The Remedy

by Tresdem

Luffy has been in a coma for five years and the group is nearing the end of their financial and emotional rope. Is the shared love of a single boy enough to keep them going-or will they go their separate ways, drifting apart for once and for all like they threatened to do all those years ago?

21. You don't know how to let it go

A/N: The second part of Chp. 20

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You don't know how to let it go

Vivi folds her hands in front of her and catches Laki's eyes. "I'm not sure… But I think we need to talk."

Laki looks away and for a moment Vivi isn't sure if she'll acquiesce, but finally her shoulders slump and she tucks a strand of hair over her ear.

"I guess we should." She doesn't seem to look forward to it, but honestly, neither is Vivi. Laki straightens and gestures to the forest. "Would you like to take a walk?"

"Ah…" She…doesn't, as it happens. She would rather sit down. But if Laki preferred privacy to tell her story, a walk was no impossible task. Perhaps they could compromise and sit on the bank at a comfortable distance.

"Or we can take the cart," Laki says. "It is a hot day."

"Yes, I agree," Vivi says, relieved. Whatever terrible things she will hear will be that much easier to deal with while sitting down and feeling a faint breeze on her face.

In order to get to the cart, parked on the very end of the packed dirt road, they have to pass the Shandians. They fall silent as Vivi draws near and she can feel their eyes on her. They say nothing, though, and she pretends not to notice. She can't help but notice, however, when Dalton struggles to rise to his feet saying:

"I'll come with you."

"Dalton…" Laki murmurs and for a moment they share a look. There is a conversation there that Vivi can't read, and perhaps isn't meant to. So she continues forward and sits in the golf cart gratefully. She could use some water right now, but is content to go thirsty if she can only get some answers. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees the larger man help Dalton to his feet while Kamakiri holds up the crutch for him to grab. They really are quite fond of one another it seems. Almost as if something beyond the Shandian duty to zoans binds them together.

Mr. Dalton situates himself in the back of the cart, the weight shifting with his presence and Laki takes the driver's seat. She's a tall woman and it's difficult, but she never loses her sense of dignity or grace as she idles the engine gently until it turns over and then eases them down the road. There is silence. Laki's face is closed and her eyes straight ahead. She seems calm but her willowy hands are clenched against the wheel.

"I'm sure you have some questions for Dalton," Laki says in a smooth voice. "Perhaps you should ask him first."

"Yes…" Vivi doesn't know why Laki insists, but she has no objection to doing it either. Perhaps Laki just needs some time to prepare herself. She twists in the seat to look back at the man who regards her with dark eyes, his shoulders hunched as if bracing himself. She wants to ask about his…origin, she supposes, but no. She reminds herself. Before any of that, since it will be a long and difficult road…

"How can we enter the Oklahoma Tournament?"

He blinks, as if not expecting the question and even Laki looks at her. Well it is an important question after all, and she refuses to let it go by or forget.

"It's uh— invite only, and you have to be part of a stable…"

"Oh, I see…" That could be problematic. Invites aside, an official stable could take up to a year to establish since they had to prove themselves and pay a certain sum, as well as wrestle through a veritable mountain of paperwork. She and Igaram had looked into doing this before but it had never seemed worth it until now. Still, she'll note it and worry about it later.

She hesitates before asking the next question. It's certainly far more personal and— well—even if Mr. Dalton is as sane as anyone, the process of becoming a zoan is far from easy. It's deeply painful, as Pell had told her once. Like having your entire body ripped apart and sewn back together again. Becoming a zoan away from a tradition and culture which revered such people as the guardians they were… to have no other purpose but just exist…

…Still she must know.

"Mr. Dalton…" and then…it occurs to her that…perhaps… "…You aren't from Alabasta, are you?" because she could be wrong and if she was assuming otherwise then…

"No…" he smiles, faintly. "I'm from a small town in British Columbia. You probably haven't heard of it."

"No… I'm not familiar." That was… Canada wasn't it? Yes. The western territories. He has come a long way from there. "I… well…" she folds her hands on her lap, twisting her thumbs against one another, but keeps her shoulders straight even as she bows her head. "First I wish to apologize."

