Chapter Twelve - Bringer of Rain
Two billions of Baroque Works marched amongst their fellow members, looking for Princess Vivi within the streets of Alubarna.
"Can you believe it, Miss Winterberry?" a man dressed as a penguin chirped, flapping his flippers with great joy. "Just think, if we capture this Princess we'll be promoted!"
Miss Winterberry tilted her head to the side, the polar bear skin that was hanging from the top of her head following suit.
"Mr Flippers, do you hear that?"
Mr Flippers turned from the woman wearing nothing but a white bikini and the animal skin, squinting into the distance where a bright flash filled a distant street. Then, his ears picked up on a hitching bellow on the wind.
"It sounds like… laughter?"
Another flash was sighted, closer this time.
"And is that… screaming?"
The two billions strained their ears, their necks practically pressed to their shoulders.
"Hahahahahahahahahahahaha," came from the next street over, a torrent of screams ringing out as the two billions shielded their eyes from the light.
"Miss Winterberry, I'm scared," Mr Flipper shrieked, wrapping his flippers around her waist.
"Get a grip, Mr Flipper!"
That was when they saw it, a figure glowing in the distance, sharp spikes protruding on top of the shadow of their form. It charged.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
It charged through the billions like a bull, lightning conducting amongst them as they were plowed through and sent flying until no one was left upright. Mr Flipper whimpered as he was rolled over, Miss Winterberry lying by his side as they set eyes on IT. It being a rather sweet looking blonde in a blue dancers outfit that peered over them. She let out a visible breath of relief.
"Oh, thank Roger!" she exclaimed, body spasming so that her limbs occasionally jutted out like she was attempting some form of strange dance. "I don't think someone juggling my disembodied head and limbs would have been very much fun."
And with that rather odd statement, she took off running once more.
My head twitched violently to the side as I continued to run, heading towards the clock tower that was about to make the citizens of Alubarna go Bomb Voyage. My body crackled with excess electricity. Damn you legs! Who gave you permission to do the cucaracha?
"Blah!" I spluttered as my face hit the floor. "Guh!" There goes my spine. "Ka-blooey!"
The sand around me settled as I let out a groan.
"There she is!"
"That's the monster!"
I attempted to wrestle my limbs into submission as the billions moved in. Of course, my limbs decided that it was the perfect time to showcase my break dancing abilities before I DIED. Turns out Satan didn't want me down there quite yet though as Tashigi appeared before me, wielding her sword to cut down my enemies.
"Senpai's girlfriend!" I beamed, earning myself a dinosaur impression from her.
"I AM NOT THAT MAN'S GIRLFRIEND!" she roared at me. "Now go! They might need your help to stop the bomb."
I got up and placed my hands on my hips with a tilt of my head.
"What do I get out of it?"
"What?" Tashigi spluttered, mouth dropping open.
"I want signed photos of both you and Smoker for my scrapbook!" I demanded, pointing a finger towards her.
"Are you negotiating with me when this place is about to explode?"
"Are you wasting time asking me stupid questions?"
"What- I- JUST GO! I'LL GET YOU YOUR STUPID SIGNED PHOTOS!"
"Thanks senpai's girlfriend!" I beamed, skipping towards the clock tower with static glee as Tashigi clenched her teeth and likely resisted the urge to stab me.
"HEYYY GUYYYS," I waved using my arms full circumference, sitting on top of the hour hand of Alubarna's Big Ben.
"Huh, Eve?" Zoro grunted, looking up towards me from where he had 'headed north' and somehow ended up on a ledge below me (poor, eternally lost teddy bear). "You're up here too?"
"I LOVE YOU MORE, SENPAI!"
"Don't shout things like that up here!" he yelled back, waving his sword at me.
"A beer sounds great!"
"Eve, you need to get inside!" Nami bellowed from the ground, hands cupped over her mouth as she lifted her head to look at Sanji, Zoro and me respectively, each of us placed at a point respectively higher on the clock tower.
