Chapter 20: For the Foreseeable Future
May 15, 801 WG
Everyone was shocked to see Lance return to them alive, except Luffy who had already seen him. They were all equally shocked when he told them how he talked the Gorosei into sparing Alabasta.
"That being said," concluded Lance, he held up a scroll to Vivi, "you will have to recite this to the press tomorrow."
"What is it?" Vivi asked as she took the scroll from him.
"A false story about what happened. Fujitora and Headquarters already have the same story that they are planning to release. They lost control of the press during Reverie so it's not so easy for them to control the narrative like they did two years ago. You need to relay this story to the people where the reporters will also be waiting. That story will then be accepted as fact and printed for the world."
Vivi scowled at the scroll then bit her lip. She didn't like it. They were lying again but she realized Lance had really stuck his neck out to save her people. Cooperating would guarantee her people's safety, at least for the time being. Mercifully it didn't say anything about Luffy or Law one way or the other. Some people will think it odd but better let them speculate in bars than for her to say anything and draw the ire of the World Government right when they had been pardoned.
"I know this is not ideal but…" started Lance.
"No, I understand. Thank you! You really saved us, Lance," said Vivi as she rolled the scroll and gave him a sincere smile. Like with the incident with Crocodile, the truth of this incident would just have to go into Alabasta's private records.
She frowned as a thought came to her. "I still can't believe the Gorosei not only accepted your word but let you go after you refused to serve them again. Just who are you?"
Lance smiled and replied, "It was my refusal that told them I wasn't bullshitting them drama to save myself. They could trust I was giving them a true analysis of the situation. If I hadn't been honest with them about where I stood, I could never have convinced them. However, it would be arrogant of me to assume I changed their minds on my own. For me to be standing here… I think someone else was talking to them on their side. Who that was and what their agenda was… I have no idea. But I know I didn't get this result on my own merit. I should have at least been imprisoned for my part in this. Not released even with my vow not to help Dragon."
"Given what you said about Dragon's diminished forces," asked Robin, "could your joining them now really be that advantageous."
Lance paused for a moment as if considering the question then replied, "At the very least he could rebound from this set back much more quickly. I can't give you a proper answer without seeing what he had first."
"Yet you told the Gorosei you could give Dragon a victory even with this setback," said Jinbei.
"They know what I'm capable of."
That wasn't an answer, but it didn't really matter. Lance had managed to talk them out of destroying Alabasta and that was all Vivi cared about. Still it left her feeling vulnerable. She and her people were marked for death, the Gorosei's whim could change tomorrow. Full cooperation could only buy them so much now that they had gotten on the wrong side of the Celestial Dragons.
"Princess," said Lance, suddenly serious.
"Yes?"
"We need to discuss how Alabasta is to be defended going forward. It can't be anything obvious but, at some point, you are going to wind up as an independent nation. When that happens, you have to be able to hold your own against sea invaders, no matter what flag they fly. These preparations will have to be discreet, but it can be done."
Vivi was a bit unnerved by how the man had seemingly read her mind but that didn't change the accuracy of his assessment. It made sense but how was she to accomplish it?
"You're wondering how to do that," said Lance, reading her again.
"Was it so obvious?" asked Vivi in a half jesting manner. Was her face that easy to read or was it just nature of the situation they had found themselves in? A little of both perhaps.
Lance smiled reassurance then said, "I can put you in contact with a certain network. Ordinarily they wouldn't speak with anyone outside their group, but if I relay the message, they may approach you."
"A network?"
"Same one Dragon uses. In fact, it was that network that reached out to me to warn of Pluton's activity."
Robin spoke up, "I thought you had promised not to work with Dragon in exchange for your freedom? You also had stated it was not something you felt you should do for personal reasons."
"If this was Dragon's network I would be barred, but this one's centuries old. Dragon's an insider so he has privileged access. I only have this much contact with them because of our shared history. In truth the only one I trust to make contact with on this matter happens to be the network's current leader, the old matriarch herself. I can make the journey to see her if you want the assistance. Be warned, though, they could still refuse."
Vivi thought it over. "Is there any risk in asking?"
"None, so long as the message in not intercepted. They won't betray your confidence, Princess, even if they refuse to help."
"What kind of defenses are you talking about?" asked Luffy. Unlike the old Luffy, their captain was actually following the conversation. However, just like the old Luffy, the entire conversation was too complicated for him to follow well and he latched on to the only part he understood. Which had taken awhile given that weapons were two subjects back in the conversation.
Vivi stifled a giggle at the steam rising from his head as he overworked his long underemployed brain. She then replied, "We're talking about arming the port and possibly acquiring the equipment and skills to handle small warships to use against would be attackers, no matter they be pirate or Marine." She said that last part quietly, but the others heard her anyway.
