Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I only own my OC, Aurora and Kai.

Hey, everybody. I'm back! Sorry it took longer than usual. I was working a lot of hours due to Thanksgiving and was just super tired all the time. Working retail around holiday time is a bitch!

Not to mention, I caught a stomach bug the other day and was too busy puking my guts out to even attempt writing. But I'm feeling better and managed to wrap up this chapter.

So, enjoy!


Chapter 32

"Urgh…!"

"There it is! The… key to the cage…?!"

Sanji had listened to Smoker, attacking the third croc that had entered the room. One kick later, and a large sphere was ejected from the Bananawani's stomach.

"That doesn't look like a key!"

"What is that thing?!"

Aurora frowned. "It… looks like… wax."

"Doru Doru Ball…" the sphere began to crack, a figure suddenly emerging. "Freedom…!" Mr. 3 raised his arms in triumph. "Yes…! W... Water! Water! It's a miracle."

"WHAT THE?!"

"It's him…" Zoro realized who it was.

Luffy pointed. "It's 3! 3!"

"Mr. 3…" Vivi couldn't believe her eyes. "Why were you inside the crocodile's stomach…?!"

The man continued to scoop water into his mouth. "Haaaah! I am revived! I thought I was a goner!" He stood. "Hehehe…! You were naïve to think you could exterminate me, Crocodile! The moment I was swallowed, I used the last of my power to create this "Doru Doru Ball" and was able to protect myself from harm." Mr. 3 patted the ball lovingly. "A brilliant plan if I do say so myself. Oh?! What is this strange key-like object attached to my Doru Doru Ball…?!"

"Aaaaaaah, that's our key! Give it here!"

"Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Mr. 3 shrieked, finally noticing the pirates. "It's youuuuuu! What about this key…?! Wait… a steadily flooding room… a metal cage… and a key…! I see!" He smirked. "I have grasped your plight…"

"So you're Mr. 3…" Sanji drawled. "Hand over the key."

"HERE YOU GO!" the Baroque Works officer threw the key as far away as he could.

"Wha?!"

"Mwahahahaha!" Mr. 3 cackled. "I don't know who you are… but you look like their friend! Find the key if you want it! However… I'm not responsible for whether you can find it or not!"

"Asshole…" Zoro griped.

"He's smart to figure that out so quick!" Luffy gawked.

"We don't have any time, Sanji!" Nami cried.

The cook growled. "What is this bullshit you're pulling on me…?"

"WAIT A MINUTE, SANJI!" Usopp called out. "Couldn't you use his Doru Doru power… to create a duplicate key for this cage…?"

The blonde grinned, advancing on the man. "Good idea."

"Eh?!"

Aurora watched as Sanji proceeded to beat the crap out of Mr. 3, attempting to force him to open the cage. The Doru Doru user didn't seem to deter easily though.

Aurora breathed heavily through her nose, stalking over to the two men. She gently pushed Sanji aside. "Enough of this."

"Aurora?"

The angel's hand whipped forward, wrapping around Mr. 3's throat. With surprising strength, she yanked the man towards her, the two now face to face. "You are going to use your powers to free my friends this instant!"

"Or what?"

Aurora's eyes began to glow, holy energy crackling in the air around her. She raised her wings ominously, the action making her appear larger than she really was, and shielded the two of them from view. "Do you really want to find out what happens when you piss off an angel?"

The Baroque Works agent paled. "Angel?! Y-You're a-"

"That's right." Aurora answered. "And if I were you, I'd tread very carefully right now. My kind are known as "all-powerful" for a reason. I could have you sent to the pits of hell to live out the rest of your days. And believe me… it's not pretty."

The angel was bluffing, but the man didn't need to know that. She just needed Mr. 3 to buy the lie so that her friends could be set free.

"So… are you gonna help us or not?"

Mr. 3 slowly nodded, gazing at the angel in slight terror. It would appear he had believed her.

Aurora released the man, who shakily made his way over to the cage where the others were watching in confusion. They hadn't seen or heard any of what had just transpired. Aurora's wings had managed to block out the brief confrontation.

Mr. 3 used his powers to form a key of wax that was identical to the one he'd just thrown away. He placed it in the lock, the door to the cage creaking open.

"Hmmm… not bad, Candle-man." Sanji complimented.

"Ehe!" Mr. 3 rubbed the back of his head, making a sound of confusion when Sanji grabbed hold of his shirt. "Eh?" He was viciously kicked in the face. "HEBLOOEY!"

"Hurry, we don't have much time!" Nami rushed out of the cage. "I think the tunnel they went down should lead to Alubarna."

"But there are still too many Bananawani in the tunnel!" Vivi pointed out, concern etched on her face.

"WHAT, IS THAT ALL?!" Luffy crowed, he and Zoro having already taken care of the crocs.

Nami sweatdropped. "Nothing to worry about."

"I couldn't do anything against only one…"

Usopp tried to comfort the princess. "No, Vivi, it's not you! Those guys are just freakishly strong!"

Aurora joined in, throwing her overcoat back on so as to cover herself up. "He's right. You tried your best. I mean, even I wasn't able to defeat one of those things. So please, don't feel so bad."

A loud crack! echoed throughout the room.

"Aaaah! The wall's cracking!

"That's because you were fighting too wildly, idiot!"

"The tunnel's collapsing! Escape! We have to escape!"

