09/28/22 EDIT: Thanks to KumaZura for proof reading this chapter.
Chapter 29
Operation "Berries at all costs"
The next morning, Sanji took the time to light a cigarette before getting out of bed. While he was smoking quietly, his eyes fell on the fencer's body asleep beside him. He could hardly believe they had just engaged in an assumed relationship and he even wondered for a moment why he had felt like it. When reality caught up with him, he knew the hard part wouldn't be the eyes of others but their own feelings for each other that would be the most difficult to handle given their mode of communication and personalities.
"Shit, that's disgusting." Zoro narrowed his eyes and stared at the cook who gave him a questioning look. "You need to stop smoking here."
Sanji opened his mouth, outraged. "Are you fucking kidding me?" He got indignant.
"Am I looking like I'm kidding?"
The closed face and glare of the swordsman assured Sanji he wasn't joking, and the cook sighed loudly. "You're already demanding things and it hasn't even been twelve hours since we agreed. This isn't gonna work, mosshead," He grunted, pointedly dragging on his cigarette butt.
"You wanted us to move to a new stage, right?" Zoro snickered. "And I know very well this kind of relationship involves compromises."
"Damn, you know that word?" The swordsman gave him the middle finger for an answer, and the blond laughed. "Okay, I'll make an effort. And you, you're gonna stop leaving your clothes lying around everywhere. I ain't your maid."
"Shit..."
"You wanted compromise and you got it so don't complain."
With these words, the cook got up and grabbed his things. He needed to hurry up to prepare breakfast, he was already late.
"Leave the door open, your smoke's gonna make me sick."
"Don't push it, Greenie." He then slipped outside while the sun was forcing the barrage of the night and when he closed the door behind him, he noted in disbelief that the fencer had already fallen asleep again.
"Nami-san, would you want another cup of jasmine tea?"
"Yes, thank you, Sanji-kun."
"Robin-chan, what fruit would you like?"
"A kiwi fruit, please." The blond twirled around the breakfast table and set his orders down before glancing at the other members of the crew and feeling generous. "Who's still hungry for... waffles?"
Luffy's head literally unscrewed from his neck, drooling and wide-eyed. "I am, Sanji, I am hungry! Please!"
"Never would've guessed," The cook said with a smile.
"Me too, please!" Brook asked.
"Oh yes, waffles!" Chopper begged.
"Is it possible to have cola on it?" Franky inquired.
"Absolutely."
"Super!"
"I'll take them with chocolate coulis!" Usopp got enthused.
Sanji went to his waffle maker and quickly served his hungry crewmates. He also made two small ones where he placed strawberries topped with whipped cream for his princesses whose eyes lit up, to his greatest joy. He was going to inquire again about the well-being of his friends when he noticed that the swordsman hadn't touched the waffles. Frowning, Sanji sighed. Zoro and sugar...
"What do you want, mosshead?" The man slowly looked up, clearly surprised the cook asked his opinion or even took it into account. "Hurry up, I don't have all day," The blond dryly kept on.
"Uh... Eggs?" Sanji seemed to think for a second before shrugging. He then set him a large portion of omelet sprinkled with pieces of ham and cheese down. Delighted, the swordsman tucked in his meal.
Finally, the cook completed the breakfast with fresh tangerine juice that everyone enjoyed. He was beginning to clear when Nami spoke. "The situation is critical," She announced in a voice that contrasted with the feel-good atmosphere. "We talked about it with Luffy yesterday and we need to do something."
"We need to do something," The captain agreed, swallowing an umpteenth waffle.
"What's going on?" The little doctor asked, worried.
"We're out of treasure!" The navigator grieved. "We can't go on like that!"
"We can't!" Luffy strongly repeated, his mouth full. "We need food!"
"And berries," Nami added fervently.
Faces nodded softly around the table, aware that without treasure, they could say goodbye to their full stomachs and peace and quiet.
"Here's what we'll do," The young woman went on with determination. "On the next island we're gonna disembark, an auction sale of paintings by a famous anonymous artist is gonna take place and we're gonna use it."
"We're gonna steal their works?" Franky winced. "It ain't pretty-pretty..."
"Security is likely to be at the maximum," The musician thought.
"And how are we gonna fence these things?" The swordsman grumbled. "We can't even use it immediately."
