eyes landed on the angel. Aurora squeaked, ducking down behind the railing when he got ready to throw the pillow back.
"You're goin' down, punk!" Sanji jumped into the fray, interrupting Zoro's assault.
"Ow!"
A stray pillow hit Vivi in the face, leaving a slight mark. Nami and Aurora saw this, their gazes falling on the blue-haired girl. The princess said nothing, merely holding a hand to the injury and smiling in amusement.
"STOOOOOOOOOP JOKING AROOOOOOUND!" Mr. 2's voice rang out, said man twirling atop a chair. "How long is he going to make us wait?! At least bring out some Takopa! I'm spinning! Spinning like a beautiful swan!"
"Fwaaaah Fwaaaah Fwaaaah…!" Mr. 4 laughed at the okama's antics.
Miss Doublefinger sighed. "Please be quiet, Mr. 2."
"Seriously you "duh"! Your shoutin' kills my hip!"
"You too, Miss Merry Christmas."
"Hahaha…" came the soft chuckle. "Looks like you can't all get along… Not that it really matters…"
"Miss All Sunday."
"Oh, Sunday, how are yooooou?!" Mr. 2 greeted.
"I said shut up, ya "duh"!"
"Yes, please!" a voice rumbled. "Enough of your yakking, you weirdo!"
Miss Sunday turned to the man lounging on the nearby staircase. "Now, Kai. Let's be on our best behavior. They are our guests, after all."
He snorted. "No promises."
She turned back to the others, who were eyeing Kai with suspicion. "Thank you for enduring the long journey to come here. Having all of us together will ensure our victory."
"Where is this, Miss All Sunday?" Mr. 1 asked.
"Oh, that's right… Banchi took you in the back door. You're probably familiar with the town… where people dream of getting rich quick by gambling. The "Dream Town", Rainbase."
"And the building you're in now…" Kai got up and came to stand next to Miss Sunday. "Towers above the oasis in the middle of Rainbase."
The woman glanced over at her companion, smirking. "That's right. The greatest casino in town. "Rain Dinners"." She walked over to the table, laying a hand atop it. "If there are no questions, we'll continue."
"Yeah, let's go!" Miss Merry Christmas demanded, slapping a hand on the table. "Start. Now. Now. Start."
"But before that…" Kai sidled up next to Miss Sunday again. "We must introduce… the boss you haven't seen yet!"
Miss Sunday picked up where he left off. "Until now, I have acted as his "private face" in giving you orders. And my friend Kai has remained hidden in the shadows, making sure our plan stays on track. But there is no more need to do so… understand?"
"It's about time…"
"WHA…?!" the five members turned to the chair that sat at the head of the table, not even realizing that someone was sitting in it.
"Plan: Utopia." The chair swung around, revealing their true boss. "That is the final plan of Baroque Works."
"…!?"
"EH?!"
"!?"
"C…!"
"CROCODILE?!"
They couldn't believe their eyes. Sitting in front of them was the Shichibukai himself, Crocodile.
"I thought you would recognize his "public face"…"
"Well damn, this is unbelievable." Miss Merry Christmas uttered.
"I would never have guessed…" Miss Doublefinger breathed. "Why one of the Shichibukai?!"
Mr. 2 gaped. "You mean we've been working for a pirate?!"
"Fwa…"
"You're our boss?"
"Any complaints?"
The room went silent, the occupants intimidated by the man.
"No complaints, just a question." Miss Doublefinger was brave enough to speak up. "Why would a pirate sponsored by the World Government do this?"
"What I want is not money or land. It's military force."
"Military force…?!"
Crocodile lit a cigar. "Let's talk about this in order. First my objective, then the details of the Baroque Works final plan."
Crocodile snubbed out his cigar, having gone over the final plan with his subordinates.
"You mean we can do that here?! We'll take over the entire country?!" Mr. 2 lit up. "I'm getting excited!"
"So our last duties… are to carry out the different facets of this final plan?"