Underneath all the great pressure, the wall finally caved. Water gushed into the room, quickly sweeping the group up in a tidal wave.

"AAAAAAAAAH!" Luffy screamed.

"SHIT!" Smoker cursed.

"Gyaaaah!"

"Usopp hit his head on a rock!"


A figure burst out of the water, dragging another body along with them. Sanji heaved the boy onto dry land. "You alive, Luffy?!"

He said nothing, water shooting out of his mouth like a fountain.

"Jeez, these devil fruit powers sure are a pain in the ass to deal with."

"Get up, Usopp!" Vivi crawled out of the water not that far away, dragging the sniper out by his nose.

Nami was on Usopp's other side, helping the princess pull him out. "What are you doing?! Why couldn't you swim like a normal human being?!"

Zoro and Aurora surfaced next, gasping for air. The swordsman wrapped his left arm around the angel's waist, helping her up out of the water. He then hefted his right arm up, depositing Smoker onto the ground. The marine grunted, hacking water up from his lungs.

"Aaah, it's Smoker! Why'd you bring our enemy up, Zoro?!"

"Shut up." The swordsman growled. "I didn't want to. He's not gonna die, anyways."

Nearby, Smoker continued to hack and cough.

"Whatever. Let's hurry!"

"We lost a lot of time. Can we still make it, Vivi?!" Sanji turned to the princess.

Vivi wrung out her overcoat. "I don't know." A thoughtful look crossed her face. "Nami, do you still have that perfume you bought in Nanohana?"

"Huh? Yeah…" she pulled out the bottle.

Aurora looked between the navigator and the perfume. "Wha…?! I thought I got rid of that!"

"I grabbed it when you weren't looking."

"When was tha-"

Vivi cut the angel off. "Quick! Put it on!"

"Like this?" Nami pulled the neck of her overcoat down, spraying herself.

Sanji swooned. "Aaaah, fall in love to the end of the world!"

Zoro sweatdropped. "Seriously. Just die."

"Roronoa!"

Zoro swiftly drew his sword, blocking the oncoming attack. Smoker had regained his bearings and come after the green-haired man.

"Why did you save me?"

"I was only following captain's orders…" he explained, lowering his weapon. "You don't have to thank me, okay? It's just him being weird."

"Then…" Smoker lowered his weapon as well. "I assume you don't have any complaints if I have to complete my duties as a professional here."

"Look…! This is what we get for saving that stupid sailor!" Sanji griped.

"It was the right thing to do." Aurora defended her captain's actions.

Sanji instantly turned to mush. "Yes, my angel~!"

"HAAAAAAAAAH! FULL SPEED AHEAD TO ALUBARNA!" Usopp abruptly sat up.

"WHERE ARE YOU, CROCODILE?!" Luffy was next.

"Oh, they're awake." Nami stated the obvious.

"Whoa! Smokey!" Luffy took notice of the marine. "You wanna fight?!"

"Gwaaaah! Smoker!" Usopp screeched. "Let's get outta here, Luffy!"

The boy didn't back down, fists held up at the ready. Luffy was prepared to fight the man. Smoker merely stared back. The sound of men running through the streets got closer.

"Go."

"Huh?" Luffy was confused.

"Only this one time… will I let you get away…" Smoker stared Luffy down. "The next time we meet, you're a dead man… remember that, Straw-Hat Luffy…"

"There they are! The Straw-Hat Crew!"

The pirates began to retreat.

"Hurry, the marines are coming!" Sanji ushered the girls along. "Which way's Alubarna?!"

"That way! Straight to the east."

"What are you doing, Luffy?" Zoro called back. "Hurry!"

"Right."

"You're not getting away this time!" the marines were getting closer.

Luffy suddenly grinned. "You know, I don't hate you after all! Hee hee hee hee!"

Smoker swiped at the boy. "Get the hell outta here!"

"Yeep!"

Aurora hung back, locking eyes with Smoker. "Thank you, Captain."

He said nothing, merely nodding in acknowledgement. Aurora backed away as the marines got closer before fully turning to run.

"Hurry, they're getting away!"

"Captain!" one marine stopped to address Smoker. "Aren't you going to chase them?!"

"No… I'm tired…"

"Tired?!"

"Hey…"

"Y-Yes sir!"

"Call back the men who just ran off." He ordered. "They won't catch them… get them back here. And call headquarters. Tell them to send all marine ships in the vicinity straight to Alabasta."

"Call for reinforcements?! But I don't think the superior officers will let them go to fight such a small number of pirates-"

Smoker glared. "Since when did I listen to my superiors' opinions?!"

"Uh… y-yes, sir!" the marine ran off. "R… right away!"


"Hey! Don't tell me we're supposed to run all the way to Alubarna from here!" Usopp panted.

"Eyelashes!" Nami remembered the camel. "Where did Eyelashes go?!"

"There's a stable here, right?!" Luffy turned to Vivi. "Let's get some horses!"

"But the marines…"

Sanji suddenly smirked. "Don't worry… look up ahead!"

"Ah! There they are!" an enthusiastic Chopper appeared, waving animatedly at the crew. "Heeeeyyyy! HI, GUYS!"

"A CRAB?!" Usopp's eyes practically popped out of his head at the sight of the giant crab the reindeer was riding atop of.

"Chopper!"