"No, you bunch of dummies!" The navigator cut them off. "It's not about stealing the paintings but swiping the bids! Invitations have been distributed to the elites of the nation and I'm sure the sales will reach records. All the benefits must come back to a Celestial Dragon because the artist makes him a gift of his works. A little more or less money, he won't even see the difference when we badly need it!"
"Stealing from a Celestial Dragon, are you sure it's a good idea?" Usopp worried.
"We'll need to be careful," Robin agreed. "In addition to the Celestial Dragons of the Grand Line, the Marines may be present to secure the auction."
Nami nodded firmly. "That's why I've been thinking about a very specific plan. If everyone follows my instructions, we'll be gone before they even realize anything."
"Awesome!" Luffy exclaimed. "I hope we'll meet the old man!"
Nami meticulously explained her strategy to her friends. As an expert in this field, she had thoroughly researched all the information available through the newspapers and she thought she had found the most effective way to achieve their intentions without being spotted. Now, there were a few hours before disembarking and everyone soon left the galley to get ready.
Sanji poured water into the sink to soak his plates. Franky and Robin brought him the last cutlery and the cook gushed about thanking the archaeologist. He then turned to his dishes and was about to plunge his hands in it when the shipwright stopped him.
"So, you made it up with your lover?"
Sanji almost dropped his cigarette butt from his mouth but he caught hold of it and turned around as naturally as possible. "What are you talking about?" He asked him in a tone he hoped would be detached.
"No one could miss your ultra bright smile this morning," The cyborg sneered while Robin was quietly approving, finishing her cup of coffee.
The cook tried to maintain his dignity and frowned. Franky seemed to know a little bit too much about it. Of course, he knew his bad mood of the last days hadn't gone unnoticed, but he was getting a bad feeling in front of the excited look of the cyborg.
"I knew Zoro wasn't as dumb as he looked," Franky continued, strengthened a bit more the blond's suspicions.
"What exactly do you think you know?" He inquired.
"Oh, nothing that's classified as top secret," The engineer answered, "I mean, we've heard everything from your shouting matches to your nervous breakdown through your adorable statements..."
Sanji felt himself turning pale and Franky tried to make up for it.
"No, don't worry! We didn't really listen, it's just I haven't soundproofed all the Sunny's rooms and you're not exactly discreet either. Besides, we imagine your reconciliation was especially super given your good mood but you were in your room so we don't know clearly how it-"
Robin's hand gently settled on his arm to stop him. "Let's not embarrass our chef," She intervened, watching the hot cheeks of the man. " Let's let him be happy."
Franky seemed disappointed for a second before shaking his head and walking to the door cheerfully with the young woman. For his part, Sanji took a minute to catch his breath and he sighed heavily while returning to his dishes. He'd better learn to ignore their crewmates if he didn't want to die of shame too quickly.
Nami slipped on a pair of sunglasses and adjusted the scarf over her hair. The Sunny had just been hidden in a small cove a little away from the main town. The port was cluttered with Marine vessels and sumptuous tall sailing boats, which made it easy for them to disembark discreetly a little further without being suspect. The navigator then took a look at her crewmates to check their outfits.
"Look, I look like a real cowboy!" Chopper exclaimed in the direction of Brook. The little reindeer had put a broad-brimmed hat over his head instead of his usual top hat, which hid a large part of his face.
"This is great!" The musician approved. "What do you think about me?" He pointed to his huge multicolored Mexican poncho and the doctor applauded, amazed.
"You look wonderful!"
"Oh, thank you!"
"Hey, Nami, it doesn't hold up!" The captain suddenly showed the young woman, pointing to his Afro wig that had fallen again. She rolled her eyes. "Come here." She then pushed on his head with all her strength to hold the wig. "That should do it."
"Awesome!" Luffy started laughing as he was admiring himself with Usopp, who had dressed for the occasion with coveralls.
"This disguise is super!" Franky got enthused next to them as he showed off his shipwright working suit.
"It's your real outfit," The cook pointed out to him, adjusting his impeccable suit.
"Why didn't you disguise yourself, Sanji?" Chopper then asked him.
"Sanji-kun doesn't need a disguise," Nami answered. "Nobody knows his face, it's not him on his wanted poster."
"You're famous as much as your talent," The swordsman snickered not far from him.
"Shut up, you stupid swordsman!" The blond replied with fury. "I'm not the one who needs to dye my hair because green isn't a legal color!"