"Apologize? You did nothing wrong," he says and Laki's hands twitch over the wheel. Vivi pretends not to notice and instead fixes Dalton with a faint smile of her own.

"My people— my family— have been guarding the Devil's Seeds for generations. It is because of us that… that you are…" she hesitates, trying to think of the best way to put this. "That… that you have…suffered- have become…"

"A zoan?" The polite smile doesn't leave his face, and though his expression seems distant, he doesn't at least appear offended. She nods.

"That's very kind," he says. "But it's not necessary. Unlike the other poor bastards out there, I volunteered."

"Volunteered?" she echoes, even if she really wants to ask about the other more. Poor bastards? How many of them were there? She hasn't seen… Other than that Jaguar man… But she wants to hear his story first so she tries not to fidget. She thinks she sees movement in the trees, a shadowy figure perhaps, but before she can make it out, Dalton speaks.

"I used to work as head of security for a certain pharmaceutical company. They'd always been good to me and when they asked for volunteers, I was the first to sign up…" His public smile became thin and bitter. "That was before they became corrupt."

"How…long ago was this? When…you ah…became a zoan?" Vivi asks. She knows that's not really the cue she should pick up on. Asking about the corruption would be more appropriate but if… if it's within a certain time frame then perhaps she can use it as another piece of evidence against Crocodile.

"About six years ago."

"Oh I see." Not Crocodile's doing then. Whose? It doesn't matter. Not right now. She tells herself it doesn't but already her mind is becoming poisoned with the curiosity of it. Another person to go after perhaps. She forces herself to ask instead:

"How did you end up here?"

That question made his smile disappear completely, and he looked out into the forest, face dappled with light and shade. They pass another dinosaur but Vivi didn't have the presence of mind to identify it.

"After the…disaster…I discovered that the company had stopped any pretense of using volunteers." He sighed heavily and pushed a hand through his hair. "No, that's not fair, I suppose I'd always known it."

"Dalton, there is no way you could have known…" Laki says and Vivi is faintly surprised to hear her speak up.

"You weren't there… I had every opportunity—" he stops and shakes his head. Vivi has a feeling this is an old argument. Though she doesn't particularly care whether he'd known or not. What did he mean? They stopped using volunteers so…who did they use? People off the streets? Unfortunate employees? Coerced or otherwise? She supposes the details don't really matter in this situation, whatever the truth is, it's horrible.

"Either way," Dalton says. "I wanted to…see if there were others out there and I found them." His face goes dark. "In arenas. In some private zoos owned by the wealthy. Scraping by at a sham of a life." He shakes his head again. "Most of them wouldn't even speak to me. Many of them couldn't. All of them were broken in one way or another."

Laki makes a disgusted noise and Vivi can't help but agree with her. That— How could people treat them that way? How could they abuse the sacred flower of her people that way? Why were people like this? Why was the world like this? Vivi twists her fingers together, takes a deep breath, and lets it out through her nose, trying to calm herself. Getting angry will solve nothing.

"I wanted to get them out I— I wanted a new life for them." He swallows, focused on the trees, these words obviously painful for him. "They could have been byproducts from that damn company— but even if they weren't… no one should have to live like that."

He goes silent, jaw working, the hand against his head clenched into a fist before he rubs his thumb against his temple, perhaps in an effort to calm down. She has a strange compulsion to touch his massive shoulder—perhaps offer comfort, but she's not sure how it would be taken…or even if it would be accepted. …But…something was bothering her about this.

"Forgive me…" she says hesitantly. "It's…not that I disbelieve you but… we— I have been on the circuit for a few years now and have only seen one zoan."

"They go where the big money is," Laki says, her voice stone. "The pro circuits usually. The big crowds. People will pay a lot to watch zoans fight… They're a high commodity on the market which is why men like Buggy." She spits the name. "Will do anything to get them."

"I see…" Another horrible thing to learn. But it would explain why he had been after Shushu for so long. Vivi clenches her fingers together and tries to put it out of her mind for now. She will come back to that later.

"Please continue, Mr. Dalton. I apologize for interrupting," she murmurs. He shakes his head.

