"Can't you hear them Ms. Wednesday? All of them seeing the destruction around them, all of them drying up and pushing back… all of them fighting to defend their homeland. All of them shouting, Defend Alabasta… defend Alabasta! Ha ha ha ha!"

Those in the cell watched as Vivi struggled against the bonds keeping her in a chair. Everyone looked angry, but Luffy was furious, punching the bars, getting weak one second, back to normal the next and punching out again. It might have been funny, if it weren't such a horrid situation.

Vivi struggled and squirmed, until the chair she was in fell over, and she continued to pull herself along the floor as best she could.

"What are you doing, Ms. Wednesday?" Crocodile asked, his voice full of sarcasm. He was a sadistic man, enjoying the the moment each time that he could crush the hope from Vivi, and was endlessly frustrated when she continued to look for a new solution, a new way to achieve her goal.

"There is still time! I will," she panted, trying to get her breath, "stop this! I just have to get to Alubarna and stop the rebels!"

"Well then," Crocodile smirked. "I'll give you a choice." He pulled a key out of his pocket, showing it to Vivi.

"Is that key to this cage?!" Luffy yelled out, interrupting. "Give it to me!"

Crocodile turned his head to give the cage a wicked looking smirk. Kia wished momentarily that she had something to draw with, because it was a perfect moment to capture, a villain thinking he had won. Then she felt bad, for it was not the time for that. She looked back up to see Crocodile looking at her, eyes narrowed, and she quickly looked anywhere besides his face, embarrassed that perhaps she had said something or made a noise.

Crocodile dropped the key on the floor. "Your choice is simple. If you want to stop the rebellion, you would have to leave right now. Otherwise, hundreds of thousands of people… your people… will die. Or… you could stay here and save your friends, just by opening the cage."

He stepped forward, triggering the trap door, and Nami and Usopp squawked as the key disappeared. "Oops. Unfortunately, I dropped the key into the bananagators' pen." He paused and gave Vivi a careless shrug. "Well, there are your choices, Ms. Wednesday." Vivi was finally successful in getting out of her bonds, and went forward to peer down the trap door at the key.

"Hey! Look!" Luffy shouted, drawing his friends' attention. "There are gators growing out of those bananas!"

The others looked out of the windows behind the cage, and Kia almost asked Luffy to point them out, because she couldn't see them. Then, where she was looking for an alligator, she saw a single eye. She could hear the others talking, but couldn't understand them, as she swallowed hard, fear gripping her tightly. The reptile was gigantic, and made her think of a dinosaur, rather than a reptile. It felt as if that huge eye was looking right through her, and she became more panicked as her vision widened and she saw how many there were, her breathing erratic.

Kia didn't know how long she stood like that, but eventually she felt a hand on her shoulder. She assumed it was Zoro, he was always one to watch out for his crew mates. She was led to the bench, and turned to sit. Now that she couldn't look at the gators any longer, it was like she came out of some sort of trance, and she looked up. Smoker stood in front of her, blocking her from everyone else, and said quietly, "Deep breaths, nice and slow."

She did as he said, closing her eyes and concentrating on her breathing, until she felt herself calm. She was still terrified of the gators, but reminded herself that she didn't have to face them. Oh crap, Vivi! she thought, her eyes flying open, to see Vivi narrowly escape from a gator's jaws.

"Buru-buru-buru… buru-buru-buru… buru-buru-buru- cah-lick."

"Yes?" Ms. All Sunday asked after she answered the baby transponder snail.

"Hello? Can you hear me?"

"Yes, I hear you," she replied, though the voice wasn't convinced.

"Are we connected? Hello?" the voice asked again, and Kia smiled as she recognized it, both from memory, and because she had heard him speak not long ago.

"Hurry up and state your business," Crocodile snarled, not appreciating the interruption.

"Ah, now that voice sounds familiar," the voice said casually. "Hello, you've reached the Crap Cafe…"

"It's Sanji," Kia said quietly, so happy that they were about to get out of there. The others looked back at her momentarily, and Nami looked relieved. Kia heard her say, "thank goodness."

Usopp quickly kept Luffy from shouting out Sanji's name, covering his mouth and speaking softly to him. "Don't say it, they don't know about him, or Chopper yet." Luffy nodded, and Usopp released him.

