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

OH MY GOSH! I am soooooooo sorry it took so long to upload this chapter. I had such major writer's block when I was typing this out. There were certain parts I'd get stuck on, so I'd get away from it for a little bit and come back, but... I still couldn't get myself to write anything.

It was driving me insane!

I finally managed to get going, and once I did, the stream just kept coming. I hope to have the next chapter done soon and hopefully not take months just to finish it.

Enjoy!


Chapter 34

"Kohza!"

"Ahh!" King Cobra took note of the new arrival. "Did you come by the secret path you used to use as a child…!?"

"Am I… seeing things…?" Kohza took in the scene before him. "I came here… with the intention of persuading the Royal Forces, but…" His gaze trailed across the numerous fallen bodies, coming to rest on the commander. "Chaka..! The first thing I see here is the king… about to be murdered at the hands of this "Country's Hero"…! I can hardly believe what I'm seeing…"

"Kuhahaha!" Crocodile burst out laughing. "Isn't this an interesting turn of events!? In the midst of the rebellion's climax… to think the leaders of both sides would all come here and meet each other! It's as if this war is being fought by head-less lizards!"

"You seem quite confused," Ms. Sunday took note of Kohza's expression. "But it's quite simple. Just imagine the worst-case scenario in your head and I'm sure you're bound to reach the correct answer."

The rebel leader said nothing.

Kai leaned over, whispering in Ms. Sunday's ear. "I think you broke him."

"Kohza!" Vivi spoke up. "You-"

"VIVI!" the man finally came to life. "JUST WHO'S THE ONE THAT STOLE THIS COUNTRY'S RAIN?!"

"That's all undoubtedly the work of…"

"It was me, Kohza!" Crocodile copped to the scheme. "All the things you rebels thought were the King's evil-doings were actually traps set up by my organization. These past two years… have been most amusing, watching both you rebels and the royals desperately dance about on the palm of my hand…! It would have been far better for you to die without finding out the truth, however! Kuhahaha!"

"Don't listen to him!" the king cried.

"King Cobra!"

He looked Kohza dead in the eye. "There's something only you can do right now…! Go out there and save even just one more life from this needless bloodshed if you can!"

"In less… than half an hour…" Chaka's choked voice rang out. "The palace square will be blown to smithereens!"

"What?!"

"Oh, still alive, are you?" Crocodile drawled, hook shining ominously in the sunlight.

"HURRY!" Chaka screamed, before Crocodile silenced him once more. Kohza did as the commander ordered, hurriedly taking off. Vivi ran after her childhood friend, tackling him to the ground. It caught everyone by surprise.

"NOOO!"

"Vivi…"

"What're you doing?!" Kohza didn't understand the princess' actions. "Get off of me! The palace square's going to become a battlefield soon and if it's really going to be blown up, then I-"

"You can't let it become a battlefield!" Vivi shouted. "You're still not thinking straight! If you just go out there and tell the soldiers that the palace square will be blown up, then there'll truly be a pandemonium! Everyone will be too panicked to listen! You can't stop the war nor save anyone that way! Am I wrong?!"

"Ohh, an excellent judgment, princess…!" Crocodile praised the young girl.

"Even in the midst of all this, she manages to think rationally." Kai was impressed. "I guess I shouldn't be so surprised, considering she's made it this far."

"Mmhmm." Ms. Sunday agreed.

"The proper course of action is still the same thing you should have done from the start! This whole fabricated rebellion must be stopped!" Vivi finally let go of the rebel leader, allowing him to sit up. "And that's something only you can do!"

"And do you really think…" Crocodile abruptly appeared behind her. "That I'll just stand by and let you do that?"

Kohza drew his sword, ready to defend the princess. A black and green blur dropped down from above, intercepting the Shichibukai's attack. Despite the injuries inflicted from earlier, Chaka was still able to move. He was still able to defend.

"Chaka!"

"I am this country's guardian deity… the jackal! The one that destroys the enemies of the royal family…! As long as I have even one breath left in me, then I will use it to fight!"

"…And that, is exactly what stupidity is."

"Princess! Kohza!" Chaka shouted. "Run now and do what you must! I still have enough strength to hold him off for a little while…!"

Vivi nodded. "Got it!"

"Chaka!"

The princess made her way the front of the palace, standing atop the high wall. "TAKE OUT THE WHITE FLAGS! PUT UP THE WHITE FLAGS OF SURRENDER THIS INSTANT, ROYAL SOLDIERS!"

"What?! But Princess Vivi…! We're to surrender!?"

"What will come of this country if we do that?!"

The doors of the gates, that resided just mere feet below Vivi, swung open.

"Hey, look!"

"It's Kohza! Why's the leader of the rebels here of all places?!"

"LISTEN TO ME! WE WISH NEITHER VICTORY NOR TO FIGHT! ALL WE WANT IS TO STOP THIS WAR!"

The soldiers couldn't believe what they were seeing, nor what they were hearing.

"I WILL TELL THE REBELS THAT THIS WHOLE FIGHT IS POINTLESS!" Kohza continued to shout. "There is absolutely no reason to fight anymore! We cannot spill anymore needless blood! SO WAVE THE WHITE FLAGS! I BEG OF YOU!"

The rebel forces were closing in. The sound of their footsteps drew closer. They were almost upon the palace.

"Wait!"

They halted, unable to believe the sight before them. Numerous royal soldiers stood before the palace, each waving a white flag in the air. At the forefront of the group was Kohza. He stood proudly, white flag in his grip.

"White flags?! The soldiers are waving white flags!"

The rebels finally noticed Kohza at the front.

"Kohza?!"

"THE BATTLE IS OVER!" the rebel leader declared. "Rebels! Lay down your arms and quell your rage! The Royal Forces no longer have any intent to fight!"

Up above, Vivi clenched her fists, silently praying. 'Please stop!'

"Is it… really true…? Kohza…!"

"Yes… the war is finally-" Kohza was abruptly cut off, the sound of gunshots ringing throughout the air. The rebel leader lurched forward, blood spurting from numerous parts of his body. He collapsed to the ground. The rebels looked on, horrified. Two soldiers, who happened to be Baroque Works agents in disguise, grinned smugly.

"DAMN SOLDIERS! HOW DARE YOU!"

Vivi screamed. "KOHZA!"

"KOHZA!"

The princess held a hand over her mouth in shock, tears streaming down her face. 'Baroque Works…!'

"Heh heh."

One of the soldiers turned on his supposed comrade. "You idiot! Why did you shoot Kohza?! Gah!" He was abruptly cut off, sand swirling around the royal soldiers and the rebel forces, obscuring their vision.

"C… Comrades…!" Kohza huffed out. "Listen to me!" His words fell on deaf ears.

"What's with this sudden cloud of sand?!"

More shots rang out, striking one of the members of the rebellion down.

"They've opened fire at us! Those bastards!"

"Fellow rebels!" Kohza tried to speak once more, but it was no use.

"Damn these sand storms! I can't see ahead at all!"

A royal soldier was shot, collapsing to the ground.

"Those rebel scum!"

Nearby, a Baroque Works agent grinned. "It's useless! We Baroque Works agents have infiltrated both sides!"

Vivi could only watch in despair. "NO!"

"Surrender, my ass! Is this how the royal forces fight?! How low are you willing to sink?!"