"It's nothing… there's…not really much more to tell. I did a few raids here and there but alone—" he makes an empty gesture. " And then three years ago I decided to make one last desperate dive by hitting the Tulsa Circuit and— failed." He closes his eyes briefly. "I'm surprised I lived through it. But I did and somehow ended up here…" He opens his eyes again and looks out at the forest. They are going on the road Boodle passed on the drive down and Vivi can see the clawed feet of the tyrannosaur.

"Somehow that little dog found me before I bled out and…the owner rescued me…" he murmurs. Vivi remembers the headstone. The sad triceratops. What a good man and what a hard time for Dalton to have gone through.

"I told him everything—" He gives a self depreciating laugh. "Well I was an ox and then a man so I had to. But that guy…" Dalton shakes his head. "He was just as appalled. Said he would help me. That this place could be a sanctuary for other zoans. That we could help them here."

What a good hearted man. Both of them. It would be a wonderful place of refuge. It's quite beautiful and, it seems, away from civilization. Who would come look for them here? They could live their lives in peace. Though…having seen no zoans, Vivi supposes it didn't work out.

"But you need backing for this sort of thing. Funding. I was still on my own until…" his shoulders slump a little. "Until a certain man approached me. He'd heard of what I was trying to do, he'd said. Thought it was admirable. Said he could help me so long as I help him. Run a feeder event for him, do the beginner tournaments to lure the young people in, and he'd rescue zoans for me."

"And…did he?" Vivi asks, feeling a knot of apprehension. Dalton's smile twists on one side which doesn't do much to ease her mind.

"Yes. I run his events. Send young stupid kids into this hell of a life to save the few who have no lives and no opportunity. He sends them here, Laki and the others bring them to safe house on the border and his men there take them to freedom in… Takes them to freedom." Dalton swallows again. "I regret it. I hate it. But I won't stop."

"We all do what we can," Laki says softly. "You do more than most and better than me. Don't be so hard on yourself…"

The man he is speaking of. This mysterious benefactor who seems like such a blessing but turns out to be a curse. Is he— Can he mean— Vivi doesn't want to know but she needs to, even though it seems as if the water is just getting higher. Her heart is a dry, twisted thing, thudding in her throat.

"Was— This man… was…who was he?"

"Crocodile," Laki says with even more hate than she'd said Buggy's name. Vivi feels her stomach knot and she bites her lip. "The one who stole our beloved bell."

"Crocodile did—?" she repeats shocked. Then is horrified. Then livid. She should have known he would have. She should have known he was behind it. Who else would it have been? Why the bell? What could he want with it? It was a sacred object of the Alabastan people with nothing to do with him! Her hands shake but she fights to suppress them from doing so.

"Of course he did! He tried to make it seem like the King did it but despite the fact that our king abandoned us, forgot us, is slowly letting that bastard seep our homeland dry because he's too busy living it up like some Hollywood—"

"That's not true!" Vivi blurts out. "It's not! He cares for Alabasta! Crocodile is the one who is manipulating everything! My father loves Alabasta without question!"

"Oh? And where is he now?" Laki says. "Is he in this Alabasta that he loves so much?"

"He is sending money!" Vivi says, fighting to keep the rage from her voice. "He left so that Alabasta would be able to grow stronger under a new form of government! A modern one! In the meantime he is building a foundation for Alabasta's future!"

"You sound like a propoganda poster," Laki says and Vivi wants to slap her for that. But she reigns it in. No matter what Laki thinks, she is a citizen. She is a Shandain. No. A Shandian of Alabasta. The subjects have the right to feel any way they choose about their king. If they dislike him it is only because they view him as inefficient, and in that way he is, at least in the way of public communications; especially when that man is sitting in her country and ruining everything for his own personal gain.

"Laki, please…" Dalton says, and his plea mollifies Vivi somewhat as she fights for control, tasting copper on her tongue. Laki sighs. Resumes driving. Vivi wasn't even aware they had stopped.

"If you say that Crocodile is manipulating the truth, I almost believe you," she says, sounding tired. "Two years ago, after a long search, we found him, fought him, my husband, two of my brothers and my dear sister died in the attempt."

"I'm sorry," Vivi says, rage and sorrow mixing within her. It's so hard. The water is only rising. She can hear her own pulse in her ears.