They went back to watching Crocodile, who looked much less amused now, though Ms. All Sunday still wore a smirk. "Who is this?" Crocodile demanded to the voice on the snail.

"Who am I?" he responded. "You can call me… Mr. Prince." That was all it took before Luffy and Usopp starting shouting.

"Get us out of here Prince!"

"Hurry, there's not much time!"

"Ha ha, sounds like my crew mates are there with you. I guess I'll just…"

They didn't hear what he was going to say, as there was an extremely loud gunshot, and what sounded like an explosion. The others looked stricken, but Kia just sighed, resting back on the bench. All this upheaval was making her head pound.

"You're awfully calm."

Kia turned her head, remembering at just that moment that Smoker was still sitting beside her. She gave a small smile, thinking quickly. There was a lengthy pause before she said, "Sanji is too strong to be taken down by Baroque Works peons."

"Seems your friends don't share that sentiment," he mused, gesturing to where the others were panicking, Zoro being the exception, though he looked really angry.

Kia looked back at Smoker and shrugged. "Oh, and thanks. For… earlier." He grunted at her, which she assumed meant, Not a problem for a charming and beautiful young lady such as yourself.

Sitting in a cage and unable to do anything, made the whole thing seem surreal, like it was a show. She watched as she had once read, how Crocodile laughed, feeling again as if he had won. How Vivi ran for the broken staircase, barely escaping the bananagator, only to have Crocodile throw her back down. The others yelled to give her encouragement and in desperation when it looked like she might not succeed.

Finally she was again atop the stairs, though at the cost of some windows in the underwater room. The water began pouring in much more rapidly, and she shouted as she ran, "I won't abandon you! I'm going to get help!"

"Okay! We're counting on you Vivi!" Usopp yelled back.

Kia sat there quietly with Smoker, as Nami taunted the bananagator into biting down on the cage, only to break its teeth on the bars. The gator was slightly less scary now and she watched in surprise as it went miserably to a corner of the room… like it was… pouting? It was very strange.

"So… Kia, was it?"

She glanced at Smoker again, nodding in answer to his question.

"Exactly how much do you guys know about what Crocodile is up to here?"

"HEY!" The two faced forward, looking at an outraged Usopp and Luffy. "Are you friends now or something?!" Luffy demanded.

"How can you be so calm?! Get over here and help us!" Usopp cried.

Kia gave them a look that clearly stated, are you serious right now? and gestured to Smoker with a hand. "Being friendly, does not make someone your friend. He is a marine captain, and I am sailing with a pirate crew. Those two things don't mix."

She huffed a little at the implication, but inwardly, she was kind of wishing she could be friends with Smoker.

"And we're not over there, because he," she said pointing to Smoker, "ate a devil fruit, and therefore would be worthless in the water, and I… am trying to stay dry."

Smoker made a sound like he almost laughed, but quickly covered it up with a cough. Kia gave him a big smile, which he didn't return, but she still felt great about it. "We're here to help our friend, that's all," she finally replied to his earlier question.

Smoker's gaze hardened slightly as he told them about the implications of Nico Robin joining up with Crocodile… implications that would affect much more of the world than just Alabasta.

Luffy fidgeted as he listened, but finally had had enough. "I don't need any more reasons to kick Crocodile's butt!" he shouted.

"Very well," Smoker replied. "What's your plan then?"

Luffy's willpower was able to do amazing things, especially if he didn't think about what was going on around him. But as soon as he looked down and noticed the water reaching his thighs, he slumped over onto Usopp. "Ugh… I feel so weak."

Usopp started shaking Luffy, shouting at him to hang on, Vivi was bound to come back soon. Nami was looking up, asking Vivi to hurry, and Zoro was glaring at the cage, grousing that he was too weak to slice the bars and save his crew. And, another bananagator made it into the room and started heading for the cage, growling loudly.

"It's not polite," they all turned and stared, looking for the source of the new voice, "to roar at the table!" Kia grabbed Smoker's arm without thinking, grinning up at him.

"BAD MANNERS KICK COURSE!"

The gator was kicked directly in the middle, almost folding over due to the power of the hit. It coughed up several pieces of… something, and rolled over onto its back, looking like it was passed out.

"Hi," Sanji said coolly, as he tapped out his cigarette into the water. "Been waiting long?"