Zoro scowled. He didn't like his disguise but he had no choice. He thought the turquoise blue color now adorning his hair wasn't the most ordinary either, but that was all Franky had been able to supply.
"It's true that this is kind of strange, The navigator admitted, watching him. "But your hair was too recognizable, it's better than nothing."
"Swords aren't discreet either," Usopp pointed out.
"Like I care," The fencer grunted, folding his arms. "There's no way I take them off."
"Is everyone ready?" Robin then inquired. She had hidden a part of her face under a veil in the oriental manner while she had put on a long traditional dress.
"I'm ready, Robin-chan! You're absolutely gorgeous!"
Everyone nodded and the merry band set off for the auction room.
They arrived quickly in front of the imposing entrance of a luxurious hotel which was hosting the sale on the ground floor in a huge amphitheater. After walking around the building to check her information, Nami came back to her friends for her final recommendations.
"We're gonna recap one last time," She decided.
"That's fine, we ain't stupid," The swordsman grumbled.
"Oh yeah? Then explain to me why we always end up in trouble?" The navigator barked.
Zoro shrugged. "We just don't have any luck, that's all."
Nami clenched her teeth to not hit him and turned to the rest of her friends. "Brook and Chopper, you go in first and you stand on either side of the room among the audience. You'll supervise the progress of the auction." The two friends nodded vigorously and Nami continued. "Robin, Zoro, Luffy and Franky, you go through the back on my signal. Franky will neutralize the alarms along the way. As soon as you spot the vault, you part ways. Robin and Zoro, you'll keep watch over the place to make sure Luffy and Franky aren't disturbed. The room will be guarded but you'll need to be as discreet as possible."
The young woman then turned to Usopp and Sanji. "I have a change of plan for both of you," She told them.
"What can I do for you, Nami-san?" The blond twirled while Ussop was wincing.
"Most of the guests are staying on the floors of the hotel. You're gonna check rooms and collect as much cash as possible. No bulky objects or too recognizable."
"Wh-What?! It's extremely dangerous!" The sniper exclaimed.
"Security level in the vault doesn't allow us to put all our eggs in one basket," The navigator explained. "If we can't open it or if we get caught, you and Sanji-kun can at least allow us not to leave empty handed. I'll get you the room numbers."
"Whatever you want, Nami-san!" The cook danced again.
"Now," The young woman ignored him, "All groups have a walkie-talkie that works?"
Chopper, Brook, Robin, Usopp and Franky raised their devices to confirm it and Nami nodded. "I'll be on channel one and I'll stay at the top of the amphitheater to coordinate the operations. I want you to keep me posted on every progress."
Everyone agreed and Nami shook her fist into the air. "Operation "Berries at all costs", let's go!"
Everyone dispersed according to the instructions. Brook and Chopper pushed the doors of the amphitheater while Zoro, Robin, Franky and Luffy were walking around the building towards the back door to wait for the signal. In the end, while Sanji and Usopp were waiting a little further, Nami put her sunglasses on her nose and went to the reception to discover the numbers of the most interesting rooms.
After passing the heavy gold-rimmed entrance doors, she grabbed a cup of coffee from a small table that hadn't been cleared yet and walked with a big smile to the receptionist. He smiled back and when Nami lowered her glasses in a calculated gesture to reveal her most innocent eyes, the man was already under her spell.
"I'm sorry, I don't remember my room number..." She sighed.
"The-The number? This isn't a problem, miss," The receptionist answered, concerned about pleasing her. "Don't you have the key? The number is written on it."
"Oh, of course! How silly of me!" The young woman laughed.
She put the cup and her huge purse down on the counter and began to search it pointedly. With a precise motion, she then tipped the coffee that spilled on the counter and on the employee's desk. "Oh my God, I am so clumsy!" She apologized, falsely horrified.
"Don't worry, miss! I'll fix it, just sit tight!" The man offered her immediately before slipping away in the back.
"You're too kind," She thanked him with a huge smile.
Nami then waited until he had completely disappeared before grabbing the computer and turning it toward her. She tapped away frantically until she found the names she was looking for. Grabbing a sheet of paper and a pencil, she quickly wrote down her findings. She was just putting the computer back when the employee came back with a sponge and rags in hand.
"Thank you, I found them!" She exclaimed as she turned away. "See you later!"