Tic… Toc… Tic…

"EVERYONE, PLEASE!" Vivi called out. "YOU HAVE TO STOP FIGHTING!"

"Stop!" Kohza choked out. "This entire war is…"

More gunfire.

Tic… Toc… Tic…

"Return fire, guards!"

The sandstorm raged, funneling high above the palace, whilst the royal guards and rebel forces began to fight.

Vivi held her head, silently pleading. "Please stop…"

"You've fought well, Princess…" Ms. Sunday began.

"But your voice won't reach them now…" Kai finished, the ongoing chaos feeding into his dark powers, his wounds beginning to heal more rapidly than before.

'So this is as far as we can get…?!' King Cobra realized how badly the situation had turned out. "RUN AWAY, VIVI! GET AWAY FROM THAT MAN!"

"NO!" the princess refused, staring right into Crocodile's eyes. "The dust clouds… they're your doing." She realized. "But as long as I stop that explosion 15 minutes from now, I CAN STILL SAVE LIVES!"

"I can stop the rebellion if I do this… I can stop it if I do that…" Crocodile mocked the girl, swiftly making his way towards Vivi and grabbing her by the neck. "Open your eyes, Princess…"

"Ughh!"

"Your unbearable idealism is sickening!"

"Agh-" Vivi struggled.

"Ideals can only be brought to reality by people with ability…"

"What do you care if you find it unbearable?! I won't abandon my ideals no matter what! Someone like you could never understand! I'm the princess of this country! I'll never give up to the likes of you!"

"How uncute for a girl…"

"I swear! I will save this c-"

Crocodile squeezed, abruptly cutting the princess off. "15 minutes left until the explosion… more rebel reinforcements are coming to the palace square as we speak… all the while oblivious to the fact that they're walking to their very graves…" The Shichibukai moved, dangling Vivi over the edge. "If you had just told the soldiers earlier that the palace square would be blown up soon, even if it did cause a panic, I'm sure it would've saved a few thousand to ten thousand lives at least…"

"No, stop! Crocodile, stop!" King Cobra struggled, fearing for his daughter's life.

"Your deluded idealism that wished to save everyone is what inevitably led to the deaths of your beloved people. From the very beginning to the very end, the people of this country have provided me no shortage of laughs…! You worked very hard these past 2 years, spying on my organization, but in the end, you and your comrades couldn't stop anything at all." Crocodile mused. "All your idealistic talk of stopping the rebellion or saving this country only amounted to increasing the casualties! Let me make this clear to you." He looked the princess right in the eye. "You cannot save this country."

Crocodile's arm turned to sand, Vivi falling from his grasp. The Shichibukai began to laugh, Cobra crying out in despair. But… a shadow, high up in the sky, caught Crocodile's attention. It drew closer, Crocodile's eyes widening in shock and anger at just who had appeared.

"It can't be…!"

"Here we go…" Kai muttered, sharing a glance with the woman next to him.

"CROCODIIILE!"

"LUFFY!" Vivi cried, tears of happiness streaming down her face, even as she continued to fall.

"STRAWHAT!" Crocodile growled, angered at the sight of the boy. He should have been dead!

Pell, whom Luffy was riding atop of, swooped down towards Vivi. The straw-hat wearing boy reached out, managing to grab hold of the princess and save her from certain death. "Whew! Made it just in time!"

Vivi clutched Luffy's shoulder tightly, tears still streaming down her face. "Luffy…! Pell…!" she choked back a sob. "The palace square will be blown up any moment now! Chaka and the others have already been done in… and my voice won't reach anybody! I can't save my c…"

"Don't worry." Luffy pulled back, wide grin on his face. "Your voice… reached us just fine!"

Pell gracefully landed on the ground, his two passengers sliding off his back. "Be careful, Luffy!"

"I ate a ton of meat! And I'm full of surging blood! I won't… LOSE ANYMORE!"

Crocodile glared down at the boy. "How the hell did he escape from the quicksand with those wounds…?!"

Kai turned his back on the man, leaning in to whisper in Ms. Sunday's ear. "Nico… you better hope he doesn't find out the truth…"

"If he turns on us, we'll be ready." She murmured back softly, her voice low enough for only Kai to hear.

"… All right. I trust you."


Down Below…

"AGHHHH! Luffy's alive!"

"Tony!" Vivi turned at the sound of the familiar voice.

"Luffy, is that you?!" Usopp waddled up next to Chopper.

"Nghhh!" he didn't reply, stretching his arms up to where Crocodile stood.

Usopp burst out crying. "See! See! What'd I tell ya! I knew all along!"

"You did?!"

"Is that really the face of a person who knew "all along"?" Sanji scoffed, bringing up the rear, Aurora still draped over his back.

"Usopp! Sanji! Aurora!" Vivi couldn't believe her eyes.

"Vivi, my love~!" Sanji cooed. "I can't believe how horribly injured you are!"

"She looks fine to me." Aurora deadpanned, sliding down from her perch on the cook's back. She wobbled slightly before managing to steady herself.

"Aurora!" Vivi gasped, scurrying over to the angel, her eyes wide with concern. "Did Kai…?!"

"Yeah." She responded, a wave of pain suddenly wracking her body as she shifted in place. The angel fought to stay standing. "But you should've seen what I did to him."

"I did." The princess slowly answered. "He's up there, right now." She indicated the top of the palace.

Aurora's eyes widened. "What?! But how?! I left him lying in the street!"

"It would appear Ms. All Sunday saved him."

The true angel frowned. She'd hoped she'd seen the last of Kai… but it appeared that was not the case.

"Usopp!" Nami's voice rang out, the navigator appearing out of nowhere and whacking the sniper with her new weapon.

"Gah!" he crashed into the wall.

"Nami… Mr. Bushido…" Vivi breathed, happy to see all the pirates together again. "You're all safe…!"

"Who the hell asked you to create a toy for parties?!" the navigator griped, hand firmly planted on her hip.

"YOU'RE STANDING JUST FINE RIGHT NOW!" Zoro roared, obviously angry at Nami about something. What exactly he was mad about, the others had no idea.

"Namiii~!" Sanji crooned, happy as ever to see the navigator.

Aurora slowly made her way over to Zoro while the cook was distracted, having seen the blood staining his torso. Even as injured as she was, the angel was more concerned with her crewmate's well being than her own. "You should let me heal you. Just a little bit."

Zoro turned, ready to reject her offer, but froze. The swordsman blinked, unable to register the sight before him. Sure, he'd seen Aurora injured before… but this was on a whole other level.

He slowly ran his gaze over the girl, from head to toe, cataloguing her injuries. Slash marks adorned her right cheek, dried blood coating that side of her face. Her throat was dotted with bruises that looked suspiciously like someone's hand. Her skin was burned and blistered on numerous parts of her body, not to mention rubbed off in other spots. One of the most notable wounds though was on her abdomen. The piece of skirt Aurora had used as a bandage was slowly unraveling, blood seeping from her body.

Zoro recognized a stab wound when he saw one. Hell, he'd had his fair share! But this one was unlike anything he'd ever seen. Whatever Aurora had been stabbed with, it had gone straight through her, and somehow… it had managed to burn her. The skin surrounding the wound was black and charred. The sight of it had bile rising in the swordsman's throat. But it was when he looked more closely at the angel did his stomach churn.

