Chapter 28

What do you mean no one likes bohemian Rhapsody?! Everyone likes Bohemian Rhapsody!

Also best review I shall ever get – posted 19/03/14 on Chapter one;

From: Matt (Guest)
Marty is a boys name you idiot
!

I apologise – I was going to call her William but I wanted to avoid all the Dick jokes.

Blood and pain warning

I don't own ze one piece

/

"You're asking me if I've seen a strawberry," Marty asked tipping her head to the side. Her questioner rolled his eyes.

"No I'm asking if you've seen this devil fruit."

"So a particular strawberry," Marty said nodding seriously, crossing her arms, "What was the special strawberry's name again?" The man sighed, giving her the universal look for 'I hate my god damn job.'

"It's called the Yaosu Yaosu fruit," The man said letting out another long suffering sigh as he propped up his chin with his hand.

"Right and where did I see it?" Marty asked smiling vaguely, as her questioners eyebrows went up.

"So you have seen it?"

"Where am I supposed to've seen it?"

"How I supposed to know that?"

"It's your strawberry isn't it?" Marty said tipping her head to the side frowning. The man slapped his hand over his eyes in frustration as her leant back in his chair.

"So you haven't seen it?" the man growled.

"Haven't I?" Marty said surprised, "but you just said…"

"Just say no, you haven't seen the devil fruit, and move along. You're wasting my time," The Man snapped.

"So I just say 'No'?" Marty asked confused.

"Yes."

"Yes? I thought I hadn't seen it?"

"What? No!"

"So I have seen it?"

"No you haven't seen it!"

"Really? That's sad – it looks so pretty."

"Oh – just go away," The questioner snapped rubbing his eyes. Marty shrugged turning on her heel. As she began walking she heard the man mutter to another questioner, "I'm just lucky she knew what a fruit is I supposed."

"Hmm, she's pretty though."

"Pretty freaking annoying."

Marty walked up to Donna who had finished her questioning several minutes earlier. Donna gave her a once over.

"What was that about," Donna asked falling into step next to her. Marty glanced sideways at her.

"What?"

"You, acting as though your brain belongs to a five year old," Donna said as they passed through the door, joining the line for the 'after' group.

"You mean it doesn't?"

"Oh don't start that rubbish with me," Donna chuckled, Marty flashed a grin her way before going on tiptoes to stare over the crowd. Or, well, try to.

"Not here," Marty said quietly, smile never leaving her face. Donna blinked, then shrugged.

"Fine, but at some point?"

"Of course – but I suspect it will come out given enough time," Marty muttered looking up to study the ceiling. Donna frowned at her before following her gaze.

"looking for something?"

"Mmm, actually I was wondering if I could reach that gold leaf up there," Marty said eyes wandering around the room. She laughed surprised as Donna slapped her shoulder gently.

"You shouldn't steal," Donna chastised before smiling, "at least go for the cutlery, it's worth more." Marty raised her eyebrows.

"You and Ace would get on," Marty mused, Donna grinned.

"Who's Ace?" Marty laughed.

"An idiot."

"So you like him then?" Donna said slyly.

"Of course, it's hard not to – even if he is bossy," Marty said grinning.

"Oh that's nice, a perfect match for you then?"

"What? Wait no. We are not a match," Donna glanced down at Marty pants and shoes as if only just noticing them.

"Say, whose clothes are those?"

/

Beth peered around the corner at the large double doors.

"They lead to the main ballroom," Cake said helpfully leaning around Beth.

"You have a ballroom?" Amber said from her position behind them.

"You don't?"

"Don't start," Marco warned tugging at Beth's arm to pull her back from the corner, "so going through probably isn't the stealthiest idea."

"Idea's?" Ace asked glancing towards the door. Cake shrugged pointing to a larger than life portrait on the opposite wall.

"There's a secret passageway behind Grand pappy Arnolds painting, leading to the kitchens which are directly above the ballroom… What?" Cake snapped as everyone stared at her.

"How do you know about that – but have no clue about any of the other doors we went through?" Jake asked breaking the silence. Cake shrugged.

"It's another escape route for the family. Edgar showed it to me. You can get into one of the stable lofts from a door next to the kitchen's fireplace."

"Noted," Beth said, as Amber pulled her gaze from the painting.

"Edgar? That's your dad's assistant right? The portal dude?" Amber asked frowning. Cake bristled.

"Yes, your point?"

"No point," Amber said absently, drumming her fingers against the laptop as she gave the painting a suspicious look. Ace glanced from Amber to the painting.