The poor receptionist didn't have time to answer that the beautiful woman had already crossed the doors toward the outside.
"Use the back stairs, you'll be more discreet," The navigator said, handing her list to the sniper.
"Your wish is my command, Nami-san. You can count on us!" The blond assured her.
The two young men walked away and Nami went to the amphitheater. As soon as she stepped through the doors, she leaned against the railing overlooking the room. It was already a little crowded. Most of the Celestial Dragons had a seat and the other nobles were contenting themselves with standing in the alleys.
The young woman took her walkie-talkie out and called Brook. "How's it going?" She asked him.
"No difficulty," He replied. "For now, the distinguished guests are not yet all settled."
"All right. What about you, Chopper?"
"There are more and more people," The voice of the little reindeer answered, "The beginning of the auction should be soon."
"Keep me informed and watch the transactions as soon as an auction is assigned." She then cleared the frequency and looked into the crowd. The Marine had deployed plainclothes officers to ensure security: she was recognizing them by their furtive and inquisitive looks towards the people around them.
The young woman took her walkie-talkie out again to reach all her crewmates at the same time. "The Marine officers have decided to do without their uniforms but they're definitely here. Be careful."
"The Marine officers have decided to do without their uniforms but they're definitely here. Be careful."
Luffy looked up at the small back door where they would enter, excited. "Can we go now?!"
"Not right now, Captain," Robin answered. "We need to wait for the signal."
"Oh..."
At his side, Zoro yawned and sat against the wall of the hotel. Franky then took a deck of cards out of his pocket and settled down on the floor with a smile. "What if we play some poker?"
Nami looked at her watch. The auction had started more than an hour ago and the bids were reaching crazy amounts of berries. The world nobility seemed to have taken a real passion for these paintings of unknown origin and they weren't hesitating to pay incredible sums to have the opportunity to impress the others.
Glancing at the program, the navigator noticed that three-quarters of the paintings had already been sold off. "Brook, Chopper, have the payments been made?"
"Yes, most of them are in cash to avoid interest," The little reindeer said.
"The last payment had just been sent to the vault in big suitcases," Brook's voice confirmed.
"Robin, Franky, Luffy, Zoro, you're up next," Nami decided. "No need to wait until the auction is over, security will be reinforced at that time and they won't waste time transferring funds to a safe place."
"Roger, Nami!" The enthusiastic voice of the captain replied. "Let's go!"
"Take it easy, guys. It's about not being spotted too fast," The cyborg whispered, poking his head through a new door.
The four friends entered the room, attentive. Hacking the front door had been child's play and they had taken a long staircase that had led them underground. For the moment, they had avoided falling on guards by making detours but the more time passed, the greater was the possibility of having to use force.
"Where are we now? Haven't we been here before?" The swordsman asked after a few minutes.
"Give it up, Zoro," Franky sighed.
"We are close to the vault," Robin said. "Security will be strengthened to access it."
"Oh, look!" Luffy exclaimed.
"Bingo." The cyborg approached a door sealed with a digital code and grinned from ear to ear. "Amateurs." He connected his device to the electronic box and after a few seconds, the door opened.
Luffy, Franky, Robin and Zoro stepped forward before suddenly freezing. The room in which they had just entered was very likely the control room judging by the large panel covered with buttons and levers in front of them. In addition, three men were turning their backs on them, busy putting down big suitcases probably filled with notes on a big mechanized elevator.
"Here you go, all those of the last payment," One of the men sighed, wiping his forehead. He pushed a button and the elevator climbed to the ceiling. At the top, a trap door opened and the money disappeared inside. After a few moments, the elevator came down, empty.
"So, is there the vault up here?!"
The three men turned around in surprise. There was boy wearing a huge Afro cut and smiling broadly while three other people with mismatched looks were sighing heavily beside him.
"Wh-What are you doing here?" One of the men stammered. "Who are you?"
"Dos Fleurs. Clutch!" Robin's extra arms immobilized the three men, who then collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
"Well done, Robin," Franky said. "You saved the day." She nodded and took her walkie-talkie out. "We found the vault. Luffy and Franky will get started."
"Perfect. The auction is still in progress, you've got some time before the delivery of the next payment," The voice of Nami replied.
"I'll keep you updated," The archaeologist concluded, hanging up.
Luffy then jumped on the elevator and patted the place next to him, smiling widely. "Come on, climb, Franky! We need to go up there!"