"He said that we could have the bell back. But only if we bought it back ourselves and he had the perfect way to do it." She purses her lips and then: "We tried to— find other ways. To seek help in Alabasta. In Shandia. But we were gone too long and no one would believe us. He told us that if we continued to do that— and if we refused to do what he said— he would have us jailed for being illegal immigrants…or the transportation of illegal substances."

"Illegal substances?" She doesn't want to know. She does not. But she asks because she can't not.

"Devil's Seeds."

It was what she thought then. Exactly… But wait…

"But…if…if he is transporting Devil's Seeds then…"

"It's a pointless venture," Mr. Dalton says. Laki winces and Vivi looks back to see that he is looking down now. The rigid tension is gone and now he is just slumped there, looking small despite his large heavy frame. "We send our beloved zoans down, hoping that they will get to Alabasta safely… then bring up Devil's Seeds to make more. It's no excuse… but… what can I do? Not fight at all?" He rests his large hands in his lap, looking so lost that Vivi has to look away to keep her own tears from springing up. Laki is wiping at her eyes, but her expression is granite.

"Just once," Dalton murmurs. "I'd like to work for a good man."

It's so— it's all so— How can she— What can she do? She sits straight and stares ahead, resisting the temptation to bury her head in her hands. She wants to. She wants to do a million things but she doesn't know what to do at all. It's all so much rage and pain. The zoans that are suffering— have been suffering. Laki and her small family. Both of them struggling, failing, trying… and what can she do? How can she stop it? She must stop it. No one else can…

But right now all she has really are Zoro, Luffy and Sanji— that's barely enough to cover one arena let alone— all the ones that zoans may be in. And getting back the bell—of course she must. It is not only important to Alabastan and Shandain heritage, it's important to Laki and Aisa and all those here and all they lost. She must speak to Koza and all those hot blooded young men who are fighting for a man who only means to do them harm and betray them. She must stop the trade of Devil's Seeds somehow… And Aisa…hadn't she said that Father is doing bad things? What had she meant by that? What new horrible thing is on the horizon?

"Thank you," Laki says into the silence and Vivi glances at her, about to ask why, but the woman continues. "I didn't expect you to save Aisa. …I didn't know what to expect. But you did…and Shushu, too." A very faint smile appears at the corner of her mouth. "You and your friends helped all of us in fact."

"It was a godsend," Mr Dalton murmurs.

"No, please," Vivi holds up her hands. "It was nothing spectacular. It was the only thing to do given the circumstances."

"Not the only thing…" Laki says. "But you're a brave person…and a very stupid one."

Vivi blinks at the last, taken aback by the suddenness of it. Did she offend somehow? No it wasn't anything like that… So what?

"I'm sorry?"

They come to a small circular clearing. Laki puts the golf cart in park, then rests her hands on the wheel. Behind them, Mr. Dalton is looking as somber as ever and Vivi feels something coming. Another strike. How many more will there be? Will she have to endure?

"Don't you understand, Princess? This is a trap," Laki says. Vivi reels back, at first she doesn't think she heard the woman right, and then surges upward, stopping just short of banging her head on the underside of the cart.

"What?!" Oh no. Luffy, Nami and the others… they have no idea! She has to… But before she can go anywhere, the undergrowth rattles around her and more Shandians appear, camoflauged and holding guns. Vivi clenches her hands into fists and she wildly considers bolting past them. She may get shot— but as long as it's not fatally… and the others must know! But no— no before something careless, she must examine all her options.

"Please," she says, as Laki gets out of the cart on the other side, Dalton looks away. "Please, Luffy and the others have nothing to do with this! They have only helped and if you-"

"I know." Laki paces to stand in front of her, arms folded. "I don't plan to involve them."

Vivi relaxes, but only a little. She is here and they are not. There are a lot of guns but..Laki is not unsympathetic, so perhaps she can speak her way out of it. But…what can she say? They already know how horrible that man is. Laki dislikes Father for reasons Vivi can't fix at the moment. What can she do?

"Why?" she says. No matter the outcome, she must know the reason.

"Crocodile knew you were coming this way," Laki says. "He told us if we caught you—dead or alive— He'd let us go."

How did—?

Nico Robin.

