Chapter 9

The atmosphere in the cell was thick with tension as two opposing swordsmen glared each other down.

"Let me have a look at the sword." She was meant to say it in a more amicable tone but as usual, her voice came out stoic and authoritative.

"You can see it as it is." His reply was curt, his stance unwavering. Albeit his eyes narrowed slightly watching for any signs of hostility in her actions.

Something about the other swordsman felt off to Zoro. Especially the way they talked – it felt oddly familiar even though he was fairly certain he had never faced the red-haired youth before today. His memory rarely failed him, well it hardly failed him when it came to other intimidating swordsmen.

Strength was not something that needed to be put into words, the faintest movement, the smallest of breath was indicative of one's abilities. Well, that was for the majority, Luffy was an outlier for just about everything.

But for the majority of the opponents he had faced in the past, he could assess their abilities with a close look. The person who stood in front of him was not someone to be taken lightly – that was what his sense, honed over the years, told him. Gripping tighter onto his prized sword, he met the other swordsman's gaze sternly.

While the two had a mutual staring contest, the rest of the occupants of the cell tended to their matters. Smoker lit another two cigars and kept a close eye on Crocodile as well as his fellow detainees. While the straw-hat boy – Luffy and one of his crewmates, a long-nosed lad, called out to Crocodile, seeming to challenge the Shichibukai to a fight, one more keen about it than the other.

Finally, the maple-haired girl could not take the ridiculous tension between the two swordsmen anymore and stepped in.

"Just let him take a closer look at it Zoro! We're all stuck here with nothing better to do anyway!" Nami snatched the white katana away from his grasp and passed it to the stiff Marine Captain who muttered a word of thanks that was barely audible.

"You witch! What do you think you're doing?! Stop meddling in others' business!" Nami's intrusion took Zoro off guard, and before he knew it his valued sword was in the hands of someone who he did not know was an ally or a foe.

"What did you say?! When we get out here, I'm doubling… No! TRIPLING your debt!"

As the two straw-hats argued it out, Karl took the chance to closely examine the weapon in her hands. Unsheathing it, she studied the ripples splayed on the smooth surface of the katana, which were created as the polished blade met the light in the room.

Contrary to what she had initially believed, the sword did not ignite a new spark in her, nor did it appear familiar in any sense. It was as if her earlier trance had nothing to do with the sword. Had she truly lost her sanity? No, she was certain the sword was special in a sense, but the spell had been broken and now she could not pinpoint where exactly it stood out to her.

It was, by all means, a great katana, perhaps maybe even a Meitou but since she never chose her weapons based on its rank, its name escaped her. But there's nothing else about it which would set it apart from her past swords. It was another katana which would undoubtedly go into the reliquary with all her other past weapons, valued in its timespan, locked away forever.

She was going to return the sword to its rightful owner when a rubbery limb wrapped around her arm. She watched with morbid fascination as the new and rising pirate captain Luffy latched onto her and asked,

"Heyy what are you doing with Zoro's sword?" He appeared genuinely curious without any malicious intent, but she could never tell with pirates. So wordlessly, she chucked him his Nakama's katana and walked to a corner of the cage.

"Hmm. So who are you and how'd ya end up here" The boy hummed and followed her to what was initially an empty corner. He tucked Zoro's Wado Ichimonji under his arms and looked at the Marine Captain in disguise curiously.

"I…" She couldn't possibly tell him she was also a captured marine, could she? Besides, Smoker was also here, and she wasn't exactly honest about her identity with Smoker.

"Newly appointed Marine Captain, supposedly stationed in Alabasta – Karl. Well known for his mastery with the way of the sword as well as his tendency to replace swords at every chance possible." A gruff voice cut in and Karl stiffened. Did Smoker know? How did he realise? Before she could wrap her head around it, Smoker continued,

"Lex – second in command to Karl, a master of disguise and best known for flawless infiltrations." How did he know about Lex? She didn't like where this was going… She was about to interject by saying that he was mistaken but his words like ice froze her in her tracks.

"Did you think I would let someone who was clearly suspicious onto my ship that easily. Only Tashigi would believe in your lies. I had looked over both your profiles after our first encounter. I knew exactly who you were the moment you stepped foot onto my ship."

"So, why are you bringing it up now?" Keeping her voice levelled, Karl asked a little puzzled.

"You told me that you were investigating Baroque Works. I was curious about what a new marine captain would want with a criminal syndicate so I let you onboard. In the meantime, I dug around for some intel, that's when it all clicked. Mister One, and Mister Two, both number agents of the crime syndicate you proclaimed to be investigating. Do you know of them?" He replied with a question of his own.

"No…" She felt… Inadequate. She had planned to do all the investigation on the crime organisation once she reached Rain Base. Seeing Smoker's approach, she realised she should have been more serious with her role as an officer. No matter how mind-numbing the task – it was her duty.

Casting her one last glance, Smoker turned around and looked at Crocodile in the eye before continuing again.

"Mister one – a skilled assassin who holds an undefeated score against all swordsmen he had fought against in the past. He is unconcerned with the swordsmen's code of conduct, often would strike down defenceless opponents. Mister two – another number agent who specialises in disguise and infiltration." Thinking back to all those times Smoker disappeared off during the journey, Karl realised that he might've done more work than what she gave him credit for initially.

But never mind that, did he just insult her swordsmanship indirectly? She could see where this confrontation was heading… And she was speechless. He was comparing her to this Mister 1 person from Baroque Works, which meant he was saying that she was similar to someone who held a complete disregard for the swordsmen's code of conduct.