Aurora's left wing hung limply behind her, the large appendage dragging on the ground. He was no doctor, but even Zoro could tell that it was broken. Forcing himself to look away, the swordsman instead chose to gaze into the angel's eyes. He could see the concern she held for him and his injuries… but underneath it all, he saw the pain she was hiding. Aurora wasn't like him. She'd never had to deal with injuries as severe as these. Yet, somehow… she was standing before him with her head held high, trying to play off the seriousness of her condition. She was trying not to appear weak.

"Don't waste your energy on me." He finally spoke. "Focus on healing yourself. You look like shit."

Aurora frowned, sarcastic retort leaving her lips before she could stop it. "You sure know how to make a girl feel good about herself."

Zoro shrugged. "Just telling the truth."

The angel went to speak, but was interrupted by a raging Sanji. "I'll kick your ass for letting Nami get injured!"

"She's looking just fine right now though…"

Aurora blinked, not even having been aware of what was going on with her crewmates whilst she and Zoro talked. Nami had attacked Usopp, the sniper lying on the ground with Chopper fretting over his limp body. The navigator was now before Vivi, interrogating the poor princess about the situation.

"Sorry, guys." Luffy finally addressed his crew. "I lost to him once. But I won't lose again! So take care of the rest in the meanwhile!"

Zoro smirked. "Hurry up and beat his ass already…"

"If you can't beat him, then who can?!" Usopp wailed.

The others merely nodded in response.

"It's time… TO END EVERYTHING!"

"YOU BET!"

Vivi wiped the tears from her eyes. 'That's right! I still have my friends!'

"Nghh…" Luffy grunted before sling-shotting himself towards the man responsible for all that had transpired. "CROOCOODIIILEE!"

"No matter how many times we fight, you will never be able to land even a single punch on me…!" the Shichibukai growled. "So you want me to impale you again, do you?!"

Luffy soared up to the man, just as he began to transform into sand. Crocodile was convinced this would be an easy fight. But something happened that he wasn't expecting.

Luffy landed a solid punch.

Crocodile was sent flying back, blood trickling from his mouth. Luffy kept after the man, gearing up for an attack. "Gomu Gomu…"

"Who is that?!" King Cobra was in shock. Kai and Ms. Sunday continued to stand off to the side, neither breathing a word. They knew exactly who this boy was, and just what he was capable of.

"T-That brat!" Crocodile managed to get back up.

Luffy grabbed hold of the man, anchoring himself. He began to spin his body in preparation for his attack. Crocodile glared at the boy before noticing something he hadn't seen earlier.

'He… He couldn't have…?!'

"BUZZSAW!" Luffy propelled his spinning body forward, slamming into the Shichibukai hard. The man grunted, sliding across the hard ground before coming to a stop, his body splayed out.

"Shishishi!"

King Cobra couldn't believe what he just saw. "He hit Crocodile…"

"Oh?" Ms. Sunday seemed almost… amused by the turn of events.

Kai ran his gaze over the Straw-Hat captain, taking note of the barrel strapped to his back. Suddenly, it clicked. "I see now… he's smarter than he lets on."

"Stand."

Tic… Toc… Tic…

"Kuku…" Crocodile managed a laugh.

"Back then, I managed to grab your arm." Luffy thought back to their first encounter in the desert. "The water I received from Yuba taught me how." He pulled a hose out, drenching his arm in water. "If I touch you with water, you won't be able to turn into sand! That's why you stole this country's rain. You're afraid of water!"

"Kuku…"

"Now I can finally kick your ass for real! Our fight's finally set to begin!"


"Find the one shooting the bomb?! But how?!"

Tic… Toc… Tic…

"There's no time to think! The bomb's gonna go off in just 10 minutes, right?"

"But if this bomb has a blast radius of 5km, then the shooter might be aiming from a place at least 2.5km away!"

"No!" Vivi interrupted. "Or at least… I don't think so… the shooter is most likely… very close to the palace square."

"But why?! He'd only get caught up in the explo-" Usopp cut himself off, the answer dawning on him.

"…That's just the kind of person Crocodile is." Nami solemnly said.

Chopper couldn't believe it. "He doesn't care if his agents die…?!"

'Sounds familiar…' Aurora thought darkly. 'A lot like him...'

"Some boss he is…!" Sanji growled.

"Then we should hurry up and-" Zoro abruptly stopped, drawing his sword. There was a loud Clang! as the swordsman blocked an attack aimed for Vivi. Sanji stepped in on the other side of the princess, kicking the assailant down.

"GAHH!" Usopp's eyes popped out of his head at the sight of the Baroque Works agents surrounding them.

"Found ya, princess!"

"I wonder how high I'll be promoted once I kill you!"

"It's the Billions!" Vivi realized.

"10 minutes minus…" Sanji turned to Zoro. "How many seconds?"

"We don't have time to waste by talking."

The two men faced the Billions, determination etched on their faces. "2 seconds."

"We'll go on ahead!" Nami called back to them, the rest of the group having taken off running.

"Let's split up!" Usopp advised. "But first, we need to get out from this damn dust cloud!"

'10 minutes…' Vivi thought. 'This is it… the very last time limit… for this country! These 10 minutes will decide this country's fate!'


"Hahaha! You really think you can beat me…?!"

"Course."

"I will commend you on your escape from death's door… but even so, there's still an insurmountable gap between you and I! I am on the level of a Shichibukai…!"

"So what if you're a Shichibukai?!" Luffy didn't care about the man's status. "If that's how it is, I'll just be a Hachibukai!"

Kai face-palmed. "What an idiot. A determined idiot… but still an idiot."

"Who is that man…?" Cobra wondered.

"He's a pirate, haven't you heard?" Ms. Sunday spoke up. "It appears he's saved the princess yet again."

"Then… he's the one who escorted Vivi safely back to Alabasta?"

"Unfortunately…" Kai grimaced.

"Fufu…"

"Gomu Gomu no…" Luffy drew his arm back. "PISTOL!"

Crocodile ducked. "A simple dodge, and your attacks are meaningless whether wet or not."

Luffy froze when Crocodile laid a hand on his arm, realizing what was about to happen.

"The palm of my hand can absorb all moisture…!"

"Crap!" Luffy charged. "I forgot you had that ability! Nghh!" He threw a kick at the man, Crocodile turning into sand to avoid the blow. Luffy landed a few feet behind him, chugging down water so as to regain moisture that Crocodile had sucked out of his body. "Do you remember telling me that devil fruit powers can grow more powerful depending on how you use them…!" The boy drenched himself with water. "Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"

The attack started off the way it normally did. Luffy stretched his arm back to throw a powerful punch. But right as it got close to Crocodile, Luffy "twanged" his arm, causing his fist to fire at the Shichibukai multiple times.

"SHOTGUN!"

"Agh-" Crocodile barely managed to dodge. "Cheeky brat… DESERT SPADA!"

"That attack?!" Luffy used his abilities to his advantage, stretching his body thin as he managed to sidestep. The attack left a deep crevice in the palace, taking out part of the wall as well. "Close call! Gomu Gomu no…"

"Using the same attacks again and again…" Crocodile wasn't impressed. "Do you really intend on winning?"

"Yup!" Luffy suddenly appeared before the man. "And I'm 100% confident!"