"But Usopp always lies!" I bellowed back, making the crew below sweat-drop.
"No! Get inside!" Zoro yelled.
"I CAN'T BE YOUR BRIDE, SENPAI, YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND!" I gasped, clenching my palms to my reddened cheeks as Nami pounded Usopp into the floor since I was out of reach.
"Stop saying that!" he growled, teeth sharp.
"I don't think she'd become a Strawhat, senpai, even for you!"
It was then that a metallic clinking sound filled the air, the clock face swinging open to obscure me from sight. Rude. I climbed up to the top of the clock, wedging my feet on the numbers until I was looking out at the shooter duo known as Mr 7 and Miss Fathers Day. Both of which were distracted by yelling out a countdown at the top of their lungs. I grinned, crouched on top of the clock face like a badass silhouette (ya know, Itachi pre-massacre shit). Get ready, bitches! I was about to tip the scale of this battle.
I jumped, grabbed the opening to the clock and swung into it to land behind the two shooters as they took aim. I charged, using one hand to grab Miss Father Day's froggie hat and the other to take her gun. I threw myself off the edge of the clock tower, twisting to give them a malicious grin.
"Bye, bye, bitches!"
I dropped, pointing the gun back up at them, Vivi high in the air above me, having been launched upward from below. Mr 7 shot. I shot back. Mr 7 had good aim. I… didn't. Have you ever envisioned something in your head so badass, it makes you want to cry? Well, I cried, but that was because I exploded, got caught up in the rubble that fell down from my own misfire, and then hit the ground before being buried beneath that rubble. All whilst Every. Single. Crew Member. Watched... including Senpai.
"EVE'S SEVERED HEAD!" I heard Usopp scream, before a rock was removed from my face to reveal he was clutching the froggie hat, tears streaming down his face.
What I wanted to ask was how the hell he had mistaken a god damn frog hat for me. What came out was 'ow', and maybe a little whimper… I was being brave after all.
"You can cry if you want to," Usopp told me, patting me on the head to make me wince.
"Nut-uh," I blubbered, feeling the pressure build behind my eyes as Zoro and Sanji worked on freeing me from the rubble.
"What happened?" Chopper demanded as he came running back to us, removing his eyes from the clock tower to take one look at me before his eyes bulged from their sockets. "What happened to you?"
"Wi'm wine," I said about five octaves above the norm as an eagle swooped into the clock tower and Zoro pulled my body free.
We all looked up, watching the eagle carry the bomb off, as far away as he could reach. A blinding explosion filled the air, forcing me to screw my eyes shut for fear of being blinded. The smoke cleared from the city, Princess Vivi screaming from the top of the clock tower to call for the fighting to stop. Meanwhile, all I could do was hang on to my tears, flicking knives at the billions that were still trying to kill us as a giant pressure built up behind my eyes, giving me the mother of all headaches.
"You need to cry! I'm scared your tear ducts might explode!" Chopper yelled at me, launching himself onto my chest so that I hit the ground whilst he tugged at my shirt.
"Wis wat weven wossiwle?" I blubbered, my head whipping back and forth from the reindeer's actions.
"Would you just cry already?" Zoro growled.
"...WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
A geyser of tears shot upwards to unknown heights... just at the moment the rain began to fall for the first time in three years.
"SO EVERYONE, PLEASE! STOP FIGHTING!" came Vivi's voice from above, making everyone stop to listen.
"Vivi's voice," Nami breathed. "Everyone can hear it now."
"Magic tears!" Chopper and Usopp exclaimed, eyes gleaming with bright yellow stars as they stared at me open mouthed.
"The rain will fall again, just like before," came Vivi's voice through what was now silence and the pitter patter of rain, "because all our nightmares have ended."
"Can't you walk yet? Zoro grunted, pulling Usopp by his leg to drag him across the ground now that the battle was won.
"Listen, I have a disease that will kill me if I walk anymore!" Usopp informed them as his head hit a rock and he let out a dull 'oof'. "Will you stop pulling me?"