"That is correct." Crocodile answered Mr. 1. "All the jobs you have done since the founding of Baroque Works have been for this plan. And those are the last orders I will entrust you with." He indicated the slips of paper each officer had. "The time to get rid of the Kingdom of Alabasta has come…"
Each member unfolded their piece of paper, reading over their orders. Once memorized, they held the slips up to the candelabras situated in the middle of the table. The paper burned, leaving behind no trace.
"When you have all completed those orders… the Kingdom of Alabasta will be destroyed…! The cornered rebels and civilians will tragically fall right into Baroque Works hands! In just one night…! This country will become our "utopia"!" Crocodile crowed. "This is Baroque Works great, final plan "Utopia". Failure will not be tolerated. The operation will begin tomorrow morning at 7 o'clock! Meeting adjourned." The Shichibukai maliciously grinned. "Pray for victory."
"I'm sorry for acting so disgracefully, Vivi…" Toto apologized the next morning.
"No, don't worry…" the princess told him. "We're going now, Mr. Toto."
"Yes… Luffy, please take this…"
"Wow, water!" he took the tiny barrel, amazed by the precious gift.
"Water?!" he now had Usopp's attention, the sniper's tongue hanging from his mouth.
"Right after you fell asleep digging last night, we made it to the water level. I managed to squeeze out the water and distill it."
"Wow, sounds difficult! Thanks, I'll drink it carefully!"
"Genuine Yuba water… I'm sorry that's all I can give you…"
"It's more than enough." Aurora gently thanked the man.
The group gathered their things, heading back out into the desert. The sun beat down as they continued to travel on. They trekked for several miles, when suddenly, Luffy plopped down in the sand, leaning back against a decrepit tree.
"Hey! What are you doing?!"
"Nnnn."
"What's wrong, Luffy…?" Vivi didn't understand what was going on. Why had he stopped?
"I quit."
"HUH?!"
"I would appreciate it if you waited a bit on this "Plan: Utopia"." A voice rang out.
Kai abruptly stood, facing the figure at the top of the stairs. "So… you finally decided to show your face!"
"… Mr. 3!" Miss Sunday was shocked by his appearance. "How did you get into the secret underground base?!"
"Mr. 3! Where did you sneak up from?!" Mr. 2 demanded. "I got rid of you, just like I was ordered to…"
"Obviously you didn't if he's standing right there!" Kai argued. "I found his ship the other day, and we all know it can only run through his powers! That's how I knew he was still alive and that you failed!"
"Mr. 2! Kai!" Crocodile halted the argument in its tracks.
"Sneak? How rude… I simply followed you all the way from Spiders Café… I hitched a ride on your "Banchi"…" Mr. 3 turned to Crocodile. "Boss… please listen…! I came here because I wanted another chance. Of course, Mr. 2 came to kill me… because I failed to complete the orders I was assigned… so I changed my course slightly and went to the agent meeting spot, Spider's Café."
"You failed… to complete your orders…" It wasn't a question.
"I am referring to the fact that I allowed Vivi and the Straw Hat crew to escape…"
"We know that already!" Kai snapped at the man. "I saw their ship docked in Nanohana 'bout a day ago. Can't sail a ship without a crew, right? Which means they're still alive!"
"Why did you lie to me on the Den Den Mushi?!" Crocodile stood, his anger at Mr. 3 coming back in full force.
"Den Den Mushi?! What do you mean? I never used my Den Den Mushi on Little Garden."
"WHAT…?!" Crocodile sat back down, his mood swiftly changing as he contemplated this news. "Damn… that's why the Unluckies never came back."
Kai hummed in contemplation. "One of those Straw Hats must've found the Den Den Mushi and posed as Mr. 3 when you called, Boss."
Crocodile nodded in agreement, directing his next question at Mr. 3. "You killed at least one or two of them, right…?"
"W… Well, not exactly…!"
"What?"