Crocodile was knocked back, landing harshly on the ground.

Luffy grabbed hold of the barrel on his back. "This is… exactly what I've been aiming for!" He tossed the barrel at Crocodile's prone form. "Get soaked!"

Sand began to swirl in his hand. "As if that wasn't obvious enough…"

"WHA?!"

"SABLES!" Crocodile conjured up a sandstorm, knocking the straw-hat captain back.

"Aghh!" Luffy soared towards the edge of the palace. "Ack! My barrel!" He managed to grab hold of it, landing safely. "Whew!"

"Kuhahaha! Aren't you looking quite desperate, Strawhat?!" Crocodile cackled. "If it weren't for that barrel, you wouldn't be able to do a thing… it seems things haven't really changed at all since our last fight! Kuhahaha!"

"… You're right." Luffy admitted. "It's the same as last time if I keep holding onto this!" The barrel landed on the ground, the wood cracking open as remnants of water trickled out. "But what about now?! Now I'm not the same Luffy you've fought!"

"A… Are you serious…" Crocodile couldn't believe what Luffy had just done.

"Water Luffy! Urp! Burp!" Water spouted out of the boy's body, Luffy having consumed the entire barrel just a moment ago, his entire midsection distended. "Oh crap! I'm leaking!"

Crocodile still couldn't believe it. 'Is this brat… serious?!'

"Ugh, I'm so full…" Luffy moaned. "I don't think you're 'sposed to drink so much water."

Ms. Sunday burst out laughing. "Ahahaha!"

Kai sweatdropped. "Is this kid for real? Does he not understand the severity of this situation?"

"Perhaps he's smarter than we realize." Ms. Sunday continued to giggle.

"I'll believe it when I see it."

Tic… Toc… Tic…

"STOP JOKING AROUND, YOU LITTLE BRAT!"

Luffy reacted instantaneously, managing to regurgitate some of the water and spitting it directly onto Crocodile.

The Shichibukai froze. 'Curses!'

"Just who the hell is joking around?!" Luffy whipped his arms back.

'My body won't…'

"I'm always serious! Gomu Gomu no…" he slammed his hands into Crocodile's midsection. "BAZOOKA!" The Shichibukai was thrust back into one of the gates on the rooftop, the structure crumbling to pieces. "How's that, Croc?"

"I can't believe it!" Cobra suddenly cried out in pain. "Aghh!"

Ms. Sunday was using her powers to remove the nails embedded in the king's arms that kept him pinned to the wall. "Now's not the time to be impressed, Mr. Cobra."

The king fell heavily to the ground.

"Come. You'll be showing me the way to where the Poneglyph is located."

"… Just what do you plan to do… by seeing that thing?!" His arms were painfully restrained. "Gahh!"

"Don't waste my time with useless questions. All you need to do is show me where it is."

Kai hefted the man up, keeping a firm hand on the king's shoulder. "I'd do what she says. Trust me when I say you don't want to make her mad." The fallen angel leaned in close, glare on his face. "Or me…!"

Luffy glanced over at the trio, not saying a word.

"Fufufu. Even your luck can only take you this far… your time's almost up."

"Get going now, Nico Robin." Crocodile growled. "That is, unless you want to become a mummy too… I am officially beyond pissed off right now…!"

"Nico Robin…?!"

"Well… I guess we're not using code names anymore…"

"As you wish…"


"Clear the way. I'm in a hurry."

"Absolutely not! I've been informed of what's happening in this country by the Royal Guards! Just who do you think you're holding hostage?!"

"Isn't it obvious?" Kai snarked.

"Like I care who I'm holding hostage… I really do despise you government dogs."

"If you won't clear the way…" Tashighi drew her sword. "I don't have the slightest intention of giving into your demands!"

Kai glanced over at Robin, noticing the murderous look on her face. "You've done it now…"

"So be it. I'll just have to kill you!"

Kai's nails lengthened in response, evil grin on his face. "I've been looking for a way to get my aggression out ever since that damn true angel bested me!"

"Marines, stop! Pay no heed to me!" Cobra begged. "More importantly, at 4:30 PM, the palace square is set to be fired upon! You have to stop it somehow!"

"What?!" Tashigi glanced at her watch. "That's only 7 minutes from now…"

"The lives of a million citizens are at stake!"

"But…!" Tashigi had to decide what to do. "… T-then I'll save you and stop the bombing!"

"WAIT! This woman is-"

"AIM!"

"I told you not to get in my way!" Robin glared. "Treinta Fleur!"

"Wha-"

Arms sprouted from many of the marines present, wrapping around their necks.

"STRANGLE!"

Tashigi became alarmed. "A devil fruit user?!"

Kai suddenly vanished, no longer in sight. A large group of marines collapsed, blood spurting from their chests. The fallen angel reappeared next to his female companion, black wings looming ominously behind him and blood dripping from his nails.

"A-Another devil fruit user?!"

The man snorted. "You wish! Ever heard of a fallen angel, lady?"

The words seemed to ring a bell. "But… angels aren't real! They're just a fairytale!"

"Obviously not." Kai gestured to himself. "Now if I were you, I'd move out of the way."

"We're in a hurry." Robin growled. "Don't make me any angrier."

"Sergeant Major Tashigi!" one of the marines cried out. "T-this woman is… NICO ROBIN! There's no doubt about it! Captain Smoker ordered me to look up her bounty poster! She caused a huge uproar in the world when a bounty was first placed on her head! I still remember the newspaper article on her 20 years ago!"

Kai cautioned a glance at said woman. "I'd shut up if I were you."

"An 8 year old girl was apparently the perpetrator of a case in which 6 marine warships were sunk." The marine blabbered on. "Judging her to be a danger of the highest priority, the World Government placed an astounding 79 million beli on her head! But she has since hidden all traces of herself…"

"Quit your annoying chatter!" Robin snapped. "Are you going to clear the way or do you all want to die?! Which is it?!"

Tashigi made a split second decision. "Sergeant! Take the troops to the palace square! Your mission is to stop the bombing!"

"But Sergeant Major…!"

"NOW!"

"Yes, sir!" the marines scattered, doing as ordered.

Tic… Toc… Tic…

"NOW LET GO OF THAT MAN!"

Robin held her hands up. "I told you to stop getting in my way…"

Appendages grew from Tashigi's shoulders, hands clamping over her mouth. Two more grew from her wrists, taking hold of the Sergeant Major's sword and pointing it at her own throat.

Kai almost felt sorry for the woman… almost.


West of the Palace: Royal Crypt…

"A hidden staircase?!" Robin managed to get caught off guard.

"The poneglyph is housed deep down in an underground chamber. Most aren't even aware of its existence."

The woman began to head down the stairs. "The criminal world is far bigger than you might think. Even if you are the king of one alliance state in the World Government, you're not the only one aware of such secrets."

"Can you… read the poneglyphs?"

"Yes…" she answered. "That is why Crocodile partnered up with me, and why he cannot kill me…" she paused. "You're not at fault, however. I'm sure you hadn't the faintest idea that there were still people on this world who could decipher those runes. The poneglyph in this country most likely holds the location to Pluton, am I wrong?"

"I do not know…"

Kai, having remained silent till now, shoved the king forward. "Well let's go find out, shall we?"