Usopp and Luffy cheered, Nami breathed a sigh of relief, and Zoro ground his teeth together.

"Quit showing off, and get the key already!" Zoro yelled.

Sanji spotted Nami, and started doing his love dance. "Nami… do you love me now?"

"Yes, yes, now get us out of here!" Nami said, exasperated.

"Of course my sweet!" His voice and posture changed as he faced the gators again. "Come at me crap-bananas! I'll teach you to attack my ladies!"

"Sanji!" Usopp hollered. "We don't have time for this, just kill them and find the key!"

"The third one!" Kia shouted, at the same time that Smoker said, "Kill the third one in."

"Huh?" Luffy asked, "Why that one?"

She smirked and gestured to Smoker to answer. "What are your ears for, decoration? That one has the same growl as the one who swallowed the key," he said, glancing at Kia. Luffy looked at her for confirmation, and she nodded along.

Sanji went for the gator, kicking it in the gut to make it cough up the key. Instead they got a huge ball of wax -that turned out to hold Mr. 3, still alive, but barely. After a lot of commotion, and some of Sanji's persuasion techniques, Mr. 3 used his powers to create a key that would open the cage. As soon as the door opened, Luffy and Zoro ran out, and killed every single bananagator they could get to.

Kia felt she couldn't blame them, everyone was stir crazy from being in a cage for so long, but their excess energy made it more difficult for the rest. The water pressure pushed against the damaged walls, to the point of crashing them in, and water flooded the rest of the room almost instantaneously.

Kia grabbed onto the nearest person, who happened to be Smoker, and yelled, "Deep breath!" She put him in a rescue hold, and started swimming for the surface, waiting momentarily for the press of the water filling the room to stop. As she cleared the room, she could feel Zoro grab Smoker's arm, helping her pull him to the surface.

They broke the surface of the water, the last to make it, and Zoro let go when he noticed Kia was able to keep Smoker's face above the water on her own. He got out first, and took a heavily panting Smoker from her out of the water, then assisted her in getting out as well.

Most of the crew were squeezing excess water from their clothes, though Luffy and Usopp were still laying on the ground. Sanji told Nami to spray her perfume, and swooned from the smell once she had. Kia took her hair out of its braid, and flipped it over her head, bending over to wring it dry, and looked up when she felt someone standing in front of her. She pushed her hair out of her face, and looked at Smoker in question.

Zoro stepped in front of Kia, and without even seeing them pull out their weapons, the jutte and sword were in a battle as well, holding each other back.

Smoker glared at her, water dripping down his face. "Why?" he asked.

"You ate a devil fruit, you can't swim," she said, as if she was stating the obvious. Which technically, she was.

Smoker glanced over to Zoro, questioning him as well. "Captain's orders. I'd have let you drown."

He looked between the two of them. "Then you'll have no problem if I do my duty now," he began, just as Luffy and Usopp jumped up.

"Where's that Crocodile!" Luffy grumbled.

"Let's go! On to Alubarna!" Usopp shouted, then they turned to look at Kia and Zoro. "Aah! It's Smoker! Watch out Luffy! Run away!"

"Smokey!" Luffy brought his fists up, ready to throw down. "You wanna fight?" he demanded.

Smoker just looked at him, both of them staring at the other, and then his eyes closed. "Go."

"What?" Luffy stated.

"This is the only time I will let you get away." He looked over at Kia, and she felt as if he was trying to understand something that she couldn't begin to explain. "Next time… you're dead meat, Straw Hat."

Luffy didn't back down, and Zoro started laughing. The others looked at each other in shock, before they all took off running. They could hear the Marines coming towards them, and Zoro pushed Kia forward as he called out, "Luffy! Come on!"

"Okay," Luffy replied, before turning back to Smoker. "Hey, you're all right."

Kia giggled as she heard Luffy running away from Smoker's angry rant.

They ran as fast as they could, though they got tired fairly quickly as they headed out of town.

"Are we going to run all the way to Alubarna?" Usopp complained.

"Maybe we can get some horses?" Luffy asked Vivi.

"But the Marines are all around town," she replied.

"Just relax," Sanji stated. "Look up ahead."