Mr. 3 began to stutter. "B… B-B-B-But there was a mistake in the information…! There were actually… five pirate escorts…! An… another long-nosed man…!"
"Why you…"
"Zero?!" Mr. 2 interrupted. "Explain to me what's going on around here! I don't understand!"
"Oi, Sunday!" Kai spoke up. "Do we still have those sketches the Unluckies sent us? Might as well get the others up to date on who we're dealing with."
"Yes, they're right here." She retrieved the sketches and the photo of Vivi, passing them to Mr. 2.
The okama froze. "I… met them!"
"What?!"
"While I was on my way here…" he gazed down at the sketches of Nami, Zoro, Luffy and Aurora. "I met all of them!" He swapped through the Straw Hat crew. "Him!" Luffy was first. "Him!" Zoro second. "Her!" Nami was third. "Him!" Usopp came fourth. "And him!" Chopper was last.
Kai frowned, eyes scouring the sketches as he noticed one slight detail. "You didn't copy the other two girls?"
"They didn't come anywhere near me, so I couldn't!" Mr. 2 defended himself, before slamming a hand down on Vivi's picture. "And she's Miss Wednesday?! Princess Vivi?! You mean they were all my enemies?!"
"Yes." Crocodile puffed on his cigar. "They know my identity. If we let them go, they'll interfere with the plan. And, Mr. 3… as you said, there was one extra person… and animal, with them. More than previously reported. If you ignore the pet, that leaves 6 left, including Vivi… and due to Kai's surveillance, I know they're all in Alabasta now…" Crocodile turned to the okama. "Mr. 2… let's take some pictures using your memory."
"But, Boss!" Mr. 3 burst out. "If you'd just give me another chance, I'll destroy Vivi and her crew…"
Crocodile grabbed the man by his throat. "SILENCE, YOU MORONIC EGGHEAD! Mr. 3… Mr. 3! Do you know why I gave you the position I did…?! Hmm?!"
"…Kah…" the man couldn't breathe.
"In battle, you are inferior to Mr. 4… Mr. 3!" Crocodile held fast to the man, Mr. 3's skin beginning to shrivel up. "It was because I believed your sneaky, cowardly tricks would eventually fulfill my orders! And you disappointed me…! Someone who can't do what he needs to when the time comes is worthless…!"
"AH… AGH…!"
"W-What's happening?!" Mr. 2 was alarmed.
Miss Doublefinger had the same reaction. "He's drying up…"
Kai and Miss Sunday showed no reaction, already knowing about Crocodile's devil fruit abilities.
"Wa… wadduh… wadduh." Mr. 3 croaked.
"Drink all the water you like." Crocodile went over to his desk, pushing a button.
A trap door opened underneath Mr. 3. "Eh… Ah… AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
Crocodile tapped on the nearby window, a Bananawani swimming up through the water just outside it. "Feeding time."
The large creature disappeared. Down below, Mr. 3's screams could be heard.
"That little craphead earned it… killing him once isn't enough! Now, all of you…" A new set of photos was laid out on the table, with the exception of Aurora and Vivi, whom Mr. 2 hadn't copied. "Burn the images of these 6 into your mind! Their aim is to stop the rebellion! If we allow them freedom, they'll show up on their own."
"But Zero…" Mr. 2 began. "If she really is the princess… doesn't that mean she could stop the rebellion?!"
"Maybe, unfortunately…"
"She was childhood friends with the rebel leader, Kohza." Kai reminded his boss.
"It's a wave of 700,000 men. It won't be easy to stop. But she could certainly sidetrack the rebellion. We must not let those two meet…!" he slammed his hook down. "I already have several billions in place inside the rebellion. I haven't received a letter from them yet, which means no direct action has been taken. We absolutely must avoid all contact between Vivi and the rebels before the plan begins! Miss All Sunday!"
"Yes?"
"Use this opportunity to send a message to the billions in Nanohana. Use a Den Den Mushi, if you must! Once they find them, they must annihilate them!" he slammed his fist into the table now. "DO NOT LET THE PRINCESS AND THE PIRATES INTO KATOREA! VIVI AND KOHZA MUST NOT SEE EACH OTHER!"