"It has been the duty of the royal family of Alabasta for generations to protect this thing." Cobra explained. "That is all it means to us."

"Protect…? Don't make me laugh!"

The trio reached the end of the staircase, Kai whistling in marvel. "This tomb sure is grand."

"… It's further back inside, behind the doors." Cobra instructed the duo.

Robin led the way, pushing said doors open and waltzing inside. "Ah, yes…"


"An explosive with a blast diameter of 5km…" Sanji screeched to a halt. "Wait a sec… a bomb like that would be pretty damn big… and trying to fire that with a cannon would mean… very low accuracy…! Then could it be that it's extremely close to the palace square…?!" the cook growled in annoyance. "Dammit! I ain't got time to go around all these buildings! I'm taking a shortcut!"

Aurora watched as the blonde kicked through the exterior of a nearby building, her breath coming out in short pants. "Sanji…! I… don't think… that's the best way… to…"

The cook backtracked, picking the angel up and depositing her on his back once more before continuing to create his own path. Aurora sighed, but didn't fight him. She knew time was of the essence. If this was how Sanji wanted to handle things, she'd let it slide.

Right now, they needed to focus on finding the bomb!


"Is what you desire… recorded there?"

Robin walked up to the large slab of stone, silently reading the inscriptions etched into its surface. Kai watched the woman closely, but her neutral expression told him nothing. Even after all those years spent in her company, she was still a closed off book to him.

Meanwhile, just outside, Crocodile had arrived.

He noticed the entrance. "I see. A hidden staircase…"

Time left until palace square explosion: 4 minutes

Footsteps echoed down the staircase, Kai's ears subtly twitching in response. He'd recognize the approaching aura anywhere. The fallen angel cast a glance at Robin, hoping she'd have good news for their boss.

"Is there nothing else…?! Is this everything this country is hiding…?!"

"Why?" Cobra asked. "Dissatisfied? I showed you everything as promised…"

"… I see."

"A fitting place for a state secret." Crocodile made himself known. "You wouldn't be able to find this place without knowing where to look…" He came to stand next to the woman. "… So is this a poneglyph, Nico Robin?"

"… You arrived quickly."

"It's rather… hmm, I'm not quite sure how to describe it… so can you decipher it?"

Robin briefly hesitated. "… Yes."

"Then read it aloud. Read this poneglyph…"

"… Alabasta is conquered by Kahira in year 239 of the Heaven's Calendar. In year 260, the Bitein Dynasty of Taymar begins. In 306, the great Taph Temple of Erumalu finishes its construction. In 325, Mamudin, the Hero of Oltea, is-"

"Hey now…" Crocodile cut her off. "Hold up! You think that's what we've been wanting to know?!"

Kai discreetly moved closer to the woman, sensing the spike in Crocodile's anger.

"I couldn't care less about this country's history! Just tell me where the world's most feared weapon resides in this country!"

"That is not recorded here." Robin told him. "There is only history written here."

"What?"

Robin ran her hand over the poneglyph. "The name "Pluton" isn't mentioned in this passage even once."

"… I see… what a shame. You were a most capable partner, but I'll be killing you here."

Kai's wings bristled in response, Robin herself becoming alarmed. "Wha?!"

"The arrangement made between us 4 years ago has now come to an end. Back then, you told me this… "If you lead me to the poneglyph, then I will give you information on the secret weapon"." Crocodile shifted, ready to attack. "The work you've done for Baroque Works these past 4 years were invaluable thanks to your intellect and leadership. For me, that was enough. You were a highly useful woman."

Crocodile swung his hook, Robin barely managing to avoid getting her head cut off. Her hat dangled off the man's golden hook before he discarded it. The Shichibukai rushed again, but a glowing red sword blocked his path.

Crocodile smirked, Kai holding the man's hook back with his energy sword. "Why am I not surprised? Ever the loyal dog, aren't you?"

Kai grimaced, struggling to hold the man off, but Crocodile was beginning to quickly overpower him.

"The two of you have been attached at the hip since day one. I thought it strange that a woman such as yourself would trust a man like him so implicitly... so much so that you practically begged for me to allow him in the organization."

Kai grunted. "What can I say? We're just kindred spirits."

"Oh… I think we all know it's so much more than that." Crocodile's gaze landed on Robin.

"Dude, you are reading way too much into this."

"Perhaps…" Crocodile drawled. "But that won't really matter when you're dead."

The Shichibukai dissolved into sand, reappearing behind the fallen angel. Kai stiffened in alarm, swinging around to block the incoming attack with his sword. But… he wasn't fast enough.

A strangled gasp escaped Robin's lips, the sight of Kai dangling from Crocodile's golden hook causing her distress. The woman quickly put a clamp on her emotions though. She couldn't let her guard down now, even if Kai was hurt. She'd worry about him after she took down Crocodile.

"You broke your promise to me." The Shichibukai continued from earlier, gaze landing on the dark-haired woman once more. He flung his arm out to the side, Kai's limp body landing in a heap on the ground. "The poneglyph of this country failed to give me any leads on Pluton! But I harbor not even the slightest ounce of anger towards you. Do you know why, Nico Robin…?"

She smirked, reaching into her coat and drawing out a small vial. "Fufu… how foolish. I've been your partner for 4 years, you realize!? I expected all along for you to resort to this in the end!"

"Hm!?" Crocodile immediately recognized what was inside. "Water?"

The Shichibukai dodged when Robin threw the vial at him. She acted quickly, using her devil fruit powers to sprout an arm from the man's shoulder that caught the aforementioned object.

"Agh!"

Robin drew a knife, charging. "If I pour water on you, I can stab you, right!?" She went to stab the man, but he had disappeared. With no body to attach itself to, the limb that had sprouted vanished from sight, the vial of water shattering on the ground. Robin's head swiveled from side to side. "He disappeared! Where'd he-"

"I will forgive everything, Nico Robin. Because, you see…" Crocodile took a step back, withdrawing his hook from where he'd plunged it into the woman's body. "I never trusted anyone, from the very beginning…"

The woman coughed up blood, collapsing to the ground.

"I've already verified Pluton's existence from Cobra's reaction earlier. I can find it myself without relying on this cryptic block of junk! It's all just a matter of time once I take over this country…!" A loud rumbling cut Crocodile off, the man gazing around in alarm. "What's going on?! It's still too soon for the palace square bombing…" His gaze landed on the king. "Ah, it must be you… what did you do…?!"

"Nothing much, really… this underground crypt has a certain feature, that allows the whole center of gravity to be shifted when a small pillar is removed, bring the whole place down… you and I… will both die here… as the 12th head of the Nefertari Royal House, I shall not hand over this country to the likes of you…"

"Ohh…" Crocodile seemed amused. "The very model of an exemplary king… so you led me down here to bury me below for the sake of your country, have you now?! But you cannot kill me…"

"?!"

"I can turn all the stone walls here into sand…" Crocodile began to explain. "And make my escape! Just 3 minutes left now… after 3 minutes, this crypt, the palace square, and all my pesky annoyances will disappear at once! And from that moment on, this land… THIS COUNTRY WILL BE MINE! KUHAHAHA! DIE A FUTILE DEATH, COBRA!"


Tic… Toc… Tic…

A red smoke signal shot high up into the sky, catching the attention of the pirates attempting to help the princess save her kingdom. They all knew what it meant.

