A/N: Hello! Here's a quick follow-up to the previous chapter!
WARNING: There will be somewhat violent/graphic interrogation scenes here, so if that is not something you want to read, feel free to skip this chapter!
Chapter XII:Stubborn Will
The cold, uninviting surface of a dungeon cell, rarely serves as a bed for most people, least of all—a princess.
And yet, there she was-Princess Nefertari Vivi, the sole heir to the venerable throne of Alabasta, lying on the hard stone floor. The cold surface chilled her weakened form, right down to the bone. Being so far underground, the dungeons of the Summer Palace were ironically the exact opposite of the sprawling courtyards and gardens above.
Feels more like a Winter Palace down here...
Vivi blinked as a water droplet hit her forehead. The humidity, coupled with the cool temperatures, produced a merciless microclimate around her.
Upon waking up and seeing her surroundings, she naturally panicked, but eventually, her innate sense of rationality won over. Displacing her fear with an almost, melancholic acceptance of sorts. Curiously, she examined her bandaged hands.
I don't remember these being there before...
She struggled to piece together the events of the previous night. The last thing she remembered, was Miss All-Sunday speaking to her at the back entrance of the palace.
"You leave me no choice, Princess."
Yes, those were her exact words, before...before I—I fell asleep? Obviously not, this was her doing again!
No wonder I feel so sluggish.
The tiny cell was lit by a single bulb and enclosed with bars made of impenetrable Liquor Iron ore.
These are unusually thick; I don't remember them being like that. How did they get their hands on this precious mineral?!
As a child, Vivi was precocious and unusually curious; she even managed to sneak down into the dungeons of the Summer Palace, much to the chagrin of her Grandfather.
The cells were empty and filled with construction materials and ammunition. But she never saw anything like that before.
Crocodile acts like he already owns Alabasta! He abused our trust and hospitality!
Lying on her back and staring up at the dark ceiling, Vivi listened to the water dripping somewhere in the corner.
Drip. Drip.
Seemingly oblivious to the many splatters around her, the Princess tried to assess her current situation.
It could have been worse. Well, it probably will be, now that I failed to get to Katorea...
Vivi closed her eyes. She didn't expect to be captured so soon. I was so focused on getting there that I let my guard down.
This is not how she imagined it to be at all.
Dead? Maybe, she already accepted that possibility when she infiltrated Baroque Works. But to be alive, breathing and patched up by the enemy...this was not something she expected.
When did anything ever go according to my plans?! She bit her lip.
Now she had another name to add to the growing list of allies who ended up suffering for her sake.
Chaka. Igaram. Mr.9...Vivi had a premonition that the list won't end there.
Here I am, lying in a dungeon cell, once used to house our enemies.
To add insult to injury, it seemed that Baroque Works, or specifically—Crocodile-didn't deem it worthwhile even to station someone outside her cell.
Either he's so confident in these fortifications or...he's mocking me? Now that I'm brought here like a sacrificial lamb!
Whichever way Vivi, looked at it, the second line of thought seemed more likely.
Still, being left alone was probably better than having to deal with the other agents in her current state.
How long have I been here?
Her meagre belongings must have been confiscated while she was out. With no windows or clocks around, it was virtually impossible to tell the time.
This is not good. Surely they will send someone to check up on me?
Vivi knew that Crocodile needed her for something, why else would he keep her alive?
Whatever it is, I will make sure he doesn't get it!
Thus the young woman practically vowed to give the Baroque Works the hardest time she could, in any way possible.
Vivi heard the clank of metal and someone's footsteps. The sound of clicking heels echoed throughout the dungeons.
I won't give them the joy of seeing me lying beneath their feet! She stood up. Her blood pumped in anticipation.
I can't give them any information that could further harm my country. No.
The footsteps got closer; she could hear something clink, probably the keys.
Vivi dusted her torn dress and ruined cloak, squaring her shoulders, she lifted her chin; eyeing the entrance to her cell. Defiance writ on her face.
"Ah, you're up already? I brought you something to eat." Miss All-Sunday approached the cell carefully.
"..." Vivi folded her arms in an attempt to mask her confusion.
Surprisingly, the older agent kneeled to the floor and placed the tray at a small flap on the ground.
Click. The senior agent unlocked it swiftly, sliding the tray and slowly, almost teasingly, closed the flap back.