Of course. She had told them not to go to the Oklahoma tournament, and so they went, right into a trap. It was stupid. She was stupid. How could she have not realized that?

"Laki, that's not the whole story," Dalton says, coming to stand as well. He leaves his crutch behind, instead bracing himself against the cart.

"It is," Laki says in a hard voice. "Don't—"

"He said," Dalton says. "That if we didn't capture you-"

"Dalton!"

"—He would destroy this place," Dalton says. Laki makes an angry noise but says nothing more. Of course he did. And of course he would. Vivi doesn't have enough left in her to become angry at this fresh injustice. She is only tired and a little afraid.

"I see…" she says, because what else can she say. "You already told him I'm here?" Because if not, it would still give some time for Luffy and the others to get away and— but Laki nods. Of course she called him. Of course he would send people after them. Of course the world would fall apart like this.

Laki sighs and raises a hand, then lowers it. The Shandians make surprised noises and one of them says her name. Laki gives them a hard look, and the guns lower. Vivi blinks.

"But you saved my Aisa," Laki says. "So I'll let you decide whether or not to be captured."

And now Vivi sees why Dalton spoke and why Laki was angry with him. If it was just a case of Crocodile letting them go, Vivi might have considered against it. But to know this place was at risk…. Dalton's sanctuary. Boodle's and Shushu's home. The owner's dream. Even Aisa loved it here. How could Vivi put that at risk?

"How long do I have to think?" Vivi says, trying not to sound as numbed as she feels.

"We called last night," Laki says. "There's a contingent of billions not to far from here but they'll have to have time to mobilize so probably… tomorrow afternoon?"

She nods. So tomorrow morning then… But if Laki is telling the truth, it meant they had, intentionally or not, given her two days to recover and she couldn't help but be grateful for that. That…and this choice which was no small thing.

"Thank you," she murmurs. But Laki just shakes her head.

"I'm the one who should be thanking you."

There is no cause to be thanking her yet… or even at all, no matter what Vivi decides. It won't solve the problem…but may perhaps ease it? She doesn't know and can't be sure. Either way, she accepts the woman having the last word with a grateful nod. Then heads back to the lake front on foot. There is much to think about.

xXxXx

It's strange… Vivi thought she would be angrier than this. Sadder than this. Afraid, even. But even with the choice unmade and so much hanging in the balance, the most she feels is…nothing. More than nothing. Apart. It's as if she's two beings, body and mind. The body is easy, transport and shield. She can feel herself smiling politely, hear her own voice, even, soothing, deflecting questions diplomatically until Nami's eyes grow hard and she stops giving her that pressing, probing look. Her hands don't shake and her shoulders don't tense. Even the Shandians, who must know what had occurred, seemed to have relaxed.

Vivi watches them, her back to the darkened window. They are sitting around the worn sofa, watching some football game—soccer, she absently corrects herself. Usopp is with them and cheering with them. Whenever he cheers, so does Luffy who is sitting at a rickety card table with Aisa as they draw pirate flags and ships, mermaids and monsters, all kinds of fantastical beasts. Nami has gone to shower. Dalton has retired to rest, the poor man, and Laki is sitting by the island in the kitchen, sipping a cup of tea and looking out into space. She will not meet Vivi's eyes for very long and Vivi cannot meet hers. Instead she looks past here where Sanji is clattering in the kitchen, doing dishes even if everyone had protested, though not for long.

It's all so…normal. The world is spinning still and everyone spinning with it. Even Vivi is in body, offering a small apologetic smile and looking away politely as Sanji seems to notice her staring. Her mind however…is filled with haze. The Decision exists there, like a large stone, pulling the fabric of her mind toward it but— like a stone the most she can do is stare at it. Acknowledge it. But she has no tools with which to work it and her hands alone are not enough. Even the old rote is ineffective. What is the easy way? What is the hard way? What does it matter when both ways seem impossibly hard?

She doesn't want to be captured. She's afraid of it. Afraid of what may happen. What he might do. What might come of it. She can barely even trust the man to keep his word… but if she doesn't… this place will be destroyed. It's… on terms of just what is to be seen, this place is nothing but an old house and some wooden statues. If it is destroyed, Shushu will miss it surely. As will Mr. Boodle, Aisa, Dalton, Laki, the other Shandians. Ten people right in front of her.