"Is it safe?"

"It's in the Mayors house, created to aid the family's escape in a crisis. What do you think," Cake said rolling her eyes as she stalked over to the painting. She grabbed the edge of the painting, dragging it backwards to reveal a door shaped hole in the wall.

"So, no?" Ace said eyeing the doorway. Cake opened her mouth to retort then paused.

"There's a couple of patchy steps, and you should probably watch out for the giant holes rusted into the walls"

/

Ace glanced over his shoulder to the loud crash and swearing.

"'A couple of patchy steps'? You call this patchy!?" Amber screeched holding onto the floor with one hand as she held her laptop aloft and out of danger. She had fallen through to the point that the floor was now up to her armpits, "This is the shoddiest workman ship I've ever seen! You call this a Mansion!? You need your eyes checked!" Amber ranted as Jack carefully pulled her out. Cake sighed causing Beth to glance at her curiously.

"Never thought I would say this but I want to swap in Marty's destructive tendencies for her whining," Cake said crossing her arms. Beth snorted.

"You say that like you don't spend an hour doing your hair in the morning," Beth pointed out watching Ace kneel by the floors new hole.

"Who would you rather share a room with?" Cake asked raising her eyebrows.

"You ain't a mile jump better, also you snore and take up the showers," Beth pointed out. Cake raised her eyebrows as Amber told Ace she needed to walk beside him to feel safe now, "Point taken, but it's not much of a compliment."

"Shut up for a sec," Ace snapped drawing attention, "can't you hear that?"

"Last time someone said that Marty got carted off by thugs," Beth muttered, frowning. Muffled chatter drifted up from the hole Amber had knocked into the ceiling, "What's down there?" she asked climbing back down the staircase to peer over Ace's shoulder. Her eyes widened taking in the large room stretching on into the darkness. There were beams crisscrossing from one side to the other, everything was covered in cobwebs and dust.

"The kitchen is just round the next corner," Cake said walking up behind Beth, "Meaning we would be well over the Ballroom by now.

"Make sure to only walk and stand on the beams of wood," Marco cautioned as Ace lowered himself down. Amber blinked.

"Wait what – what are you doing," Amber snapped as Marco followed him, "You can just jump through the floor."

"How did you think we were getting from the kitchen to the ballroom?" Beth asked rolling her eyes as Cake dropped carefully through the hole to be caught by Marco.

"Through the fireplace," Cake snapped, her voice muffled. Beth blinked.

"Really," She asked sounding slightly disappointed.

"You sure as hell weren't going through my kitchen floor," Cake watched as Marco caught Beth before turning to follow Ace down the beam. He had knelt down and was studying the floor.

"Lend us your knife," Ace said holding out his hand without looking at her, Cake frowned.

"You've already got one, and what did I just tell Beth about going through my floors."

"Technically it's the ceiling, and it's your parents. Your knife is bigger than mine and Beth sharpened it recently," Ace said hand still out. Cake grumbled as she pulled the knife from her skirts.

"Fine but be careful," She snapped handing it over.

"When am I not," Ace said cheerfully as the knife slid through the ceiling panels like it was warm butter. Cake crossed her arms.

"Are we not counting all the times Marty and Beth blew things up on your watch?" Ace rolled his eyes.

"That was them not me," He argued moving the knife in an arc.

"Marty got sent over board and nearly died when you were supposed to be training her?"

"We got her back…"

"Not to mention I heard that you left the main storerooms door open during a storm. Apparently half of the ships supplies were lost."

"Hey, you should thank me for that. If that hadn't happened we wouldn't have boarded the smugglers and found you lot," Ace muttered hooking his fingers under the 270 degree arc he had cut, pulling upwards to reveal the ballroom, causing sound to flood the space around them.

"Is that the whole town," Beth said in wonder, shimming up the beam opposite Ace and Cake to peer through the hole.

"That's your whole town?" Amber said unimpressed.

"What the hell is going on here," Marco muttered, "I can see forty-five, no fifty guys who look to be hired thugs of some sort… Why are they separating that group of people?"

"Plus whoever's in those cages. Could be a gang or a crew," Ace pointed out, raking his eyes over the crowd.

"Can anyone see Marty?" Jack said above the towns chatter.

"Or my parents?" Cake added, kneeling beside Ace to gaze into the brightly lit room. Ace glared at the crowd. It would be so much easier to find Marty if she didn't cover her hair with that stupid frigging- Ace blinked… hat.