"How are they?" Vivi demanded.
"Eat first." Miss All-Sunday requested quietly.
Vivi was past those games by now.
"I will eat, but only after you answer my question." she countered firmly.
"In that case, you'll have to starve my dear." the brunette was unperturbed.
"Then so be it!" Vivi walked up to the tray and slid it back towards the flap. She wanted to kick it, but wasting food, while Alabasta experienced drought, was in poor taste. And Vivi wasn't prepared to do that.
Miss All-Sunday sighed, so you decided to go about it the hard way?
"I asked you to be more compliant with us before, didn't I?" her black tresses gently swayed in the cold draft of the dungeons.
Vivi stepped closer to the cell bars and spoke to the other woman through the open space between them.
"Oh I am compliant...as compliant as anyone can be when their country and its people are about to be annihilated!" her pale fingers wrapped around the cold metal.
"What else would you have me do hmm?!" she hissed.
"I told you the others are fine," Miss All-Sunday looked to the side, "but I need you to stop talking about that so loudly. Or else they won't be fine for much longer." she whispered.
Is she really working for Crocodile? Her actions say yes but her words...
"I don't believe you!" Vivi's grey orbs blazed with rage.
"Fine don't! You will have proof that says otherwise soon enough but listen to me carefully. Crocodile needs the poneglyph, and he believes it is in Alabasta. If you tell us where it is, then certain concessions could be made, and you will be allowed to live peacefully with your Father." Miss All-Sunday explained.
How did he know about the poneglyph? Vivi caught herself before she voiced her question.
"Does that really exist? Tsk. I thought he was a smart man..." she said condescendingly.
"Playing dumb doesn't suit her Majesty." Miss All-Sunday lowered her head. Okay, keep that up.
Ignoring the younger woman's glares, Robin tapped her fingers against the cool surface of the Liquor Ore.
I have a hunch that she does know...I need to earn her trust. If I do that, I might even have a chance to get there before Crocodile does. I must send back the accurate version of the text!
It was risky, but Robin already told her about saving Chaka and Igaram. Her blue eyes scrutinised the Princess.
"Are you going to guard my cell now?" Vivi asked sarcastically.
"..." the other woman ignored her captive's question. She paced the dimly lit corridor in front of the cell, looking deep in thought.
I am gambling here.
Finally, she stopped and stared directly into Vivi's eyes.
"Don't tell them," Robin whispered agitatedly. Her professional facade began to crumble at that moment.
Vivi's eyes widened. "What do you mean by that?"
"Exactly what you heard. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go." The brunette's nonchalant manner was back. But not before she gave one distant look back at the cell.
"Stay strong," she said quietly, as though it was to herself. I can't tell you anything else just yet.
Frowning she stepped out of the dungeon gate.
What was that all about?! Vivi sat on the floor, idly staring at the inconspicuous bowl of murky soup on the tray.
The more she thought about Miss All-Sunday's behaviour, the more it perplexed her.
She tells me not to be afraid of her, but then sends me to Jaya into the arms of Mr.5 and Miss Valentine...among others. Did she know that Donquixote Doflamingo will be there too? Or was that a coincidence? Either way, there's no use in even considering that offer now.
Vivi hugged her knees.
She spared Igaram? Father did say they received a letter from him, so he has to be alive. That is true. But where is he now?
What if she failed to kill him and masked that as mercy?
Vivi chewed her lip in thought.
What about Chaka? I have nothing but her word for it! And now this...is she really working for Crocodile? Or someone else? Maybe she plays this double game with me to get more information for Crocodile!
"Don't tell them." Them...
Soon it seemed like hours went by, and that point Vivi resigned herself to whatever fate had in store for her next. She may have failed to unite the Rebels at this point, but that didn't mean she couldn't help her Kingdom.
The least I could do is keep my mouth shut!
She traced the lines on the rock wall with her fingers; it looked like the previous occupant tracked something here. Probably the days, I should do this too. But I don't have any sharp objects around.
She looked at the bowl again but soon realised that her captors had "thoughtfully" omitted the utensils.
Of course, they would..what about the tray itself?
Vivi kneeled down to inspect it. It was made of wood. Useless against a rock surface.
Breaking the brown bowl was useless too, it was made of the same material as the tray.
They thought of everything!
She examined the wall etchings again. They were quite clear and simple; if she could find a way to mark the existing lines, then she won't need to carve out her own.