If she were captured, however. If Crocodile had his jeweled grip on her, thousands of people could be in danger— though to what ultimate end, even she can't be sure. Perhaps he will let them keep their homes. They are poor, yes, but it isn't as if he can destroy them without losing a substantial economic base, not to mention propagation of the Devil's Seeds… But they will suffer undoubtedly…
And whatever course she took, in the end there were those that were going to suffer from those seeds.
The zoans that Mr. Dalton tried to help. How wide was that problem? How far had the seeds spread? What could stop them? Who could stop them? What could be done? Even if she were to find a way, she certainly wouldn't be able to implement it if she was his captive. Still—her hands may be tied regardless.

Also this place… as simple as it may appear… it means so much to those that live here. For Mr. Dalton who has lost so much…how can she ask him to lose more? And what if they suffer further? Vivi has no doubt that Crocodile is a capricious man. He could stop Dalton's program altogether. He could melt down the sacred bell. The Voice of God. The glory of Alabasta and pride of Shandia. What would Laki have to return to after?

There are so many questions. So many ends she can't know. The rock is large and her hands are too small to even grip it properly. But she must. She has to find some form. Some solution. Some shape in this. By tomorrow morning. How…

"Miss Vivi?" Sanji says, and even though she can see him standing right next to her, it takes her a moment to tug herself back into herself so that she can look up at him, public smile, as always, tugging at the corners of her weary cheeks.

"Yes?" she says, wishing he would go away. Wishing they all would and that time would slow down until she could hammer something in place. Something definite. Something secure. But it certainly would be rude to say so and they have helped her so much, unforgivable to even think it. But… he is speaking again so she must pay attention.

"…need help with something outside," he says. "Care to give me a hand?"

"Oh…yes of course…" she says so absently, binding herself to it, but…whatever he needs help with can't be too terribly exhausting— and when it is done, she can retire herself and just lie in the darkness without having to smile at anyone. She rises and follows him to the door, blinking as she has to navigate around Zoro's legs from where he's stretched them out, back against the wall, fast asleep with the swords propped up beside him.

"Shitty lump," Sanji mutters, but Zoro doesn't wake and Sanji says no more. Vivi comes up quickly behind him, just in case, trying to urge him out the door into the night. It's balmy, but not unbearably so, and when she closes the door behind her it's dark enough to see the stars without much trouble, even the faint ghostly strands of the milky way. There are fireflies, too, winking in and out of the darkness between the trees and a bullfrog croaks somewhere nearby.

Sanji bows his head, and she hears the snik of a lighter and sees the brief muted red of light through his fingers before he lifts his head and blows smoke skyward. It occurs to her that perhaps he's not in need of any help at all. She folds her hands in front of her and waits.

"It's a shitty choice to have to make," he says and she wonders what he means and then…

"You know?" And then since that may be ambiguous, adds: "What Laki and Mr. Dalton…"

"Yeah, I heard." He looks at her though his expression is hard to read in the darkness. "I didn't mean to spy on you but this Crocodile seems like a cagey asshole— so I wanted to make sure you didn't get hurt."

"Thank you," she says, for being there…for not attacking them when the guns were brought out. Finding out that he knows, though, something shifts. She wants to take it back for herself. It's not his problem, nor should it be.

"But it's nothing," she continues, holding up her hands. "Please don't concern yourself."

"I damn well will concern myself," Sanji says and Vivi bites the inside of her lip. It's not that she doesn't appreciate their concern but—

"Mr. Sanji…"

"Miss Vivi, I don't understand the full shitty situation and I'm not here to tell you what's right or wrong—" He sighs and takes a drag of his cigarette before continuing. "…but you're not alone, alright? We're here for you, whatever you decide."

"Thank you, Mr. Sanji. I'll remember that." Though utilizing it… It's not that she doesn't want their help, but in such an impossible situation how can she dare ask it? It's one thing to fight in a circuit where there are some rules at least. But here…there are no rules, just doing what you can, facing forces so large she can't even wrap her head around it.

Sanji finishes the cigarette and grinds it out under his heel before sliding the stub back into the pack.

"I'm going back in," he says. "Do you need anything?"