"That's… a Moving Crab!" Vivi immediately recognized the creature.

Luffy was salivating. "Damn that looks tasty!"

"Let's ride!"

"We can ride that thing?! YAHOO!" Luffy cheered.

"I don't believe it!"

"Wait, doesn't its face look a little… shady?!"

"He's one of Eyelashes friends!" Chopper told them. "Eyelashes was born in this town, so he has lots of friends! That are perverts." He added as an afterthought.

"Vwo~!"

Aurora visibly cringed, slowly backing away from the crab. A perverted camel was bad enough… and now there was a perverted crab? Zoro noticed her retreat, reaching out and wrapping an arm around her waist. Aurora struggled, but it was to no avail. The swordsman had already hefted the angel over his shoulder, his grip iron clad.

"Wow!" Vivi gazed up at the crustacean in awe, stepping onto the claw it offered for a lift up. "Moving crabs are always under the sand, so some people don't believe they exist!"

"It's pretty fast, right?!" Zoro called up to the reindeer, a despondent Aurora having finally given up any attempts to escape. She let the swordsman place her down, though he still kept a close eye on her.

Once everyone was on board, Chopper grabbed hold of the reins. "Okaaaay! HERE WE GOOOOOO! DEPART!"

He snapped the reins, the crab scuttling sideways into the desert. It would seem things were finally going the Straw Hat crew's way. They were going to make it to Alubarna.

A hook came out of nowhere, wrapping around Vivi's waist and jerking her off of the crab's back. "AH!"

"VIVI!" Aurora cried, her eyes wide in horror.

Zoro turned to the small reindeer guiding the crab. "STOP, CHOPPER!"

He pulled on the reins, the crab sliding to a halt. Luffy wavered, having lost his balance in the process, but he recovered quickly. The straw-hat wearing boy turned. "IT'S HIM! YOU DAMNED…!" Luffy whipped his arms towards Vivi, grabbing hold of the hook that had ensnared her. He pulled Vivi free, throwing the princess down to Zoro as he switched places with her.

Zoro caught the blue-haired girl, quickly handing her over to Nami and Aurora. "HEY! LUFFY!"

"That idiot!" Sanji cursed.

Vivi sprung back to life, crying out in distress. "LUFFY!"

The captain gazed back at his crew, showing no fear as he was dragged towards the trio of Crocodile, Miss All-Sunday and Kai. "YOU GUYS GO AHEAD! I'LL BE FINE BY MYSELF! MAKE SURE YOU GET THERE! GET VIVI TO THE PALACE!"

"Luffy! There's three of them!"

"Luffy!"

He merely grinned.

"Idiot…" Zoro growled before turning to Chopper. "Head straight to Alubarna, Chopper!"

"Okay! Got it!"

"What?!" Usopp couldn't believe it. "We're just going to leave him, Zoro?!"

"LUFFY!"

Nami restrained the princess. "It's okay, Vivi! He'll be fine!"

"We have to trust in our captain!" Aurora agreed.

"Besides, I feel more sorry for them! There isn't one single person who's tried to fight Luffy and gotten away safely!"

"Understand, Vivi?" Zoro spoke up next. "He will stop Crocodile. The moment the rebellion moved to attack, this country's "limit" was defined. If the army and the rebels collide, this kingdom is done for!"

"You're our only hope of stopping this…" Aurora continued. "So you have to stay alive no matter what!"

"And it doesn't matter… WHAT HAPPENS TO ANY OF US…!"

"But…"

"Vivi…" Sanji began to speak to the princess. "You helped set this fight up. You left your country years ago, and you began fighting an organization you knew nothing about. However… you're not fighting by yourself anymore."

Usopp shakily stood up. "V… Vivi! Don't wo… rowy… won't dorry! I'll… I'll…"

"LUFFY!" she suddenly cried out. "WE'LL BE WAITING FOR YOU IN ALUBARNA!"

"OKAY!"

The pirate captain watched his crew go.

"Hahaha!" Miss Sunday laughed. "The princess just ran out on us."

"Anyways, the agents in Alubarna should be done with their duties soon…" Crocodile stated. "Call them." He turned back to Luffy. "I think… your games have gone on a little too long Straw-Hat Luffy."

Luffy propped himself upright, sitting cross-legged in the sand. He pulled the scarf off of his head, throwing it to the ground. "You know her… she's so weak, but she tries to save everything she can."

"Huh?!"

Kai said nothing, eyeing the boy curiously.

"She can't bear to abandon anything, so she's always in pain. She wants this rebellion to end without anyone dying."

"Without anyone dying?!" Crocodile scoffed. "There are many weak, mushy fools like that… they do not know true battle. You agree with me, don't you?"

"Yes." Luffy answered, before slowly standing. "But as long as you're alive, she will fight you to her grave. That's why I'm stopping you right here."

Kai blinked incredulously. "You're joking… right?"

"Kuhahaha… hahaha!" Crocodile cackled. "You're beyond saving. This should be a good example. Those who conspire with others all die because of it. I've left hundreds like that in the dust…!"

Luffy cracked his knuckles. "Well, then… I guess that makes you pretty stupid!"

"Ahahahaha…"

"What's so funny?!" Crocodile growled angrily at Miss Sunday. "Do you want to die as well, Nico Robin?"

"If that's how you feel about it, do as you wish." She began to walk away. "What happened to your promise not to call me by that name?"