The cyborg hoisted himself up and Robin activated the button that triggered the ascent. When they reached the top, the trapdoor opened again and then closed behind them.
"What now?" The swordsman asked the young woman.
"We're watching over the room until they come down with the money," She answered. "With a little luck, there are very few deadly traps up there."
Zoro refrained from commenting and went to the door in case new enemies appeared.
"How many rooms do we still need?" Usopp grumbled, picking an umpteenth lock.
Sanji looked at his list and shook his head. "Three more."
"Don't you think we already have enough?"
"Nami-san trusts us. If the three morons screw up, she's counting on us!" The cook solemnly declared.
"The three morons?" Usopp repeated, forcing a little more on his tools.
"Of course. Robin-chan is far too smart to fall into any trap!"
"Of course," The sniper snarled. "Oh, this is it!"
Usopp and Sanji entered the hotel room and immediately closed the door behind them. Usopp hurriedly searched the wardrobe for the full pockets of their rich prey and Sanji dragged on his cigarette while moving scattered sheets of paper on the desk.
"I have a wallet!" The sniper happily exclaimed after a few moments.
"And I found a jewelry box but I'm not sure it's a good idea." Usopp approached and they gazed upon magnificent stones on brooches and necklaces. "They must be worth a fortune," The cook estimated. "The problem is they'll be too easily traceable, we'll never be able to exchange them."
"Yeah, you're probably right," His friend said. They turned away from the jewels and searched the room for a few moments more before getting ready to do the next. The newly discovered berries landed in the sniper's bag and they went out noiselessly.
Once again in the corridor, Sanji pointed out the next room and they headed for there. Checking that no one was wandering around, Usopp knelt in front of the lock to force it when the blond brutally put his hand on his shoulder.
"Wait, something isn't right," He said, looking at a door a little further. "Can't you hear?"
The sniper froze and picked up his ears before shaking his head. "No, I don't hear anything. What do you think it is?"
Suddenly, the cook darted down the hallway and opened the door in question with a kick that ripped it off its hinges. Frantic, Usopp ran to him, praying that no one had seen or heard them. "What's wrong with you, what the hell was that?!" He got angry.
Sanji dragged on his cigarette butt and took a step into the room. "I'll recognize this sound among all. It's a woman who's crying."
"Wow, it's gigantic!" Luffy whistled as he saw the wide door of the reinforced vault in front of them.
"Holy shit, do you see the size of this security key?" Franky winced. The captain wanted to rush into the room but the cyborg held him firmly. "Don't walk on the floor, there are certainly motion detectors. Look, the suitcases are gone. They have probably been stored in an automated way. This room is only accessible for machines."
"So what do we do?" The young man inquired.
"I'm ready to take this to the next stage. Franky Tank!"
The cyborg's legs turned into caterpillars and he slid to the ground to roll on the floor. Laughing, the captain perched on his back. "Go ahead!"
They soon arrived in front of the huge vault door and Franky nodded at his captain. "Climb up there and see if you find an opening through which the suitcases were able to come in. Meanwhile, I'll try to open the main door."
"Aren't you gonna be spotted?" Luffy asked him, frowning.
"Don't worry. I'm a man-machine so if I don't move too much, security shouldn't be able to make the difference with one of their robots."
"Okay!"
The straw hat boy threw his elastic arms forward and clung to the top of the vault before jumping up there. Franky took his appearance back and began to take his tools out, remaining as still as possible. He tested his electronic device but the vault was too sophisticated. Frowning, the cyborg decided to strip the alarm wires to manually short-circuit it.
"I think I found the entrance for the suitcases!" Luffy said suddenly. "There's like a hatch at the top of the vault."
"Try to slide it without breaking it. It could trigger security."
Luffy slipped his fingers between the cracks in the vault to move the opening, but it seemed solidly locked. He braced himself to gain more strength and pulled more frankly. The hatch then abruptly shifted and the captain swayed at the top of the vault. He brutally pulled the weight of his body forward to avoid falling, but the motion made him lose his wig.
"Watch out, Franky!"
The wig landed on the ground in a soft noise. Holding their breaths, the two friends stared at the object for a silent second. Franky was just about to breath of relief when the tearing sound of an alarm made itself heard. He sighed.
"Fuck it."
Yeah, cliffhanger! A sense of adventure after all the drama!