"I'll carry you, Usopp!" I offered.
"You can't even walk straight!" Chopper yelled, teeth sharp as he leaned against my legs and tried to push me back in the centre of the path, his legs treadmilling.
I veered back onto the path as best as I could, body swaying like a leaf in the breeze as the King appeared, Luffy upon his back. I waved as it was revealed that we were the pirate crew that brought Vivi back to Alabasta.
"Papa!"
"You're Vivi's dad?" Sanji exclaimed, jaw dropping open.
Meanwhile, I was trying to think solid thoughts… trees, diamonds, senpai's abs. Must remain upright!
"Can we go to the palace to rest?" Nami asked of Vivi, letting out a visible breath. "I'm about to collapse."
Vivi bobbed her head in confirmation, the crewmates collapsing to the ground like dominos. All except for me, of course!
"I win!" I exclaimed, turning towards Vivi as the only member of the crew to remain standing, giving her a beaming smile before the ground seemingly got very very close, and the world became very, very dark.
It was dark as the soft sounds of snores (and some rather violent ones) filled the Palace's infirmary where the Strawhats slept to recover from their wounds.
"Ah, Bere, he-"
"Don't worry," Eve smiled through the darkness, catching Vivi's hand as she moved to place the blanket over her small form, "he's fine."
"But, he exploded…" she sweat-dropped, lifting her eyes to Ingram before returning them back down to the now sleeping girl to murmur, "thank you, Eve."
After a well deserved rest in the Alubarnan Palace, and equipped with the knowledge that Luffy wasn't about to wake up any time soon, I began to realise there were scores to settle. My senpai's honour was at risk, dammit!
"We're doing WHAT?" Usopp exclaimed, eyes bulging. "You said we were going to bake cookies!"
"That was to make sure Chopper didn't try to tie us to our beds," I explained.
"But I'd rather be tied to the bed than start training!" Usopp cried, jaw wide as he yelled at me and Zoro. "You guys are crazy!"
"Teehee! Usopp's kinky!" I grinned, making the sniper splutter, "and no one said you have to train. You're going to be Luffy's representative!"
"For what?"
"Laaadddiiieeessss annnndddd geeeentttllleeemmmaannnn!" I bellowed, hands cupped around my mouth as I gestured a hand towards the river outside of Alubarna. "In the red corner, we have the seal-things with a shell, the martial art masters, the Luffy loyalists, THE KUNG FUUUU DUGONGS!"
The Kung Fu Dugongs emerged from the water, springing out in a mix of kung-fu poses before landing in a triangular tower, the top of which rolled a straw hat on his shoulders, finally catching it in his hand, before they let out a kind of 'ta-daaaaaaa!'.
"And in the blue corner, we have the girl lacking sanity, the knife nutter and senpai enthusiast, SAVAGE TEEEE. EVE!"
I began to juggle my knives, nodding towards Usopp who drew back his slingshot and launched a balloon into the air. I pierced it with my knife, sending down a shower of shimmering glitter to the ground as I pulled a final pose on bended knee, one knife between my teeth and my two dual knives crossed over in an X formation.
"Just when I thought it couldn't get any weirder," Zoro muttered to himself.
"LIKE YOU'RE ONE TO TALK!" Usopp yelled at the swordsman that had tied two boulders to each foot and was dragging them around whilst practising sword katas.
"Kung Fu Dugongs, are you ready?" I beamed, watching as they chirped their confirmation whilst taking fighting stances, before whispering to Usopp, "psst… Usopp… ask me if I'm ready."
Usopp sighed.
"Are you ready?"
"HELL YEAH!"
Me and the Kung Fu Dugongs stared at the sniper in expectation, making him sweat drop.
"Err… go?"
"FOR SENPAIIII!" I charged, whilst the Kung Fu Dugongs let out their own battle cry.