"No, thank you, I'm fine. I think I'm going to stay out here for a while."

"Alright," he says, and seems to want to say more, but doesn't— just turns and goes back in. The moment the door shuts, Vivi relaxes, letting out a soft breath as she passes both hands through her hair, scrubbing her fingers through the back of it. Horrible decision or not, it's one that has to be made.

She crosses her arms low over her stomach and leans against the wall. This building is without support posts and it seems strange to her suddenly, all that flat space, rising up, facing the wind head on. It wouldn't take much to tear it down. The thought sours her stomach and she tries to press it from her mind.

Because there is only one solution. She must go through with it. If she wants to protect everything, preserve everything, their home, her friends, she must. As for the others, all she has to do is to send them to Pell, with a note explaining the circumstances. In code of course so he would believe it. Though Karoo could find him easily and that he was comfortable with Luffy and the others would be proof enough.

Then they could even go on to Koza. Once they told him of her —of her capture, willingly or not, surely he would see Crocodile's true intentions—as well as whatever other crimes Pell had managed to dig up in the interim. It wasn't…the ideal solution but…it was the right one. Royalty was sacrifice— isn't that what Father always said? Sacrifice and sacrifice and sacrifice…

xXxXx

Now she is tired and her eyes burn. She hugs herself and watches absently as Sanji and Zoro load the suitcases into the trunk with quick efficiency. Including hers. She wonders if the Billions would have let her take it with her in any case. Hostages certainly didn't bring their own changes in clothes, right? Luffy, Usopp and Aisa were three sets of legs under the car as Usopp checked for devices, Aisa holding the flashlight, and Luffy…helping in whatever capacity he was actually helpful. The straw hat sat on his knees, she supposed, to keep it safe. He shifts and it flops off, caught by a faint wind and flops over again before Nami picks it up, dusts off the crown and puts it back where it belongs.
The orange haired woman looks at her, but says nothing. It's as if she knows. But how can she?
Dalton and Laki are standing just outside the door as they are, watching her, not watching her, waiting for her to speak. Vivi shifts her hands under Karoo. The duck is bleary eyed, feathers fluffed up as if warding himself against the cold. She will miss him, too. The letter for Pell is in the little pouch at his side and if he thinks anything is strange about being given a letter to carry after so long, he shows no sign of it. She will miss him… but she will certainly see him again—she must remain positive on that.

Luffy and Aisa are grinning at something as the three emerge from under the car, probably the smudge of grease on Usopp's nose that he wipes away with a cloth before doing the same to his hands. Now is the time to tell them, before they get too far along. Vivi closes her eyes, reminding herself of the precise wording, telling the nerves fluttering in the lining of her stomach to calm down, before taking a deep breath and opening her eyes again. Everything seems brighter somehow. Packed with meaning. She snuggles Karoo against her, steadying herself.

"Everyone…" she starts, but her voice is too soft and only Nami looks at her. She doesn't want to try again. She doesn't want to make this decision. She wants to tell them all to fight and for one daring moment, she considers saying so, imagining herself like a war leader giving an impassioned speech. But no. This will not be a war. This will be a massacre. She is not so selfish as to allow that to happen, though she almost faintly wishes she was and can't help but feel a pang of guilt at the thought.
A warm hand on her shoulder pulls her out of it. She looks back, Nami's name on her lips until she sees it's Laki. The woman is watching her, dark eyes unreadable, and Vivi's eyes sting. She places her hand over the older woman's, feeling the warmth there, trying to take courage from it to do what she must. To that end, she hands Karoo to her, so that she may fold her hands in front of herself and look the part of regal princess. Of one who is confident. Poised. Chin up, as Terracotta says, even if you don't feel it, you must show it… and so she does, hands clasped, chin up, looking down at them in the vibrant misty morning.

"Everyone," she says again and they all look at her.

"Thank you for everything you've done for me," she says, head up, shoulders straight, feeling the part of herself that is herself shake loose and the armor of princess slide in place just under her ribs.

"I couldn't ask for a better group of companions. You have sheltered me and gave me hope where I thought there was none. But now I must ask once again for your assistance."