"Where are you going?"

"Ahead to Alubarna."

"Oi, Nico! Wait up!" Kai ran to catch up with the woman.

She gently slapped him upside the head. "What did I just say about calling me by that name?"

"Crazy woman…" Crocodile grumbled, throwing an object in Luffy's direction. It landed harmlessly in the sand. It was a small hourglass, the sand beginning to trickle downward.

"Huh?"

"I'll give you 3 minutes. After that, I won't have the time to play with you anymore. Any problems?"

"Nope. Fine with me." Luffy moved into a fighting stance. "Gomu Gomu… PISTOL!"

Crocodile dodged the punch, his body changing into sand seconds later. He swiftly appeared in front of Luffy. He swiped at the boy with his hook, an evil grin on his face.

"WAAAH!" he bent backwards, narrowly avoiding the attack. "RRGH!"

"Oho."

"Gomu Gomu… STAMP!" The kick made contact, but unfortunately, all Luffy hit was sand. Crocodile had changed at the last second, rendering the attack ineffective. Luffy was caught off guard and sent flying. "Urg…"

"Let me tell you one thing, Straw-Hat Luffy. No matter how much you struggle… you will never… ever…"

"GOMU GOMU GATLING!" Luffy rapidly fired punches, but they had no effect. Crocodile just kept turning into sand before reforming his body once more. Luffy growled. "Sand monster!"

"Listen, Straw-Hat Luffy. These mosquito attacks are useless against me, because you will never…"

"BAZOOKA!" Luffy cut Crocodile off, launching another attack at his mid-section. Just like all the others, it had no effect. Luffy whipped his leg up high. "Nnnn… Aaaaaaaa…" He brought it back down. "AXE!"

Crocodile dissolved into a pile of sand.

Luffy began stomping at the ground. "Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Did I crush you?! Stupid sand-gator!"

"I told you already, that won't work." Crocodile appeared behind the boy.

Luffy turned. "Asshole…"

"No matter how hard you fight, Gomu human… you will never… defp-"

"HAH!" Luffy punched at Crocodile's face, the man once again turning into sand. "Defp?! What the hell have you been trying to say?!"

Crocodile glared. "Why don't we end the games now…? Straw-Hat Luffy."

"I've been fighting seriously!" Luffy shouted. "Damn it… I can't hit him… he keeps dissolving…"

"You and I…" Crocodile began to gather sand. "Are 2 pirates in completely different leagues!" He swiped. "DESERT SPADA!"

Luffy watched as the attack came closer, the sand cutting a nearby rock clean in half. His eyes widened in alarm. "Wha?!" He barely managed to jump out of the way. "Oof!"

"Well spotted…" Crocodile smirked. "You wouldn't have just said "ouch" if it hit you…"

"What the…?!" Luffy gaped at the chasm left. "The desert's cut in half…!"

"Depending on how you use and train them, devil fruit powers can be very strong in battle." Crocodile grinned wickedly. "But I'm not like those idiots who are content just to possess their powers. I've honed mine to perfection…! You'll wish you never stood up to oppose me…! DESERT GIRASOLE!"

"What the?! What what what what?!" Luffy suddenly found himself in a giant pit of quicksand. "Aah! Whoa… Aaaah!" He began to run. "I'm…! I'm being sucked down by the sand…!"

"Never heard of quicksand? It's a very convenient coffin, no grave necessary. The sand is being dragged into an underground river. I can detect that with my powers…!" Crocodile was highly amused. "There's no living being that can stand toe-to-toe with me in the desert."

"I'm not…" Luffy huffed. "Gonna be buried alive!" He continued to run as the sand sucked him in, throwing his arms up. "You're goin' down! Gomu Gomu… BAZOOKA!" Luffy used the attack to launch himself out of the pit. He knotted his fingers together. "If I can't punch you… then I'll capture you…! Gomu Gomu Net!"

Crocodile used sand to knock the net away. "Can't you take a hint? It's impossible for you…"

"Gomu Gomu…! WHIP!" Luffy wasn't one to give up easily. He attacked Crocodile once more, the man turning into sand as his body was cut in half.

"Repeating the same old thing again…?!"

"Woah!"

"BARJAN!" Crocodile swung his right arm forward, leaving a crescent shaped trail of sand behind it.

Luffy's arm got caught up in it. He fell to the ground, clutching at the appendage. "Ow! My… My arm… It…" Luffy began to scream, his arm now appearing to be merely bone. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! MY ARM! MY ARM… IT'S A MUMMY! MY ARM TURNED INTO A MUMMY!"

"Because it's "sand"… I sucked the water out of your arm." Crocodile explained. "Maybe I should kill you by sucking all the water out of your body to dry you out. Give you a little taste of the desert…"

"E… Enough of this…!" Luffy struggled to get to his feet, an idea coming to mind. "That's it!" He made his way back over to where he'd dropped his belongings, digging out the water Toto had given him and gulping it down. "Water…! HNNNNNNNN!"

"Ridiculous."

"No, it's not!" Luffy shouted. "The old sandy guy in Yuba spent all night digging up this water! You know what he said…?! YUBA WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED BY MERE SAND! GOMU GOMU…!"

"You still trying…?"