The bomb had been found.

"Usopp…" Aurora breathed, knowing the sniper had to have been the one to send the signal.

"Good, it's close by!" Sanji huffed, taking off in a sprint, the angel clinging tightly to his back.


"Huff… huff…"

Crocodile glared at the figure standing before him. "You again?"

"I've cornered you now, Croc…!"

"How… are you still alive?" he seethed. "Why must you come after me again and again no matter how many times I kill you? Well, STRAW HAT?!"

Cobra glanced over at the boy. "How did he…"

Robin's hand twitched, the woman shifting her head to gaze upon the pirate captain. "Straw Hat…"

Kai grunted, attempting to claw his way over to his companion. If he could use this distraction to his advantage, he would. The chaos still going on outside fed into his dark powers and allowed him to heal, but it was slow going. The croc got him good.

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO KILL YOU BEFORE YOU'RE SATISFIED?!"

"You still haven't returned… the thing you've stolen…!"

"The thing I stole…?" Crocodile parroted. "Money? Fame…? Trust…? Is it life? Or perhaps the rain?! Kuhahaha! What is it you want back? I've stolen so many things, you see."

"The country!"

"Country?! You're an odd fellow… I'm only about to steal the country now… by becoming its new king…!"

"No, when I came here, it was already stolen!" Luffy asserted. "Her country was nowhere to be found! If this were really her country…" he paused, before charging at the man. "THEN SHE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SMILE A LOT MORE!"

"What can you even accomplish without any water…"

Luffy lashed out at the Shichibukai, his kick landing solidly against the man's cheek. Crocodile was sent flying back.

The man glared. 'What the… how can he kick me without any water…?'

"CROCODIIIILEE!" Luffy suddenly appeared before him, arm drawn back and ready to punch.

"WAI-"

Luffy's fist slammed into the center of the man's face, knocking Crocodile flat on his back.

"Ku… ha…!" the Shichibukai was slumped over, blood spilling from his wounds. "It… it can't be… YOU USED YOUR BLOOD?!"

"Blood works just as well in clumping up your sand, right?!" the straw hat captain drew up his fist, blood dripping from the surface.

"Ha… haha… ku… hahaha!" Crocodile choked out a laugh. "So be it… Rainbase… the palace… and now this underground crypt… let me reward your persistence in challenging me a third time even after twice tasting hell…!"

"Nghh-" Luffy struck, but Crocodile managed to dodge.

"I will treat you as a real pirate…" the Shichibukai grabbed his hook, yanking on it to reveal a much smaller, slimmer one hidden inside. "It seems you're set on beating me now matter what. So I shall acknowledge you as a troublesome enemy."

"He took it off… but what is it?"

Crocodile grinned evilly. "A poison hook."

"Oh."

"Amongst pirates, fights are all about who dies and who lives. There is no fair nor unfair! Once the explosion occurs on the surface, it'll likely cause this place to collapse in on itself. This is the end. Let's settle this once and for all!"

The two moved, the final battle having begun. Luffy stretched, attempting to strike the man, but he just turned to sand to dodge. In return, Crocodile attempted to stab the boy with his poisoned hook, but Luffy managed to dodged just in the nick of time. The Shichibukai's hook sizzled as he yanked it out of the ground. The two were at their limits, the crypt continuing to crumble around them.

Luffy moved first. "Gomu Gomu… BU-"

Crocodile thrust his hand forward, Luffy realizing what he was attempting to do and stopping his attack. The boy stretched, shifting direction and kicked at the man. Crocodile saw it coming and dodged with ease, smirk prominent on his face.

"Whoa!" Luffy jumped back, barely avoiding the poison hook.

The two faced each other once more, neither saying a word. A piece of the ceiling crumbled, falling to the ground between them. It was then that they both moved.

Luffy landed a solid kick, barely noticing that the hook had grazed his shoulder. The boy grabbed hold of it, spinning in place and slamming his heel into the other man's head.

Cobra could only stare in disbelief. 'Just what on Earth is he… how can he press back Crocodile, the one who toyed with my country's most elite warriors, to this extent…!'

'Come on, Straw Hat…' Kai thought, gaze riveted to the battle. 'Finish him so we can get out of here alive!'

"Kukuku…" Crocodile chuckled. "Even if you can stand back up after being stabbed, buried alive, and dried up, you won't be able to do so against this. This fight is over. The poison will soon spread throughout your entire body."

"You don't understand a single thing…!"


"But Vivi! Even if we know where the place is, we can't climb all the way up there in just one minute!" Nami rationalized to the princess.

"I was planning to rely on Pell's help, but…"

"Well, we've got no choice but to use the stairs then!" Usopp declared. "Where's the entrance?!"

"Y-You don't have to worry about that…" a voice replied.

"Aurora!"

The angel appeared before the group, having already been at the clock tower for a few minutes.

"Wait a minute! Aurora can just fly up there!" Usopp crowed, forgetting one major detail.

The angel frowned, eye twitching in annoyance. "Broken wing, remember?"

"Hey!" another voice rang out from above. "Nami~! Viviiii~!"

"What are you doing up there?!"

"What do you mean what am I doing up here? You left a message by the smoke signal!"

"It read "Clock Tower" so we made our way here." Aurora explained. "I told Sanji to go on ahead without me cause I'd only slow him down."

"So what do I do now?! Where's the bomber?!" Sanji continued to yell out the window.

"The top, the top!" Usopp instructed. "Just keep heading all the way up to the top!"

Another figure came into view, much higher up, but easily distinguishable by his green hair. "Hey!"

"Huh?!" Sanji turned his head, gaze landing upon the swordsman.

"I've been looking for you guys!"

"You're up there too, Zoro?!"

"What're you guys doing down there?!"

"THAT'S WHAT I WANNA ASK!" Usopp screeched.

"Well the marines kept telling me, "Head North, head North," so I thought I should climb up here…"

"DO YOU EVEN KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "NORTH" AND "UP"?!"

Aurora shook her head. "We can talk about that later, Usopp!" She turned to the two men up above. "JUST KEEP MOV-" the angel abruptly stopped, violent coughs wracking her body.

Nami gently guided the girl to the ground. "Don't overdo it. You need to rest."

"Not until we stop that bomb from going off." Aurora wheezed.

"It's no good…"

"What?!" Usopp squawked.

"You can't head inside the clock tower from where those two are at." Vivi explained. "To get to the top of the clock tower, you have to use the special staircase located on the first floor."

"But… if it's Zoro, then he could just break through the tower's wall and…"

"All that impact might cause the bomb to go off though!"

Vivi dashed toward the tower door. "There's no other choice but to use the stairs!"

"Wait, Vivi!" Nami called out to the princess. "I have a plan!"

"Rrriiibbit ribbit ribbit!" a woman's voice rang out, the face of the clock slowly opening.

"Ohohoho!" a man's voice rang out next.

"Ah!"

"Huh?"

"Wha!"

"The hell?"

"Ah-"

"Mr. 7, listen! I know something! This is our final assignment! Rrribbit ribbit ribbit!"