"Is that going to be possible?" asked Jinbei. "The World Government doesn't like armed ports outside their own bases or people using armed ships that could match theirs. It's why trade ships focus on speed, because there's a limit to how strong their ships can be to defend themselves with."
"A valid concern," agreed Lance. "The World Government hamstrung many military powers in the last eight hundred years to preserve their oceanic superiority. However, those military powers have had eight hundred years to figure out the work arounds. Not to mention there are always exceptions."
"Like what?" asked Nami
"Probably not the best example, but there are armed ports in the world that the Marines can't get near. However, as you can guess, those are pirate ports. They're run by crime lords whose entire power originates from the underworld. But, because they can afford it, they have some of the best port defenses in the world. Some of them can compete with the Hedgehog and Marineford."
"That's not exactly comforting!"
"I said it wasn't a great example, but it does show its possible."
"If you have the funds!" Nami griped, apparently her merchant brain already calculating the costs.
"There are pirate ports?" Luffy asked, derailing the original discussion again.
"Luffy!" cried Nami in exasperation.
"What? It's a port where pirates can enter freely! I wanna see one!"
"Does 'crime lord' and 'underworld' not set off alarm bells?" asked Usopp with his characteristic whine when sensing impending adventure disaster.
"But we're criminals and what's an underworld anyway? Is it fun?"
"Nice to see the captain back to his usual dumbass self," said Sanji only to get slapped by Nami.
Too late. Old Luffy would have laughed off the comment and kept pestering for answers. New Luffy flinched and fell silent, looking away while his cheeks burned with embarrassment.
"Crap!" Zoro hissed as the entire group descended into awkward silence.
Vivi frowned at the unusual behavior. Nami had explained to her what happened but it was still jarring to see in action.
Lance took a deep breath and said, "The Underworld is what we call the darkness of our world. Its where those that dabble in the darkest of trades work. Drug smugglers, slavers, assassins, the foulest of human behavior is on display and accepted. Thus those pirate ports attract the lowest scum of piratehood to them. Adventurers, such as yourselves, should avoid those places or else, your more innocent and weaker crew could find themselves in dire trouble.
"There are several such ports all across the world, but the largest number exist in West Blue and most are controlled by the Kiegan Family. A couple reside in East Blue, use to be three but Desoro burned down five years ago after it made the mistake of pissing off the most blood thirsty pirate on the high seas. It was easy pickings for the Marines after that."
"Defenses like those don't rise overnight and I'm sure we're going to have an issue with spies very soon if not already," said Vivi, returning the subject to the matter at hand, her people's safety and her country's future.
"It's all well and good to say Vivi needs to prepare," said Sanji, "but how can she with the way things are now?"
Lance sighed. "We're putting the cart before the horse," he muttered. "None of this will matter if we don't get support from the network. Let me seek out their aid before we do anything else."
He turned to regard Luffy. "I'll be traveling with you until we get to Moady on the other side of the Redline. I can take a smaller traveling boat from there. It will be more discreet."
Luffy chewed his lip as if something were bothering him. "Nah, how about we take you to this place ourselves."
"Not an option. Not with where I'm going."
Luffy closed his eyes and began rubbing his head and made aggravated noises. "They're expecting us to take you back to Mendora. And isn't Moady by the New Marineford?"
"He's right," said Jinbei. "It will be easier to pick up a tail. It would be better to look like we're taking you home then pull out from Mendora as if we were just traveling onward at our leisure."
"We also need to take our time heading back," added Robin. "If we start bypassing all our old stops in favor of rushing back, it's going to look like we're plotting something. As anxious as all this has made us, we can't look concerned."
"We need to maintain the appearance of nonchalance," agreed Nami.
Lance grimaced. He wasn't arguing, Vivi noticed. "I get what you are saying, and I agree with it, but I can't bring a pirate ship, never mind you people in particular, to that island."
"Why?" asked Zoro.
Lance looked troubled then looked around as if he were seeking out potential eavesdroppers.
Whatever his reasoning is, thought Vivi, it's not something he wants to be just anyone to learn about. Should we really be pestering him if secrecy is so important?
Lance, satisfied or resigned, it was hard to tell, spoke. "I'm talking about Luffy's grandmother, Garp's wife. The World Government has probably put her under surveillance ever since Dragon's defection. If Luffy goes anywhere near her home… It won't matter what the reason is, they'll take action."
"Luffy's grandmother?!" everyone squawked in shock and horror. Vivi hadn't gotten a chance to meet Luffy's grandfather, Garp the Fist, but according to the others that might have been a good thing. It seemed Luffy and his grandfather were a lot alike. The two crews and Law's expressions easily revealed what they thought about the type of woman who would choose to marry a man like that. It was not exactly complimentary.