Most of them stopped immediately, some of them skidding on the sand as they tried. Kia, tripped and fell over, and was caught by Usopp before she hit the ground. In front of them, was a huge crab, as tall as the buildings in the town. Kia was sure her mouth hung wide open. And up on top of it was…

"Chopper!" Kia yelled, so happy to see him again.

"Hop on everyone!" he called down from atop the crab.

"We can ride it?!" Luffy yelled with a grin and stars in his eyes. "So cool!"

"Yeah, but he's looking at me all creepy-like," Nami said quietly.

"He's Eyelash's friend, he has lots of friends here, since this is his hometown!" Chopper called out, as everyone started climbing onto the crab's giant claw. Kia just eyeballed it, even though she wasn't the shortest, she didn't think she could jump that high.

"I'll help you Kia my heart!" Sanji said in a sing song voice, coming over to her, just as Zoro grabbed her waist and threw her up on top of the claw.

"Aah!" she yelped, as she landed on Luffy. "Thanks for the assist, Captain," she grumbled to Luffy, who laughed. "You too Zoro!" she yelled out, only to yelp again as Zoro jumped up next to her, startling her.

The crab raised his claw once they were all on, bringing it level with his back, and they moved over to sit on his back. Kia walked over and sat next to Vivi.

"Pretty amazing, isn't it Vivi?" she asked as she sat down. Vivi looked at her in surprise, and gave a small, tight lipped smile. Kia could tell she wasn't angry, but she had hurt her feelings, and Vivi hadn't quite gotten over that yet.

Kia turned slightly, so she could watch the town behind them. Chopper yelled, "Giddy-up!" and the crab started moving, the feeling so fast because of how large he was. Kia kept her eyes peeled, looking for any sign of-

She interrupted her own thoughts, as she saw the gleam of his hook, coming straight for Vivi. She had originally planned to just move Vivi out of the way, so that he didn't get any of them, but that isn't what happened. Kia pushed Vivi, and in her haste, not only put herself where Vivi had just been, but pushed so hard that Vivi crashed into Luffy, toppling over him.

"Kia, what-?" Zoro didn't finish as the others gasped, as Kia was pulled away from the crab, floating in the air above the sand by a golden hook around her waist. The hook that was following a trail of sand back towards the city.

"Chopper, make it stop!" Zoro shouted.

"KIA!" she could hear them all shouting and she reached out, trying to get free. Her hand was grabbed, and she grinned, relieved, as Luffy rocketed towards her, his body coming to meet his hand that had grasped hers. He tried for a moment to free her, before he stopped, and turned to shout back.

"I can handle this! Keep going!"

"Luffy!" the shouts came as they got further away.

"Take care of Vivi!" he yelled.

"Make sure she gets to Alubarna!" Kia added, as loud as she could. She couldn't see their faces any longer, but she just knew Zoro smirked, and directed Chopper to get the crab moving again.

"Don't worry Kia," Luffy said to her as they fell to the sand, "I'll protect you."

Zoro stood resolutely, even as Usopp and Vivi yelled at him about abandoning Luffy. Didn't they get it? He was giving them a way to help Vivi achieve her goal! Nami got it, she was smart enough, but even the stupid cook understood, so why didn't they?

"Listen Vivi," Zoro said, because she needed it. "Time is ticking down on this kingdom's fate. If the royal and rebel armies clash, then Alabasta is finished, right? You are the only hope of preventing that… so you are the one that must survive… no matter what may happen to the rest of us."

Sanji rolled his eyes at the muscle-bound jerk. Couldn't he be slightly less blunt towards the princess? She was delicate, after all. "Vivi, when you started this several years ago, you had no idea the true nature of group you took on," Sanji said gently. "But, you need to remember… you're not fighting all alone any longer."

Vivi looked, and could still see the small speck that was Luffy and Kia, left in the sand behind them. She had to let them know she believed in them. "Luffy! Kia! WE'LL BE WAITING FOR YOU IN ALUBARNA!"

She smiled as the answer came drifting in much more quietly than it must have been originally.

"Yeah!"

She sat back down, feeling much lighter than before, though confused. After a time, "Nami?" she asked quietly, her friend seated next to her. "I've been horrible, and she still did that…"

Nami smiled, rapping on the princess's head with her knuckles. "Because silly, we're friends. She may have accidentally hurt you, but she never stopped caring."

"I guess I haven't either," Vivi admitted. "I'm so worried about what Crocodile will do…"