Miss Sunday was unperturbed by the man's anger. "Yes… right away."
"Now, leave, all of you. You'll be late to the party… our "Utopia" lays before our eyes. There cannot be any more trouble from here on… understand?!"
"Leave it to us, Boss!" Miss Doublefinger declared.
Mr. 2 began to twirl. "WE'LL DOOOOOOO IT!"
Crocodile smirked. "Enjoy yourselves."
"You "quit"…?!"
"What do you mean, Luffy?!"
"WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR YOUR STUPID GAMES NOW, LUFFY! NOW GET UP!"
"We're going back." It wasn't a question.
"Yeah, we're using the road we took yesterday to go to Katorea and stop the rebellion." Sanji explained. "If 1,000,000 citizens of this country clash, it's all over! This is for Vivi! C'mon, let's go!"
"Boooring."
"What did you say?!" Sanji was outraged.
"Vivi."
The princess perked up at her name. "What?"
"I want to beat the crap out of Crocodile!"
"!"
"If we stop the guys who are rebelling… will we stop Crocodile? We can't do anything, even if we got to this place. We're pirates. You'd be better off without us."
"… He's got a point." Aurora grudgingly admitted.
Sanji agreed. "Sometimes he hits the bullseye without even thinking."
"That's Luffy for you." Usopp chimed.
"… Well…" Vivi wasn't sure how to respond.
"You just don't want anyone to die in this war! The people of your country, or us, or anyone!"
"…!"
"You're talking about a fight against one of the Shichibukai, in which over a million people will be in battle, and all you want is for no one to die!"
"….!"
"That's naïve."
"Stop, Luffy!" Nami had had enough. "Think of Vivi's feelings!"
Sanji held her back. "Wait, Nami…"
"But…!"
"Let them hash this out." Aurora sided with the cook, keeping a grip on the navigator's arm. "This is between the two of them, not all of us."
"What's wrong with that?!" Vivi shouted. "What's wrong about not wanting people to die?!"
"People die." Luffy simply stated.
What happened next surprised the crew.
Vivi punched Luffy, hard. "Stop talking like that! Don't you dare say that again! That's what we're trying to stop! You can't blame the rebels or the army for this! Why should anyone die?! This is all Crocodile's fault!"
"Ngh." Luffy got up, swiftly turning and punching Vivi in the face. "THEN WHY ARE YOU RISKING YOUR LIFE?!"
"That's going too far, Luffy!" Usopp was appalled.
Sanji was seething. "Dammit, Luffy!"
"We need to stop them!"
Zoro held the angel back. "No. It's like you said. This is between them. Just let things run their course."
"But…!"
"We need to trust that Luffy knows what he's doing. He's never steered us wrong before."
Aurora tried to take comfort in the swordsman's words, laying her hand atop the one he'd placed on her shoulder. She squeezed it. "I hope you're right."
The princess and pirate began to brawl. Vivi straddled Luffy, repeatedly hitting him in the face. At this point, Luffy wasn't even trying to fight back. He just let Vivi continue her assault.
"EVEN I CAN TELL WHAT THIS COUNTRY NEEDS THE MOST JUST BY LOOKING AT THE SITUATION!"
"What!?"
"You think risking one life is enough?!"
"Then what am I supposed to risk?!" Vivi countered. "There's nothing else I have to…!"
"WHY DON'T YOU TRY RISKING OUR LIVES, TOO?! I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS!"
Vivi had given up all pretenses of fighting. She pulled her hood over her head, tears streaming down her face.
"… Look at you. You're crying." Luffy dusted off his hat. "You're the one who wants to kill him the most!"
Nami and Aurora made their way over to the sobbing princess, silently consoling her. The others merely looked on.
Luffy placed his hat back upon his head. "Tell me. Tell me where Crocodile is!"