The woman in the clock tower was dressed rather strangely compared to some of the other Baroque Work agents they'd encountered. She had purple hair, with a long, thin widow's peak, and over that she had a frog styled hat, with appendages jutting out with white balls on the end. She wore a purple shirt with pink dots that bared her midriff, with a yellow button up shirt underneath, and a blue tie. She had frog styled sleeves at the end of her shoulders, and white gloves. She also wore a purple skirt with pink dots on it, and a frog styled decoration with white balls on the end. The boots on her feet were also frog themed and went to her shins.

"Ohohoho! Yes, I'd assess so too! Ohohoho! In just 30 more seconds, I'd assess! Ohohoho!"

Her companion was just as strange looking. His body was covered with sevens, including his eyebrows, shoes and gun. He had puffy blueish-white hair, that was styled similar to a helmet. He sported a purple coat that went down to his ankles, with yellow frills on the shoulders, on the ends of the sleeves, and in the middle part. The coat also had parallel sevens on each side of the chest. Under the coat he wore a dark blue shirt with pink lines on it, and a light blue neckerchief. He wore black trousers with long white socks, and yellow shoes in the shape of sevens. He also donned square yellow sunglasses with red lenses.

"Who're those two?!"

"MR. 7?!" Vivi cried, recognizing the duo.

"Rrribbit ribbit ribbit! Hey listen, Mr. 7! I think this is a big mission!"

"Yes, you're right, Ms. Faaather's Daaayyy…"

"Maybe we'll get promoted big time after this!" she snickered. "Ribbit! Ribbit! Ribbit!"

"Ohohoho! Yes, such an assessment would be nice." The man agreed. "Very, veeerrryyy nice, Ms. Faaather's Daaayyy…" He turned his attention to the cannon just behind them. "In any case, ohohoho! I would assess that this enormous cannon is set to shoot right into the middle of the crowd below! Ohohohoho!"

Tic… Toc…

"Ribbit! It's almost time, Mr. 7!"

"Preparing to light the fuuuusssseeee! Ohohohoho!"


"Just what… is it that I don't understand…?!"

Luffy moved, striking at the man with his fist. Crocodile dodged, the boy's attack colliding with the wall behind him.

"Hmph!"

Luffy was undeterred, continuing to follow the Shichibukai, but his next punch never landed either. "Gomu Gomu… GATLING GUN!"

His fists fired rapidly, but somehow, someway… Crocodile still managed to evade.

"Do you still not get it…?" Crocodile panted. "You're going to die… from the poison already flowing in your body."

Luffy hacked, beginning to feel the effects. He wouldn't be able to last too much longer at the rate he was moving.

"You can feel your body growing numb, can't you…? Whether you win or lose, you'll still be buried under this temple with all the other rubble. It's a miracle you're still able to even stand after 3 fights with me and taking a ridiculous amount of damage…"

"RAGHH!"

The man dodged once more. "Why do you still-"

"NGH!


"15 seconds leeeeefffttt! Ohohohoho!"

"Target: Center of the Palace Square! Ribbit ribbit! Light the fuse!"

"Nami! Just what're you trying to do?!" Usopp screeched, Chopper and Vivi perched atop his shoulders. "We don't have any time, y'know! We're all gonna die if we fail, y'know!"

"Yes, I know already!" Nami growled. "Now just shut up and stand there! I'm trying to calculate things right now!"

"How the hell is standing in this pose gonna help?! What're you even planning to do?!"

"You'll understand once I do it! Here I go!"

"Ribbit ribbit! Hey listen, Mr. 7! Since it's the finale, I wanna do a count-down!"

"Ohohoho! An iiiinteresting assessment, indeed! Yes, let's! Ohohoho!"

Nami got her Clima-Tact into position. "The weather is… Typhoon!"

"THIIIRRTEEEEN!" the countdown began.

"Cyclone Tempo!"

Usopp began to panic. "H-Hey, the cyclone tempo's just a little boomerang trick, meant for parties and-"

"The target's the clock tower!"

"Ooof!" Usopp grunted, the Clima-Tact going right between his legs, tears beginning to stream from his eyes. "Wha?"

Aurora's eyes widened in realization. "You're… you're going to propel them up!"

"AAAAAAGGGHHHHHHH!"

"But, Nami… that won't get them all the way to the top!" Aurora could see that the attack would only send them so far.

The navigator winked. "Don't worry. I got this." She proceeded to call up to the group. "Chopper! Once you reach Sanji's level, JUMP!"

"Wha?"

"Don't tell me… her plan is to keep on flying up directly like this?!" Vivi was in disbelief.

"Sanji! You know what to do, right?! We don't have any time left!"

"Yeah, I think I got the gist of the plan…" the cook stepped onto the sill. "Fine! I guess I've got no other choice…!"

"We don't have time to think! Take me up, Tony!"

"Alright! Hang tight, Vivi!" Chopper did as he was instructed, pushing off of Usopp's body to propel himself to Sanji's level.

"Oh, so that's the plan…" Zoro seemed to realize what Nami had in mind.

The cook jumped out the window, leg outstretched. "Get on my right leg!"

"Ok!"

With all the strength he had, Sanji kicked, sending the reindeer and princess flying upward. As he began his descent towards the ground, the cook shouted up to the swordsman. "All yours now, Zoro!"

"Great work, Sanji!" Nami cheered, the navigator keeping a firm grip on the angel at her side, who was attempting to catch her falling crewmates. The orange-haired girl was having none of it though. She'd already prevented Aurora from trying to catch Usopp, the sniper having crashed headfirst into the hard ground. The boys would be fine. The last thing Nami wanted was for Aurora to get injured any more than she already was.

Up above, Zoro began to draw his swords. "Looks like I've gotta throw them all the way up to the top."

"10!"

"Zoro!"

"Leave it to me!" the swordsman leapt off the roof, swords at the ready.

"Aghh! Your swords!"

"Don't be scared, stupid. I'll send you up with the back of my blades!"

"Ah… okay!"

"9!"

"Watch out, Vivi." Zoro warned. "There's some weirdoes up there!"

"Yes, I recognize them!"

"Hmm?" the two agents stopped their countdown.

"Ohohoho?! Ms. Wednesday!"

"Ribbit ribbit! I know you're the one who betrayed our organization!"

Vivi gasped. "Oh no…"

"They noticed her!" Nami cried.

"Wha?!" Usopp sprang to life at her words.

"Oh crap!" Zoro cursed, the swordsman not having launched them yet. "We're sitting ducks here in the air! If they shoot us now then…"


"There should be no reason in this country for you to still fight! Am I wrong?! Or are you doing this all for her sake?! You would really die just like that for someone else?! If you just threw aside one or two friends… you could have avoided all this! You and your crew are all interminably moronic!"

"That's why I said…" Luffy struggled to get to his feet. "You don't understand anything…"

"!"

"Vivi… even though she tells others not to throw away their lives, she always puts herself most at risk in order to save others… if I left her be, she'd die for sure… she'd be killed by you!"

"That's exactly why I'm telling you to abandon such a troublesome frien-"

"IT'S BECAUSE SHE'S A FRIEND THAT I DON'T WANT HER TO DIE!"

Kai, who had slowly begun to sit up, froze at those words, his gaze drifting over to the woman lying next to him. 'He continues to fight… just to save a friend… even if it means his death…' The fallen angel shook his head. 'Sounds familiar, eh… Nico?'

"That's why as long as she won't give up on her country… my crew won't stop fighting either!"