Chaos ensued, knives flying in the air as the Kung Fu Dugongs charged in with an uplifted leg. Some were hit, others kicked the knives away and some sprang forward, assaulting my body with vicious kicks as I attempted to block and kicked out my own leg to send one flying back to hit the water with a splash. One Dugong tackled me around the waist, the ferocious little things using the opportunity to dogpile me so that I was smothered by them. I let out an angry bellow as I broke from the pileup, sending the Dugongs flying into the air and managing to scatter them.
The Kung Fu Dugongs righted themselves letting out an unintelligible stream of chatter.
"You take that back!" I gasped.
"What did they say?" Usopp similarly gasped, peeking out his head from behind one of Zoro's boulders.
"No idea!" I called back, running towards the water. "Now to try out a new move: THOUSAND BLADED WAVE!"
I jumped, filling my fingertips with knives as I spun midair. I hit the water in a cannonball position, sending a tidal wave up onto the shaw, my knives hidden within the violent waters as they washed the Dugongs away in a weaponised tsunami. My head emerged, bobbing on the water as I let out a grin to see… Usopp groaning as senpai spat out a mouthful of water. Oops.
"I'm so sorry, senpai!" I shouted, swimming up to the shaw and climbing out to blink down at Zoro. "Are you oka-UGH!"
My body folded as I was karate chopped in the stomach, my arms locking onto the Dugong as a second one charged in to kick me into the floor. We ended up in a pile up on the floor, me trying to strangle the Dugong in my arms whilst the one that had floored me pulled my arm back and threatened to break it.
"Maybe we should call it a draw before you break each other…" Usopp sweat-dropped, watching as we scrapped on the floor, letting out a mix of grunts and squeaks.
Me and the last two Dugongs standing exchanged looks. I quirked my lips to the side in thought.
"Strawhat Pirates win?" I suggested, earning myself a happy chatter from the two Dugongs. "I'm going to take that as a yes."
I panted as I lay on the floor, Zoro's shadowed face from under his bandana coming to stand over me, arms folded.
"Notes?"
"Back in Alubarna, you made an idiot of yourself," he grunted, making me flop onto my face in depression with an agonising groan. "You should work on that move though. You can't always rely on the presence of water to use it."
"Oh, thank you senpai!" I beamed, sitting back up to clutch my palms to my cheeks in happiness.
Zoro flicked his eyes to the side.
"And that breathing thing you were talking about," Zoro grunted. "I'll teach you."
"Really senpai! I'm so excited!" I exclaimed, eyes gleaming with bright yellows stars. "Will you teach me to cut metal too?"
"Huh? What kind of training is this?" Usopp frowned, watching with curiosity.
"You gotta listen, Usopp. Listen to the world, and hear it's breath," I explained, clutching my cheeks as Zoro gave me a nod of approval.
"Right," Usopp sweat-dropped, "and how do you do that?"
"I'm gonna teach her how I learnt," Zoro informed him, "by throwing rocks at her and letting her figure it out."
"ARE YOU CRAZY!"
"I'm so excited!"
"YOU'RE BOTH CRAZY!"
I skipped by senpai's side as we walked through the streets back to the palace, having just finished an invigorating training session! Funnily enough, Usopp hadn't joined us since our first session two days ago and had decided to join Sanji on a supply run. My subordinate really didn't have any sense of fun, chuh.
"Ah, it's you!"
I blinked at the middle aged man, taking in his awe-filled expression before cracking out into a wide grin.
"That's right! This is my legendary senpai! Ror-"
"Everyone! It's the saviour of Alabasta! Savage T. Eve; bringer of rain!" the man bellowed, drawing the attention of the surrounding people as they all gathered around.
"Eh?"
"Thank you for the gift of your tears!" a woman called, tears streaming from her eyes as she grasped her fists in front of her chest.
"I've been drinking them all day!" another citizen informed me, making me scrunch up my face in disgust.
"Will you cry on my baby?" a mother requested, pressing a potato-like child towards me.