What if I...she looked down at her bandaged palms, raising them towards the dim light, she saw that the gauze was clean for the most part.
I could use my blood as a pigment and dot the calendar lines of the last prisoner.
Gruesome as it was, this seemed to be her only option at the moment.
"Let's do this." Vivi unwrapped the thin dressing around her left palm; she curiously gazed at the work of her stubborn grip on the leather reins from the day before. An ugly, lacerated wound ran across her skin.
Vivi took a sharp inhale and proceeded to prod and pick at her injury. She grit her teeth to stop herself from making any sound, and continued to squeeze the wound. It looked infected as yellowish puss flowed out of it.
Come on, come on. The Princess increased the pressure with her thumb and forefinger on the surrounding skin.
Fresh blood trickled out of the reopened wound, Vivi felt triumphant despite the stinging pain.
Carefully, she dipped her finger into the blood and dabbed some of it onto the wall.
Day 1.
She took a step back, to look at her primaeval "calendar", mentally thanking the previous prisoners for their effort.
Her blood glistened under the yellow glow of the solitary light bulb.
This should do the trick.
Wincing in pain, she carefully pressed the undone bandages to her wound. Suddenly Vivi heard the familiar metal clank.
Is it Miss All-Sunday?
Her question was answered within seconds when she heard Miss Doublefinger's husky voice.
"What a hellhole..."
Click...click...click
Her steps were painfully slow, echoing across the long, labyrinthine corridors of this infamous dungeon complex.
"And so we meet again Your Majesty." Miss Doublefinger greeted the prisoner; she noticed the blood-soaked gauze in Vivi's hand.
"Are you trying to kill yourself?" her voice was serious.
"I won't go down so easily!" Vivi hissed.
"That's the spirit." the voluptuous woman smirked.
"What do you want from me?" the Princess inquired.
"Well, the Boss sent me ahead from Alubarna to ask you a few things. One is related to what Miss All-Sunday briefed you about. I am here to make sure that you answer her questions the next time you're asked. Frankly, I don't want to beat it out of you, that's not my style you see." Miss Doublefinger crouched in front of the cell and motioned for Vivi to approach her.
The bluenette complied and mimicked her interrogator's stance, crouching near the cell bars.
"Don't tell them." Miss All-Sunday's words replayed in Vivi's mind again.
"The Boss also wants to know the nature of your connection with the Shichibukai- Donquixote Doflamingo." Miss Doublefinger eyed the Princess with a renewed curiosity.
Connection? Whatever connection we could have—well it's too late for that. Unless I escape...and then what?
Vivi sighed.
"There is no connection between Donquixote Doflamingo and myself, ran into him in Jaya. Thanks to Miss Valentine's and Mr.5's indiscretion he found out my real identity and asked me about my family's history. That is all." Vivi explained in a surprisingly collected manner.
That's how he approached me...or I did in a way. That brought to mind how she landed at his feet. His body loomed over her. The extent of her vulnerability at that moment was indescribable. But he didn't harm me, even though he didn't know my real name at that point.
"Doesn't it strike you in a rather odd way, that a man you just met, killed off the agents, who were sent to bring you to the Boss?" Miss Doublefinger asked in a more quiet voice.
"I was too shocked to understand what was going on, and I think the other agents annoyed him because they interrupted him...so he lashed out." Vivi was beginning to feel awkward and struggled to maintain her calm.
"My, how convenient, and then you two had a lovely chat about your family and parted ways?" Miss Doublefinger asked sarcastically. The role of the interrogator suited her nicely. She was beginning to find it mildly entertaining.
"We actually did." Vivi tilted her chin slightly upwards.
"And you expect me to believe that?" the curly-haired woman gave Vivi an incredulous look.
"As a matter of fact-I do. I don't want to deal with anymore Shichibukais!" Vivi looked at Miss Doublefinger as though the woman was incredibly stupid.
"Watch that attitude of yours..." Miss Doublefinger warned in a low voice. She gave Vivi a disparaging look and unlocked the cell. She entered the small space and slowly proceeded to demonstratively lock the cell door behind her.
You think that's going to upset me? Vivi continued to observe her interrogator.
Miss Doublefinger pulled out the key with her gloved hand and carefully placed it in her pocket.
At least she didn't stuff it between her breasts like the transponder...oh, that's why there's no space!