"Found her, she's in the larger group toward the end with the cages," Ace said leaning forward to get a better look.

"Who is she talking to?" Cake said curiously studying the woman next to her.

"Odds has it's someone she just met," Beth pointed out. Amber glanced around the group.

"Great now what?" Amber asked curiously, shifting the gear in her arms. Tilting her head to the side as everyone stared at her.

"Now what?" Beth repeated confused. Amber rolled her eyes.

"Yes good job Cabbage Patch, now what's the plan?"

"What plan," Polo asked confused, Amber looked between them.

"You mean you all came charging to this island into this mess without even having a plan?" Amber said surprised.

"What did we do to make you think we had a plan," Beth snorted in amusement.

"Me and Marco just followed the trail of crazy," Ace said waving to the group surrounding them. Marco grinned at Amber's stunned expression.

"You welcome to come up with a plan if you like," Marco offered, Amber shifted her load to one arm in order to face palm.

"This is insane, no wonder Marty seems so comfortable here," Amber grumbled, hugging the laptop to her chest to glare through the hole like it had offended her personally, "Fine, anyone know who the big boss on the throne thing is."

"Who?" Beth said confused.

"The guy with the massive nose on the massive chair in front of the cages," Amber said impatiently.

"Woah!"Ace grabbed Cake's waist pulling her back towards him as she threw herself forwards for a better look, "I thought we were being subtle, falling through the ceiling isn't subtle…"

"That's Edgar," Cake hissed confused.

"Edgar? The portal assistant Edgar?" Jack asked peering at the man.

"What's he doing on my father's ceremony chair," Cake glance up to see Ace and Marco exchange a glance, "What?"

"Coincidence or rebellion?" Marco asked shrugging.

"If I had to guess I would say the dude has staged a hostile takeover," Ace said glancing apologetically to Cake.

"Which explains all the off world tech sitting in the basement," Amber agreed frowning, "but why now? And why the town?"

"What do you mean? Is there a more appropriate time to overthrow a leader?" Beth asked curiously, raising her eyebrow's as Amber shot her a venomous look.

"Use your head you retard," Amber spat, "obviously the two bit assistant was using his position to hide all the tech head was acquiring – doesn't this world have some kind of higher military power?"

"Yeah, the Marines," Polo piped up.

"Black Market weapons become a lot harder to sell once you're in the spotlight. There is way too much gear lying around the storeroom, If that's all the people that live here, it's not being used solely to outfit this island. Obviously 'Edgar' has a client he's supplying weaponry to. Which will be a lot harder to do if the Marines hear about this takeover and put a spotlight on him."

"How on Earth do you know all this?" Ace asked impressed, Cake rolled her eyes as Amber battered her eyelashes at him.

"Marty went on a military kick a few years back, she didn't shut up about brands and supply numbers for months," Amber said sweetly, Beth laughed.

"Which means that's Marty's knowledge coming out of your mouth," Beth said shaking her head.

"It's kind of weird to think of Marty as intelligent," Marco said.

"Massive difference between common-sense, maturity and intelligence. Marty's smart, she just has the maturity level of a twelve year old," Amber muttered, "Anyway the point is something's happened that we don't know about."

"She's right look at the crowd, they are being led one by one into that side room," Jake pointed out.

"They're looking for something," Ace said suddenly.

"Yeah but what?" Cake snapped.

"Maybe one of the townspeople found and stole tech?" Beth suggested. Ace shrugged, glancing back at Marty just as she tipped her head back making her face visible. Ace frowned, confused for a second before he froze. Cake blinked glancing at Ace as he went rigid next to her.

"What?" Cake asked confused, Beth glanced from Ace to Marty, glimpsing her face before she turned back to talk to an old woman. Beth swore, causing Marco to glance at her concerned.

"There's blood on Marty's face," Beth snapped, "Someone's going to die."

"With her track record it might not be hers," Polo pointed out.

"Someone decide what we're doing in the next minute or I'm jumping through the ceiling," Ace warned.

"ENOUGH – THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!" the group looked at one another confused before leaning forward to search for the source of the screeching. The man who Ace supposed was Edgar was now on his feet and bright red in the face, "ITS STILL HERE," the townspeople had fallen silent making Edgar seem even louder than he was, "SOMEONE KNOW'S WERE IT IS –SOMEONE HAS IT! NO ONE WILL BE LEAVING TILL IT'S FOUND."