Sure she might not be the most conventional, her gender itself disallowed it, but she took pride in her honour as a swordsman. That was the whole reason why she was currently in the same cell as the rest of them.

"Crocodile just what are you trying to pull this time." Before she could object to his claims, Smoker stalked to the bars and demanded.

His words rang in her head as the previously disparate events seemed to have finally clicked together in her mind. A country which fell into anarchy and civil wars for the past decade or so. Crocodile – a pirate who docked at Alabasta and was greeted as the hero here. Vivi – the princess of the desert nation who went missing after the emergence of Baroque Works, currently captured by Crocodile. The previous marine charge of Alabasta that went missing a couple of weeks ago. All these loose threads weaved together in her mind.

Crocodile was behind Baroque Works, and had a hand in the chaos of Alabasta – the princess also knew of this somehow. A few things had cleared up, though more questions arose. Why was Crocodile so keen on this country particularly? How did Nico Robin play in all this? Why did the warlord capture the straw-hats and Smoker? And why was the uprising pirate, Luffy, so keen to fight the Shichibukai?

Of course, no one here was going to answer her unvoiced questions so she looked between Crocodile and his captives and tried to think of the connection. Before she could humour herself with something plausible, a grating voice screeched, interrupting her thoughts.

"Ahhh I knew it! He appeared suspicious the moment I placed my eyes on him! He's trying to stir us up and make us fight between ourselves. Look at what he's done to Nami and Zoro!" The long-nosed lad tattled on while gesturing to the swordsman and the short-haired girl who were still arguing it out.

"Ehhh? Really?" Luffy yelled out surprised, it would have appeared comical to Karl if all the attention wasn't focused on her.

"… Fufu. So you've realised. Well, there's not much point in keeping you all together now. Miss All Sunday." Crocodile soon grasped the situation and internally scoffed at the stupidity of his captives. But the coincidental nature of the situation saved him from what could potentially turn out to be a fatal mistake. Two marine captains both defeated by the straw hat pirate at once seemed a little far-fetched. Even the nut-heads in the headquarters would have a hard time believing his words. He can't have them both dead on his grounds…

Narrowing his eyes at her, he gestured for Robin to separate Karl from the rest of his prisoners. Releasing a trail of sand which seeped behind the bars, he created a hardened sand barrier between Karl and the rest of the group.

"Damnit Crocodile. You manipulative bastard!" Luffy shouted while slamming his fists into the sand wall. His efforts were futile as Crocodile generated new sand replacing each crack Luffy created.

"Seis Fleur Restrain", a pair of limbs sprouted from her sides and immobilised her arms. Devil fruits, one after another… All peculiar and the users were all adept with their powers. However… She could escape this hold when the timing was right. Right now, she was stuck with a bunch of people who undoubtedly would come for her head for one reason or another if she was to flee.

The gates shut behind her as she walked out silently and stood still next to Robin. Well, she couldn't help it, Robin's nails were sharpened and pointed at her carotid artery. One did not need a knife to sever the carotid artery, fingernails were sufficient. One wrong word and she would die from a stroke she supposed.

Smoker narrowed his eyes at this turn of events. If it wasn't more obvious, she was not their accomplice. Nico Robin was restraining her. She even said the damn word in her attack. But Smoker chose to not voice out his suspicions this time. He wasn't so vocal after all?

"Miss All Sunday, take him outside." Crocodile pointed towards the open door in which she had barged in from earlier. As they headed up the staircase, she could make out the faint ringing of a Den Den Mushi which broke the tense atmosphere.

"Purupurupuru. Kacha."

"Yes," Crocodile picked up the snail and was greeted with a familiar voice.

"This is the shitty restaurant. Mister Prince speaking…"

Those were the last words she heard before the doors shut once again. She didn't bother straining her hearing and wasting her energy on eavesdropping. There wasn't much she could do at the moment. But once they're outside she would run for it and report this turn of events.

To think only a couple of weeks ago she had thought she was close to completing her style and finally becoming a true swordsman. Yet now... She was captured and making no progress with what she had set sail for. Walking up the spiral staircase, she wondered when exactly did everything start to go south.

Was it when she impulsively boarded Smoker's ship in search for a short cut to solve her problem? Or was it when she first arrived in Alabasta? No, maybe it was even earlier. When she had sought out Mihawk, asking for a duel that was as good as lost. Perhaps things had gone south the moment she realised that no matter how much she trained herself, she could not break the barrier that bounded her from perfecting her style.

The first specks of sunlight dotted her vision before she was fully cast in light. Brushing the bitter thoughts out of her mind, she waited until Nico Robin closed the rusty door behind them. The wanted woman didn't seem particularly serious in restraining her. Unless she truly believed that a pair of limbs was all that's required to subdue her…

With a flex of her arms, she sprung out of Robin's grasp. Unlike the gory mess that she had pictured in her mind, the limbs which restrained her did not burst into flesh and blood, but instead, they transformed into petals before vanishing into thin air. How… elegant.

She didn't entertain the thought any longer, and without waiting to see Robin's response, she darted down the streets and blended into the crowds around her. If she had looked behind, she might've caught the amused glint in Robin's eyes which were hidden under the shadows of her hat. But she was not one to look back, and so she marched on, eyes fixated on the road ahead of her.

AN:

I'm so done with myself… I literally wrote the entire chapter a week ago and then my word docs crashed and for some mysterious reason it didn't save… This is a rewrite of the chapter, I might've changed a few things (I write spontaneously and so the previous version is lost forever…), but I hoped you all enjoyed this new version!