Vivi forced down a smile.
"Do I amuse you, Princess?" Miss Doublefinger asked in a menacing tone.
"You all do fufufu." Vivi feigned laughter. Good, we changed the topic.
Miss Doublefinger gave her a sinister smile and promptly grabbed her wrist.
"Tell me, would this-" her gloved finger turned into a long spike, "amuse you?!" she punctured the younger woman's hand.
"AH!" Vivi cried out as the spike went right through the space between her middle and ring fingers. The tip came out near the laceration on her palm. Warm blood dripped onto the ground.
The pain was excruciating and shot up her arm. Every nerve was on fire. Vivi's face twisted in pain, her lip bled as she bit down on it to clamp down on any ensuing screams.
"I told you beatings are not my style, and I prefer more...targeted methods." Miss Doublefinger's voice seemed distant. She pulled out the spike from Vivi's hand, it went out with a whooshing sound, causing further pain and nerve damage.
Vivi turned her head away from her tormentor and dropped her arm, her wrist hung limply.
"This was a warm-up sweetheart, something for you think about the next time you decide to act smart and dodge our questions. And this-" she aimed her finger at Vivi's leg, "is my parting gift for now." A thick spike shot out of her fingers and nailed the side of Vivi's dress into the wall, lightly grazing her thigh along the way.
"Do not test my patience again. I will be back soon." Miss Doublefinger stood in the doorway and was about to leave when Vivi spat at her feet.
"I only obey the people of ALABASTA! Nobody else has the right to order me around, least of all a half-naked bounty hunter!"
"You're no better than us. Don't forget you were one of US a littl-" Miss Doublefinger paused as the gate to the dungeons clanked open.
"Miss Doublefinger! Your time is up wa-yo! It's my turn to chat with the Cutie—oh my how could they keep her in such a cold, dreary place...she's a Princess after all." Mr.2 practically whispered the last few words as he walked to Vivi's cell.
The sight of the bleeding Princess, nailed to the wall, was not how he thought his Boss would deal with the situation.
"WHAT HAPPENED HERE?!" he hollered stomping his pointe-clad foot on the ground. "YOU!" he screeched grabbing Miss Doublefinger's throat through the cell bars.
"I am doing my job! The Boss sent me here to interrogate her. Let go." Miss Doublefinger slapped his hands away.
Mr.2 let her go and stretched out his hand. "Hand me the key. I am on duty now, as scheduled. Don't make Zero-chan mad. GET OUT!"
In the background, Vivi used the agents' distraction to pull away from the spike that trapped her to the wall, tearing a piece of her dress out in the process and slightly baring her leg. She pressed her tattered cloak to her hand to stop the bleeding.
Miss Doublefinger unlocked the cell and stepped out, pressing the key into Mr.2's outstretched hand, she smirked and confidently sashayed out of the dungeon complex.
Vivi was glad to see the eccentric agent again. He was amiable, unlike the rest of his colleagues.
"This is no good," Mr.2 examined Vivi's injured hand. "Oh, Cutie-chan! How could that vile woman do that to you?! That top agent pair is so incompetent! Brutal beasts the two of them wa-yo."
"I will be fine. You're here to interrogate me too, right?" Vivi tilted her head in question.
"Ah, but our bond of friendship won't allow me to! It's sacred after all! I always treasure my friendships above any work!" Mr.2 teared up. He reached his large hand into the pocket of his dust coat and took out a small vial.
He really is not like the rest of them. It was rather easy to question the sincerity of the Okama's melodramatic behaviour. But Vivi's instinct told her those could be his genuine sentiment.
"Here, this is a cleansing spray I use for my skin after dance practice. This should clean out that nasty wound of yours." He sprayed the clear liquid onto her palm. The stinging effect was immediate, Vivi hissed in pain.
"T-Thank you," she mumbled.
"I must get you out of here before Zero-chan gets back!" Mr.2 rubbed his chin in thought.
This could be another trap! Vivi clutched the edge of her cloak for comfort, but what's the point if I am already here?
"You want to help me? Why?" somehow she felt she could be more open with him.
"I told you, friendship is more important to me," Mr.2 replied childishly. "Can you walk?" he gestured towards her leg.
Vivi nodded. He's so unusual! Mr.2 clapped his hands.
"Good. Now let's get you out of here!"