"CHOMP!" Luffy's mouth enclosed around Crocodile's head. "Nrg…"

Sand exploded forth from the boy's mouth. "ENOUGH BULLSHIT!"

"Brrbh!" Luffy choked, coughing harshly after the sand had left his mouth.

"Prepare… to die. Along with… the hardy soil of Yuba!"

"Huh?"

"Your 3 minutes are up. Didn't I tell you that I didn't have time to play with you?" Sand began to swirl in Crocodile's hand. "Sables!" A massive tornado of sand had formed.

"Uwah!" Luffy cried out, caught up in the middle of it. "URGH…!"

"Sand's nice and dry today…"


"What's wrong, Vivi?!"

The princess was gazing off into the distance, back where they had left Luffy mere moments ago. "There's a sandstorm above Rainbase…! It's him…!"

"Luffy…" Nami breathed, worried about her captain. Based off the looks on their faces, the others were concerned too.

Aurora's gaze remained fixed on the growing sandstorm. Luffy was somewhere in there. His aura pulsed brightly in the midst of it all. He was still alive, thankfully… but based off the sandstorm, it would appear Crocodile had the upper hand. In that moment, Aurora did something she hadn't done for a long time.

She bowed her head and prayed.


"Listen, Straw-Hat Luffy… the prevailing winds here are always North to South. If the sandstorm spawned by this one rides that wind, travels South and matures… where do you think it will hit when it's nice and big?!"

"To the South…?!"

"To Yuba."

Luffy thought back to Toto. "WHY…?!" He grabbed Crocodile. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! CUT IT OUT!"

"Look, the South wind is rising…!"

"THAT OLD SANDY GUY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU!" Luffy began to chase after the sandstorm. "WHY YOU…! STOP! STOP, DAMN YOU! STOP!" He was knocked back. "Guh! Bfh!"

"Kuhahaha… give it up… once this storm picks up speed, even I won't be able to stop it."

"CUT IT OUT…!"

"Yuba is finished."

Luffy got in the man's face. "STOP IT! RIGHT… N…" he trailed off, his eyes going wide.

"Just who do you think I am?" Crocodile raised his hook, Luffy dangling lifelessly from it, blood trickling out of his body. "There are plenty of rookies who are all talk… just like you, Straw-Hat Luffy."


"Hrgh! Hrgh!" Zoro grunted.

"And at that precise moment, I turned and said…! "You bow-legged freak!" And ever since then, all the crabs in the world have noticed how bowlegged they are."

"Wow, so that's why they walk sideways!" Chopper marveled at Usopp's tall tale.

"Zoro, you're only wasting energy." Nami complained, watching as the swordsman lifted his sword with Eyelashes sitting atop it, acting as a weight.

"Shut up!"

"There was also another guy jumping around behind him… that was a lobster!"

"Wow, so lobsters are crabs?"

"Yes, crabs."

Aurora surprisingly remained silent as the lies went on. Normally, she called Usopp out on them, but she was distracted.

"Just let them be, Nami…" Sanji told the navigator, taking a drag from his cigarette. "They need something to do to occupy their minds. They're unskilled… especially that muscle-head." He indicated Zoro. "He's feeling his weakness compared to the level of the Shichibukai!"

"What are you trying to say? Out with it."

"All right, I'll tell you. You're afraid that Luffy might have lost."

Aurora perked up at this, glancing over at the cook.

"Me?! Afraid?! You… Magic Eyebrow!"

"Aah! Kaachiing! Now I'm pissed! You… Marimo Head!"

"What?! You wanna fi…"

Nami bashed the two over the head. "Stop your stupid bickering!"

"It's okay, everybody!" Vivi chimed. "Luffy won't lose! He promised! We just have to wait for him in Alubarna!"

Aurora frowned, turning away from the group. She'd contemplated telling them what she knew, but she couldn't crush Vivi's hopes like that. She'd just have to keep her thoughts to herself. Luffy's aura had dimmed considerably. He wasn't dead… but it spoke volumes as to the condition he was in. Crocodile had most likely prevailed during their fight.

"You were the most worried about him!" Usopp's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"Why don't you just worry about the uprising?!" Nami knocked the princess upside the head.

"Ow!"

Sanji scratched his head. "Sorry, Vivi."

"It's the end for me if you get the last word in…" Zoro huffed.

"Okay, then… head straight for Alubarna! Let's go Scissors!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's the crab's name." Nami revealed.

"Scissors…?!"

Aurora rolled her eyes, but a fond smile was on her lips. Even in the worst of situations, her friends always managed to maintain some sense of normalcy. You'd think they weren't in any danger.

Movement next to her caught Aurora's eye. Vivi sat down next to the angel. "How are you?"

She blinked. "Me?"

"You got hurt trying to protect me. And that man, Kai…"

Aurora squeezed Vivi's hand in reassurance. "I'm fine, Vivi. My powers have already healed most of the damage."

"But he took you down so easily! What if we run into him again? Fallen angels may be weak against the powers of a true angel, but…" the princess trailed off.

"I'm just as susceptible to his powers as he is mine." Aurora was well aware. "He just caught me off guard the last couple times. If we run into him again, I'll be ready. I won't let that fallen angel get the best of me."

"All right! That's it!" Nami suddenly growled, marching over to the two girls, having been eavesdropping on their conversation. "What is going on?!"