"Ace was right, go figure," Polo said in a hushed voice, Ace glanced at him frowning.

"What do you mean go figure?"

"Urh…"

"NO ONE SHALL EAT. NO ONE SHALL LEAVE. SOME ONE WILL TALK!"

"What a prima donna," Marco said shaking his head.

"IF NO ONE TALKS BY SUNDOWN, YOU WILL BE QUESTIONED AGAIN, ONE BY ONE. THIS TIME WE WILL BE USING MUCH MORE FORCEFUL METHODS!" this announcement was met by the town peoples complete, and utter silence. For a few seconds.

"Why's it so important- I mean it's expensive but there's others right?"

"WHO SAID THAT!" Edgar screeched whipping his head back and forth.

"Keep your mouth shut," Polo prayed.

"Yo," Marty stuck up her hand, looking up towards Edgar so that the group could see the determined look on her face, marred only slightly by blood and a newly forming bruise that made Jack hiss in sympathy.

"When I found out who gave her that…" Jack muttered darkly.

"You can't seem to hold you tongue can you street whore, I would have thought you would have learnt a lesson from last time," Edgar spat.

"Why would I do something so boring?"

"I am a powerful man you delusional slut – I deserve respect. Which you will treat me with such if you don't what to be the first one on the slab for questioning."

"Respect? I just asked a question. What's got your panties in a twist?"

"It's weird to see someone else getting the brunt of her attitude," Marco said amused glancing at Ace who grinned.

"How dare you! You will respect me!"

"Yeah that'll happen."

"You will!"

"She needs to be careful, that guys nuts. You can practically smell crazy on him," Jack said with a chuckle.

"Probably won't. We are getting off point – why are you throwing a tantrum over this fruits disappearance." Ace and Marco shared a glance.

"Fruit? He's looking for fruit?" Amber said confused, "What would he want with fruit?"

"That is not your concern!"

"It really is."

"ENOUGH – HOLD YOUR TOUGNE OR YOU WILL BE PUNISHED!" Marty threw her head back and laughed.

"What you gonna hit me again? Charlene hits way harder than you ever will," Ace's eyes widened, flicking to Edgar.

"and he a dead man," Polo sighed glancing between the murderous looks on Ace, Beth and Jack's face's.

"I hit harder than Edgar?" Cake said sounding slightly flattered. Edgar seemed to struggled for a moment, so furious that no words came out.

"BRING HER HERE!" Edgar screeched. Two large men broke off from the pack and headed towards Marty as she turned to the woman beside her. The woman grabbed Marty's arm as she moved to walk towards the men. Marty pulled her hat off transferring it to the ladies head before pulling her arm away. Marty said something that none of the group could hear before she headed towards the men.

"Get ready to move – is anyone against or wouldn't be able to handle jumping through the ceiling?" Marco asked watching the Thugs grab the purple haired girl.

"Right here" Amber said sticking up her free hand. Beth frowned tipping her head to the side as she measured the distance with her eyes.

"Mmm, it's not the fall, but I'm slightly against the sudden stop. The ceilings what, eight meters high Cake?"

"Eight point five, and for heaven's sake call me Charlene," Cake muttered stalking over to Jack, "I'll need a lift down." Beth laughed looking back through the hole.

"Jumping might be fun," Beth reasoned as Marco grabbed her arm.

"Yeah, no." Marco said tiredly as he grabbed Ace with his other hand to stop him lunging through the ceiling prematurely, as thug one and two threw Marty forward onto the platform. Edgar stood above her with raised arms.

"Let this be a lesson, I shall not be taken for a fool."

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt," Marty said calmly, as she began pushing herself to her feet. Edgar flinched dropping his arms. He took a step forward, kicking his leg out he slammed his foot into Marty's stomach. Stepping forward as Marty dropped to the ground, arms wrapped around her middle, Edgar began to repeatedly smash his heel into her shoulder.

"Hell," Marco gasped in fury, barely noticing as Ace threw himself forward.

"We're going," Beth growled, winding an arm around Marcos neck, she pulled one of her guns free from its holster. Marco scooped her up without a word, and jumped through the large Ace shaped hole now burnt into the ceiling

/

All ze pieces are gathered for ze fight – BURN BABY BURN

Also I really want to thank anyone who has taken the time to review my story – you have no idea how much it means to me – it really makes my day – and then my week. You are all amazing!

Ps - for those not on the metric scale 8.5 meters = 27.887 feet XD

(also I apologise for the next chapter which I have already written – shit shall hit that fan)