"… Even if it means your deaths?"

"If I die, then that's that!"


"Adjust! Ribbit ribbit gun! What an unexpected windfall!"

"Adjust! Yellow gun! Ohohoho! Such an easy prey!"

"How dare you point your guns at Vivi!" Sanji raged, the cook still falling.

"Oh no! That's the sniper-duo!" Vivi realized.

"Chopper! I'm gonna launch you off, so it's up to you!"

"What?! Me?!"

"Only 7 seconds left!" Nami shouted.

Usopp began to wail. "DOOOO SOMETHING!"

Aurora grit her teeth, feeling absolutely helpless. It frustrated her to no end. There had to be something she could do!

The angel glanced over her shoulder, taking stock of her broken wing. She'd kept what minimal power she had from healing it, knowing it needed to be set in place properly beforehand. Mouth set in a hard line, Aurora reached back, gripping the large appendage tightly and fighting not to scream in agony.

She knew what she needed to do.


"Kuhahaha… you talk big but in the end, your body won't even listen to you! How fitting!" Crocodile cackled.

"Huff huff…" Luffy panted, struggling to get to his feet. The poison coursing through his veins made it all the more difficult.

"KUHAHAHAHAHA! KUHAHAHAHAHA!" Crocodile continued to laugh. "It all comes down to whether or not you can beat me! No matter how much you care for your friends and no matter how many times you stand up again to try and stop my plans… if you can't beat me here and now, then everything you've done up until now will have been for naught! Facing me was just too much for a small-time pirate who just barely started sailing the seas like you… in the end, you're just an insignificant scrap like so many others in this world…"


"I'm launching you off now!" Zoro shouted, the duo having landed on his criss-crossed swords. "Ready, Chopper?! Vivi?!"

"Ribbit! Ribbit!"

"Oho! Oho!"

The princess and reindeer nodded in unison. "Mmmhmm!"

"Ready…"

"Smash!"

"GOOO!" Zoro shouted as he launched the two, a blood-curdling shriek sounding throughout the area at the same time.

Nami flung around, eyes widening in horror. "Aurora?! What the hell?!"

The true angel said nothing, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood. Her left wing sizzled and steamed as she forced her holy powers to heal the damage, the girl having thrust it back into place as best she could. Aurora knew the bones couldn't possibly be back in the right spot, but it was good enough for now.

She spread her wings and took flight.

"Aurora, wait!" Nami's cry fell on deaf ears.

6 seconds before cannon fire…

"Hey, listen!" Ms. Father's Day piped up. "The bullets for our guns…"

"Explode when they bump into each other!" Mr. 7 finished.

Two bullets, one shaped like dice and the other a frog, were shot in Zoro's direction. Being airborne like he was, the swordsman would be unable to dodge.

"Zoro!"

5 seconds left…

But the bullets never hit.

Yellow clouded Zoro's vision, an explosion occurring right before his eyes, yet not touching him. A familiar figure rocketed past his falling form, the shield fading from existence as quickly as it was put up. "Damn woman! What the hell are you doing?! AURORA!"

"Ribbit ribbit! Run as you might…" Ms. Father's Day raised her gun once more.

"It's all futile! Ohohoho!"

Aurora grit her teeth, forcing herself to go faster despite the pain lancing through her wing.

"SMASH!"

The bullets were shot once more.

"Oho?!"

"Who's he?!"

Chopper hovered in the air before the two agents, having taken on his Heavy Point form. Vivi was nowhere in sight.

4 seconds left…

The reindeer saw the bullets coming, attempting to shrink down in time to avoid them. Two arms wrapped around his torso mid-shift and Chopper suddenly found himself facing the opposite direction.

"The hell?!"

The bullets collided, a large explosion occurring. But Chopper never felt any of it. White feathers obstructed his view, the arms tightening almost to the point where he couldn't breathe. The reindeer turned his head, Aurora's face mere inches behind him. Pain was etched across her features, the smell of blood and burnt flesh reaching his nostrils.

Not only had the angel saved Zoro… she'd saved Chopper as well.

Chopper began to scream, the two spiraling towards the ground. Aurora was unable to slow their descent. Her wings had taken the brunt of the explosion. Her energy was sapped. The angel could see black creeping into the edges of her vision.

"Where's Ms. Wednesday?!"

"Did we assess wrongly?!"

Aurora turned her body so her back was to the ground, allowing her to take the brunt of the impact when she and Chopper finally landed. High up above, Vivi was a mere dot in the sky, rapidly descending towards the clock tower, Chopper having thrown her earlier.

The two agents finally saw her. "From above?!"

3 seconds left…

"GOOOO!" Nami and Usopp screamed.

Vivi twirled her weapons on her pinkies. "Peacock String… SLASHER!" The princess struck, but the two Baroque Work agents ducked to avoid the chains.

"Wha?" Nami and Usopp cried out in alarm, Sanji landing in a heap next to them.

2 seconds left…

Ms. Father's Day aimed her gun at the blue-haired girl. "Ribbit ribbit! Too bad, so sad!"

"You missed!"

"RUNBACK!" Vivi landed, her peacock slashers whipping into the agents from behind and sending them flying from the clock tower.

"ALRIGHT!" Usopp cheered.

Vivi took off in a dead sprint towards the cannon's fuse.

1 second left…

Down below, the pirates waited with bated breath. The battle raged on all around them. All was still and quiet up above at the clock tower.

"… Did we stop it?!" Usopp was the first to react.

In the clock tower, Vivi sat tiredly on the ground, her peacock slasher having been used to cut the fuse. She panted heavily, the princess thinking she had prevailed.

Tic… Toc… Tic… Toc… Tic…

"Ugh!" Zoro grunted loudly, his body heavily impacting with the hard ground. The swordsman coughed in pain.

Sanji side-eyed the man. "…What, you still alive?"

"…D-Did we stop it?!"

Chopper came running up from just a few feet away, the reindeer having landed on a marine. Zoro glanced at him from the corner of his eye, brow furrowed in confusion. Hadn't Aurora caught hold of him?

A shock of berry-colored hair came into sight, the swordsman's eyes widening in alarm. In the short amount of time she'd been up there, Aurora had lost consciousness, her hold having loosened to the point where she'd lost Chopper. From next to him, the other Straw Hats began to fret, each attempting to scramble to the destination they thought Aurora was going to land.

Unreasonably calm, the swordsman stepped forward, the true angel landing heavily in his outstretched arms. Zoro grunted, unceremoniously falling onto his ass, Aurora curled in his lap. He took in her appearance once more, frowning. "Idiot."

Sanji whipped in the swordsman's direction. "What did you just call her?!"

"Would you two cut it out?!" Nami shrieked, knocking the cook over the head. "Now is not the time!"

"What happened?" Chopper interrupted, gazing up at the clock tower, pulling the attention away from Aurora. If she'd been awake, she would have thanked him for the distraction.

"Something's strange…" Zoro hummed, rearranging his grip on the girl in his arms. Aurora's head lolled into the crook of his neck, her breath coming out in short pants.

"Vivi won't show her face…" Nami added.

"WE'RE IN TROUBLE!"

"Vivi!"

"THE BOMB IS ON A TIMER! IT'S STILL GOING TO EXPLODE IF LEFT ALONE!"

"W… WHAAAT?!"