"Luffy's grandmother is alive and she's in charge of this network?" gasped Usopp, looking pale. "What kind of monster are we talking about?"
"She's a woman who chose Garp for a husband, enough said," stated Zoro.
"Didn't I tell you about her while we were in the whale?" asked Lance. The corners of his mouth were twitching upwards as he fought the urge to smirk.
Unfortunately, bringing up their recently deceased companion was triggering. Brook began wailing and a few faces fell.
"I believe you did but she was more of a distant tormentor in your stories and the tales were more focused on Luffy's parents than his grandparents. Still she seemed quite mischievous," replied Robin, speaking over her friend's grief. Vivi too, thought it best to move the conversation alone rather than allow them all to wallow in grief.
Lance indulged the distraction even as the skeleton began composing songs to his lost friend and Chopper and Usopp dissolved into follow-along singing. He replied, "She's suppressed. A small smile from her is the equivalent of someone else rolling on the floor while laughing until their purple. A smirk is a maniacal laughing. A chased kiss on the cheek, a throw-yourself-in-your-beloved's-arms full-on bent-over face-sucking smooch. At least that's what Dragon tells me. I haven't interacted with her enough to observe this myself. The few times I have seen her, she was always serious and grim. But the presence! I swear she's using conqueror's haki on low level. She's walks into the room and you're falling over yourself to do whatever she asks."
"Now I understand how Dragon can be so serious with Garp for a father," stated Robin with a small laugh.
As entertaining as all this was to Vivi, and she was fully aware that this was classic Straw Hat flow, she thought it best to move the conversation back on target. Fortunately, it sounded like a good juncture to do just that.
"So, is there a better back door you can use than Moady?" asked Vivi. "I don't want to put her in danger with my request."
"Do you know where she's located?" asked Nami. "I mean, we could always fake we're visiting friends and family if we head over to East Blue right now."
"She isn't in East Blue, unfortunately, or else that would be an idea. Easy mistake given Garp is a man of Goa Kingdom. But the family estate is in West Blue. That's why we would need to part after the crossing, not before."
"West Blue?!" everyone gasped.
"Yes." Lance let out a long sigh, the last of his hesitation leaving him. "Luffy's grandmother is none other than Baroness Goldenrei."
Everyone looked blank at his declaration, except Robin who gasped, "Goldenrei?! Aren't they the family that held power and influence in the Marines for seven hundred years?"
That got everyone's attention.
Lance nodded. "Kong is the first Commander-in-Chief to not be of the Goldenrei lineage since the Marines were founded in its current form at the formation of the World Government eight hundred years ago."
"And a family like this is going to help us defy the Marines?" asked Vivi incredulous.
"I don't have all the details, but the Marines' behavior took a downward turn around a hundred years ago when Kong's predecessor came into power. Why, I was never told. Garp and Dragon probably know but none of them ever breathed a word about it. The World Government being its usual self, hides the bad along with the good so that's why history is so obscure about how the Marines once were and how they are now."
"Eh…?" Luffy folded his hands behind his head and looked at the ceiling. "I think I want to meet Baa-chan."
"Eh!?" everyone cried. This was so far from typical Luffy behavior. He ordinarily wouldn't care about obscure relatives he had never met. At least that was how he felt about his father.
"Why do want to do that?" asked Vivi.
Luffy kicked at the floor, now looking uneasy. "She might know about Kaa-chan. Someone taught her how to fight and… all the other stuff." He wiggled his fingers and several crewmen grimaced while Vivi merely looked confused. Everyone kept bringing up Luffy doing new things, but they all had a hard time explaining it to her. Maybe they didn't get it themselves.
Luffy cast a glance at Lance. "Lance kept saying he thought her style would be the way to go now that I don't have my devil fruit, but he can't teach me her style."
Lance stroked his beard in thought. "True, I can't see that woman not researching a potential daughter-in-law who began her career as a pirate. Especially not one with her skills. But I still can't take you to estate so…"
"Maybe we can go to Altear and possible arrange a meeting from there," suggest Robin. "Altear is not a friend of the World Government and would they really forget who it was that fought in the Siege of Altear?"
"That might work actually. Even with the Marine base right there, they still have pirates sail in to resupply all the time. Not to mention they may help us because its Luffy."
"So we head to Altear," said Luffy with a grin.
"After we stop in Mendora and say hello to everyone on the way to keep anyone from suspecting us," said Nami.
Law coughed. He had kept silent during the whole discussion even when it went flying off into the bushes. He must have been used to the Straw Hats' flow as well. "So what am I and my crew supposed to do? We lost our ship."
"Good thing Water Seven's is going to be along the way," said Nami. "They make great ships there."
"Ow! Yeah! Suuuuuper great idea, Nami!" cried Franky as he did his classic stretch pose that united the starts on his forearms.