"Senpai, I'm scared," I whimpered, cowering behind my senpai's back.
I wasn't a saviour! I was your worst nightmare! FEAR ME, PITIFUL CITIZENS! I squeaked as I was picked up by the gathering crowd, my arms stretched out as Zoro tilted his head and watched as I was carried away.
"Senpaiiiii," I cried, arms outstretched towards him as the crowds began to chant my name amongst 'bringer of rain' and 'gifter of tears'.
A procession which carried me all the way to the front steps of the palace. I would have thought it convenient if a) I hadn't missed the opportunity to stab some Marines and b) senpai was now going to take forever to find the palace. Poor eternally lost senpai. Pegging it towards the palace with a gathering crowd pressing against the guards, I slammed the door to the infirmary behind me, panting heavily with flower petals littering my form.
"We need to leave," I declared, back pressed against the door as the chants of my name began to rise up from beyond the palace walls.
I glared at Vivi as she giggled into the palm of her hand.
"The citizens adore you, Eve. You're their saviour."
"It wasn't me!" I hissed. "I only cried 'cus senpai told me to, and you can't make it rain with your tears. That makes no sense!"
"Oh yeah, because you make perfect sense most of the time," Nami huffed, before folding her arms over her chest and cracking out into a shit-eating grin. "Plus I hear a vial of your pure tears could be worth thousands of beli now."
"Meep," I meeped, before diving for cover, flipping over a bed onto its side and peeking out over it.
However as I cowered from Nami, who was likely plotting to sythen me of my tears, I had failed to notice a particular reindeer creeping up on me. I whipped my head around, coming face-to-face with the adorable reindeer that was trying to be angry with me.
"I told you not to take your bandages off!" he scolded me, making a chorus in my head go 'aww'.
"Senpai did it first," I retorted.
"If Zoro ran off a cliff, would you?" I opened my mouth to respond. "Don't answer that - I already know!"
Before I knew it I resembled a living mummy, blinking through the gaps in my bandages as Zoro returned from his wanderings. I giggled into my hand as my noble senpai commented as to how similar a couple can be, directing his statement towards Ingram's wife, that was basically his genderbent self.
"Says the man dating a female swordsman," I snickered.
"Don't you start, bringer of rain," he scowled, my Satanic aura creeping up on me as he smirked. "You know, I heard that they want to build a twenty foot statue of you on my way here."
I swear, I had been doing so well with the lawsuits recently. Looks like I might have to sell my tears myself now that my soul had ascended to the heavens once more.
A/N: First of all I AM SO SORRY I COMPLETELY FORGOT TO UPDATE! Many apologies *bows before you with tears in my eyes*, but here it is the conclusion to the Alabasta Arc. I'm not going to lie I really enjoyed messing up 'Eve's big moment'. A lot of content here and in the next chapter is kind of filler, but good filler I hope. I mean, who doesn't want a Savage T. Eve vs Kung Fu Dugong show down, am-I-right?
Lily E. Miller - Yeah, Eve really hasn't had the opportunity to show off, but I hope the growth doesn't seem like it's come out of nowhere. I did my best to mention 'training with senpai' as much as I could. As for Buggy and conducting legal paperwork... well, who said it was Buggy? Maybe Eve pissed off a Marine and wanted sweet, sweet revenge. Who knows, eh?
Iris My Beloved - I must admit I hadn't really thought about it. When I started I imagine the 'falling from the sky' scenario would be the closest reality, but now I kind of have funny ideas of how Eve came into this world... So maybe don't write off never knowing...
Awkward-orchid and bouregbasoraya173 - First of all, welcome to my story! Your comments made me super happy and wiggle-dance like Chopper. I don't want to be dishonest so I must admit 13 Chapters is all I've written. I'm going to try and write more, but I probably won't start publishing again until I'm close to the end of the next concluding Arc. I'll do my best, but it's all dependant on thinking up some crazy stuff for Eve to do on her adventures- haha!