"W-What are you talking about?" Aurora stuttered.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about! Ever since we entered the Grand Line, it's been "true angel" this, and "true angel" that. People keep throwing that term around whenever they see you. What are you hiding, Aurora?!"

"Nami, please." Vivi attempted to placate the navigator. "Now's not the best time…"

"And you!" she turned on the princess. "What do you know that we don't?! What secret did Aurora trust you with that she couldn't even tell us?!" Nami's voice broke slightly at the end, an indicator at how hurt she felt by this knowledge.

Aurora stood, cutting Vivi off before she could say anything else. The angel came to stand before the navigator. "I'm sorry. It was never my intention to hurt you. I thought by keeping the truth a secret I was protecting you… but I was only protecting myself."

Nami gripped Aurora's shoulders. "I did that once myself, remember? The whole ordeal with Arlong? I kept that a secret, but you guys pried it out of me… and it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me." Nami suddenly pulled the girl into a hug. "Please… whatever it is you're hiding… just tell us. No more lies, okay? We're closer than that."

Aurora returned the abrupt hug, glancing over Nami's shoulder at the rest of the crew. They were all watching, the looks on their faces speaking volumes. They were silently trying to reassure her. They wouldn't judge her for whatever secret she was keeping. They were family… and family stuck together.

Aurora heaved a sigh, slowly pulling away from the hug. "Well, I guess I should start from the beginning." She shed her overcoat, reaching up and undoing the clasp on her necklace. She briefly hesitated before handing the piece of jewelry over to Nami. The navigator took it, flinching when Aurora's wings abruptly sprung from her back. "The day I was born, I was blessed with the greatest gift a person could be given. I was given the powers of a true angel, an all-powerful being meant to maintain the balance between the light and the dark in this world. At the time, my parents weren't aware of it… until that necklace appeared not long after my birth. That's how Vivi figured out my secret. True angels are identified by a pendant they wear around their neck, a yellow gem that is used to hide their wings and allow them to walk amongst humans."

"Wait." Usopp interrupted. "So your power doesn't come from the necklace? I thought it did."

"Me too!" Chopper chimed.

"I thought she ate a Devil Fruit like Luffy." Zoro added his two cents.

Nami raised a brow. "Really? Even after all the times she's been in water and not drowned?"

The swordsman blushed. "Well… I realized that wasn't the case after the first time." He grumbled. "I started thinking along the same lines as Usopp after that."

Sanji swooned in the background. "My angel is an actual angel~!" He knelt before Aurora, taking her hand in his. "I am honored to be in your presence."

She yanked her hand out of his grip. "Sanji, please. That's not necessary."

"Of course it it~!"

"No, it's not."

"A lovely being such as yourself deserves to be worshipped~!"

"I DON'T WANT THAT!"

The group grew quiet at the angel's outburst.

Aurora sighed. "This is why I didn't say anything. My true nature was revealed once before, in the past… and I was taken advantage of. People were made to worship me. They feared me. They feared my power. I hated it. Ever since then, I've hidden who I truly am, for fear of history repeating itself." She blinked back tears. "I don't want anything to change."

Nami reached over, flicking the girl on her forehead. "If you honestly think that we'd treat you any differently, then you're an idiot."

"Yeah." Zoro agreed. "You say you're this all-powerful being, but you still seem like the same wimpy Aurora to me."

"Gee, thanks." Aurora remarked dryly.

"What that idiot is trying to say is that it doesn't matter whether you're a regular human like us or this all-powerful angel. You're our friend and we would never take advantage of you or your power."

Aurora smiled softly, the navigator's words truly touching her. "Thank you."

"Now… about that guy from earlier…"

Zoro growled. "Just who was that bastard? He looked like you, but he had no issue hurting you."

"What?!" Sanji whirled around. "Who hurt Aurora?! I'll kill him!"

"The man that was with Crocodile earlier, the one dressed in black… his name is Kai. He's a fallen angel."

"Fallen?" Usopp mulled over the word. "So… does that mean he's the opposite of you?"

Aurora nodded. "That's right."

"What's a fallen angel?" Chopper piped up.

"A fallen angel is an angel that has sinned."

"So, what? He did something bad?" Usopp asked.

"He either committed a series of heinous acts over time… or he committed an unspeakable crime. Something that no angel could come back from. Once the darkness took hold… he never stood a chance. Now he's a being of pure evil, wreaking havoc in his wake."

"Okay, so… why is Kai so hell-bent on destroying you?" Nami asked.

Aurora smiled sardonically. "Because true angels and fallen angels are mortal enemies. Simple as that. It's just the natural order of things."

"So as long as you two are in the same vicinity, he's going to keep coming after you." Vivi realized.

"Yes." Aurora nodded, placing her necklace back on. "But next time… I'll be ready for him."


Back at Rainbase…

Outside of the city, unbeknownst to its residents, there was a large pit of quicksand. All was calm, no one around it. Suddenly, a head burst forth from the sand.

"MEAAAAAAAAAAT!"

The head that had popped out was Luffy's. The boy began to struggle, attempting to break free. "Nng. Uh… Ughhh…!"

The quicksand moved with him, swallowing the boy up once more. Two shadowy figures arrived on the scene, gazing down into the pit. One of them waved a hand, several appendages bursting forth from the quicksand with Luffy in their grasp. He was deposited at their feet.

Luffy gazed up at his savior. "Thank you…"

"Still don't understand why you came back to save him." Kai frowned. "But… I'll follow your lead nonetheless, Nico."

The woman said nothing, merely looking down upon Luffy. "Why… do you fight…? All of you… who carry the name of "D"…"

Luffy was confused. "…..D…?"

"That seems to be a pointless question." She realized, an arm popping up out of the sand and flicking Luffy's hat towards her. She caught it with ease.

"I've found you."

Kai glanced over his shoulder, groaning in annoyance. "Great! Bird boy's awake!"

"What has happened to Princess Vivi?!" Pell demanded, sword in hand. "Now that I understand the nature of your powers, I will not be taken so easily as before…!"

"Oh, stop it…" Robin was amused. "Don't get yourself anymore injured than you already are…"

"Yeah, I doubt you want a repeat of last time." Kai added.

Robin turned her back on the two, walking away. "Perfect timing. Why don't you save that boy? He's the brave and gallant knight… who safely escorted your precious princess here." She and Kai came to stand next to an F-Wani. "And besides… the princess is fine, and she is heading to Alubarna at this moment. I don't know what will happen from now on… but you know the state this country is in…"

"Damn…!" Pell cursed as the two got away, his thoughts tumultuous. 'If I cannot protect Princess Vivi… then who will…?!' A hand reached out, grasping at Pell's clothing. "Huh?"

"Meat."


"What?! This crab can't cross water?!"

4 hours left…

"2060, 2061…" Zoro grunted, continuing his reps from earlier.

"Moving crabs are creatures of the sand…! They can't stand water!" Vivi explained.

"But it's a crab! I mean, come on!" Usopp looked over the map. "It'll take all day to float across this huge river! And look! Once we cross the river there's still kilometers of desert left to go! If the crab can't make it to the other side… then we have to run! There's no way we can make it in time!"

"Oh no! Look, you can see the Sandora up ahead!"

"Do something, Scissors!"

"Oh yeah!" Chopper remembered something. "Scissors loves dancers!"

Nami shed her coat, revealing her outfit. "Like this?"

Chopper sweatdropped when the crab's eyes swiveled around. "He's looking over here."

Nami said nothing, waiting to see if the crab would have any type of reaction. Sanji and Eyelashes swooned in the background. Suddenly, Scissors eyes formed into a heart-shape, an indicator that Nami's plan had worked.

"WARP SPEED!"

"Nami~!"

"V… Vwooo~!"

"You broke 2 extra animals."

"ERO POWER!"

Aurora cringed, turning to her reindeer companion. "So how is this supposed to help, Chopper?!"

"Wait a minute…" Sanji broke out of his stupor. "Holy crab, this thing's amazing!"

"I don't believe it…! Woohooo!" Usopp cheered. "It's a miracle! He's running on top of the water!"

The perverted crab was moving fast enough that it did appear to be running on water… at first. Mere feet into the Sandora, Scissors began to sink.

"No, that was just your imagination!"

"Gyaaahh!"

"Quit complainin' and keep moving!" Zoro took charge, swimming through the water, Chopper perched on his shoulders. The reindeer waved to Scissors, who was back on dry land.

"Wait a sec, we don't have a boat! How far to the other side?"

"About 50 km." Vivi told the sniper.

"We can't swim that!"

"Aurora, couldn't you fly us the rest of the way?" Nami asked the angel.

She shook her head. "I can only carry one person at a time, and even that's a struggle for me. Besides, it would take too long."

The water in front of them rippled, a large figure emerging. It appeared to be a large catfish.

"KYAAAH!"

"A Sandora Catfish!" Vivi recognized the creature. "Named because it's extremely rare!"

"Who cares about that?!"

The giant catfish made a move towards them, mouth open wide.

"It also loves to eat humans!" Vivi shrieked.

"You should have said that first!" Usopp screamed, the group attempting to swim away.

"BAKOW!"

The catfish suddenly keeled over, a large wave splashing over the group.

"Ah…" Usopp caught sight of some familiar animals perched atop the fish. "KUNG FU DUGONGS!"

"KUOOOOOOO!"

At the dugongs ushering, the pirates and princess climbed aboard the Sandora Catfish. The animals swam alongside and in front of the fish, towing it to the other side of the river. They'd turned it into a makeshift boat.

"They said, "We can't let our fellow students perish"." Chopper translated.

"But, uh, it's not like we're Luffy's students or anything."

"Kuoo!"

"Kuo!"

"Kuoo!"

"Kuo!"

"At least we're alive!"

Saved by the animals of the kingdom, they somehow managed to cross the Sandora… and reached the Alubarnan coast. Time left… 3 hours.

Vivi waved goodbye to the dugongs, the crew now on dry land. "Thanks!"

"Kuoo!"

"We're doin' good. Think we can make it in time?!" Zoro asked.

"I don't know. Even with Eyelashes here, it will be tough…!"

"But he can only hold 2 people." Usopp reminded them. "And from here on, Baroque Works will be trying to trap us! Isn't there any way we can travel as an entire group…?!"

Nami caught sight of something in the distance. "Wait! Over there!"

"What's that?!" Usopp froze. "M… M-M-More of them?!"

"No! It's…" A broad smile crossed Vivi's face. "Carue!"

"QUAAAACK!"

"And…" the princess realized there were more ducks with him. "The Super Spot-Billed Duck Squad! You came for us?!"

Aurora grinned. "I think we just found our ride."


Alubarna: West Gate

"Heyheyheyheyheyhey! This okay?! We okay?! Those pirates and the princess better be coming."

"I can already hear the rebels' battle cry!"

"At this rate, the rebels'll get here first!" Miss Merry Christmas stated. "Didn't they want to stop this battle?!"

"They probably just can't make it in time." Miss Doublefinger replied. "They were in Rainbase for quite a while."

"Theyyyyy're commmming." Mr. 4 piped up.

"What?!" Merry Christmas faced Doublefinger. "You serious?!"

"So…" Mr. 2 drawled. "If the fighting starts first, what are we supposed to doooooo?!"

"We don't have to "dooooo" anything." Miss Doublefinger mocked. "If the battle starts, not even the princess can do anything about it."

"All we have to do is kill the ones we were told to kill…!" Mr. 1 growled. "Can't okamas even understand that?"

Mr. 2 got into a fighting pose. "I think you want a nice big taste of my okama kenpo! Hmmmm?!"

Miss Doublefinger rolled her eyes. "Oh please, just stop it."

"Ah! Back! Back hurts! Mr. 4, a massage now!"

"Theyyyyyyyy arrrrrreeee cooooommmmm-"

"What?! Spit it out already, ya big fat sloth!" Miss Merry Christmas shouted.

"-iiinnnnngggg…"

Merry Christmas held up her binoculars. "D…! Ducks?!"

"Ducks…?!" Miss Doublefinger didn't understand. "What do you mean, Miss Merry Christmas?"

"There are too many! Six of 'em!" she reported. "Without Straw-Hat, the list only said five people, right?!"

"No, Miss Merry Christmas… didn't you listen to the boss? There's the "Mr. Prince" guy, plus there could be more. So the numbers do work out."

"No matter how many more of them there are, our target is still the princess." Mr. 1 reminded them. "Stop your chittering…"

"Look over there!" Mr. 2 called. "I can see the rebels! There are so many! That princess is one loony loon if she thinks she can stop all of them! And that loony loon is coming from this direction!" He struck a pose. "Ambiguous!"

"Mr. 1…"

Said man reacted to his name.

"All we have to do is get rid of the princess…? All right, then. Why don't you tell me which one is Vivi?"

Mr. 2 gaped. "Oh no! They're all wearing the same cloak!"

"And those birds are Alabasta's quickest, the Super Spot-Billed Duck Squad!" Miss Doublefinger recognized them.

"Damn you! Now we can't tell who's Vivi…! It's too ambiguous!"

"Get 'em, Mr. 4!" Miss Merry Christmas commanded.

The man did as told, firing a baseball at the approaching group. It landed harmlessly on the ground, but… it was ticking. Like it was a bomb.

One of the crew realized this. "Stay away from it!"

"Quaaaack!"

Aurora swooped down from the clouds above, grabbing the ball and throwing it as far away as she could. It exploded in mid-air.

"What the hell?!" Mr. 2 couldn't believe it. "Where did she come from?!"

"Two have broken off to the South! They're splitting up!"

"Those ones are going to the South Gate." Miss Merry Christmas realized. "The South Gate is straight where the rebels are headin'! So one of them is Vivi…?!" The woman took off. "Leave those two to us! Let's go, Mr. 4!"

He ran after his partner. "Oooooookaayyyyyy."

"Killer move… KAENBOSHI!"

The attack was directed at Mr. 1, the man shrugging it off like it was nothing. But it wasn't meant to hurt him. It served as a distraction.

"Quack!"

"Mr. 1! Two more split off that way! One of them could be Vivi!"

"Damn…!" he cursed.

"They're going in the West Gate." Miss Doublefinger caught sight of two of the group.

"Follow them."

One of the ducks charged at Mr. 2.

"Huhn?!" The okama was sent flying. "DWAAAH!"

Aurora flew down, waving the two ducks over. "Follow me! We'll take the South-West Gate!"

"Quack!"

"3 of the 5 gates to Alubarna can be entered from the West! So they're going in separately!" Miss Doublefinger realized their plan. "Same thing, we'll still kill them inside!"

Mr. 2 got up, blood trickling from his nose. "You're not getting away from me now!"

Aurora flew up the stairs, two members of the Duck Squad on either side of her. Members of the royal guard were waiting at the top.

"Someone's coming up the steps! Is it an enemy?!"

"Quaaack!"

"No, wait! That's the Super Spot-Billed Duck Squad… let them in!"

"But what about that woman with them?! The one that's flying?!"

"Quaaack!"

"You idiot! Don't you realize what she is?! She's an angel! Look at the necklace she's wearing! She's gotta be on our side! Let her through!"

The group moved swiftly past the guards, Mr. 2 not far behind them. They hurried down the street, making sure they were a great enough distance away before coming to a halt. Aurora hovered next to her cloaked companions.

"Oooh, not too bad! Thanks for following us in!"

"What?!"

The angel smirked. "I think it's time you saw who they really are!"

The hood of the cloak was thrown back, Usopp's face coming into view. He pulled down his lower eyelid, waving mockingly at the okama. The other hood was pulled down, revealing Eyelashes to be the third member of the group. The camel looked terrified, tears streaming down his face, but copied Usopp's waving.

"Sorry, try again!"