"It better not be for anything stupid," Nami says. She has her arms folded, looking almost casual, but her eyes are hard as diamonds and Vivi feels they could cut through her if she wasn't annoyed by the interruption. No, she can't afford to be annoyed. A princess wouldn't be annoyed. A princess would be gracious and brush that aside, especially as Nami doesn't understand, but once she does…

Please don't understand, a part of Vivi says and she mentally shakes that away, along with the visions that had plagued her all night. Of handcuffs and worse. Of seeing that man gloating. Of… of watching too many late night movies with the other girls. Don't hit her where they can see. But if that is her lot, that is her lot, and she looks to Aisa now, the girl standing there, unmarked, chewing on a honey stick with her baseball cap on backwards. Her father is dead but she is still alive. Her home will be saved and if Vivi is successful, she may return to the land she was born in. Alabasta. Shandia. Home of the river and the morning. She builds herself up again.

"Due to…" She must be careful here. She doesn't wish to implicate Dalton or Laki. Especially not in front of Aisa or the others. It would only complicate matters. "…circumstances which have come up… I have…" she clears her throat, twists her head high and looks at some part of the trees. The mist is tinged yellow, now, the sun starting to come up.

"I have… decided to give myself as a hostage to Crocodile." The words are easier to say than she thought they would be, even said in a rush as they are, but drop like a stone into the morning. Silence for a moment and then:

"Kweh?!" at the same time Aisa says.

"You can't do that, Miss Vivi! That'll be really bad!"

Except for Sanji cursing quietly, the others are silent. Zoro and Luffy even seem impassive about it. Though with the straw hat shading Luffy's eyes, it's impossible to tell his real expression. Vivi wonders at this but then decides that Sanji must have told them. Well— that was alright. She would rather have herself- but never mind.

"You better have a damned good reason for even saying something like that," Nami says, and the line of her shoulders are rigid.

"Of course I do," she says, but softer than she'd like. So she speaks from the diaphragm again though it's beginning to feel worn by now. Every part of her as tense and raw as a wire. "Don't imagine I'm doing this lightly. I've given it a lot of thought and I will tell you presently." But what to do should come first. It was the most important that this be clear and unclouded…relatively unclouded by emotion.

"I need you to follow Karoo, he will guide you to Pell, one of the loyal retainers of Alabasta. To help this I've given Karoo a letter so that he won't mistake you for kidnappers. Then you must stay with Pell until he is able to locate Koza. After which—"

"No way," Luffy says. His voice hits her like a dash of cold water.

"Excuse me?" she says, feeling as if she's out of breath. "Why not?" It's not— the end of the world, she supposes. She can ask one of the others to do it. But that Luffy says such a thing, of all people, she can't help but feel a little betrayed.

"I don't care about that stuff," he says standing, brushing off the back of his jean shorts casually as if this is just a conversation about the weather. He doesn't care? What does he mean he doesn't care? After all this time! Everything they've gone through! All the hopes that she had—

No. No he must mean something different. He must. She refuses to believe that this boy…who everyone had so much faith in—would actually be so callous. Blunt, yes. Perhaps… a little more foolhardy than most but she believes in him. Just as father believed in Crocodile, says a nasty small voice inside her and she pushes it away. She will not grow paranoid. Instead she straightens until she feels her spine is going to crack and says in the most level voice she can manage:

"Please, explain yourself."

"If you give yourself to Crocodile I'm going to kick your ass."

That was— Why would he even say— She clenches her teeth. He has a fist raised and everything. As if he's serious about this. Serious. About this. When so much is at stake. When lives are—
No. He doesn't understand. Of course not. She realizes her hands are clenched into rock like fists and forces her palms to lay flat, trembling against her shorts but that's fine. Her whole body is shaking so hard she's surprised her teeth don't clack together.

"Luffy— Listen this isn't easy. I said. There are circumstances-"

"Don't care. No one said you could leave the crew."

"What crew?!" she means to say it but ends up shouting it instead, she can hear her own voice, high and shrill like a bird cry. She's close to him now, or he is to her. She's not sure which one of them moved but she has to physically restrain herself from grabbing onto his vest and shaking some sense into him. The only thing that stops her is seeing Aisa out of the corner of her eye, small and still, and tries to modulate herself.

"What crew? What-? Listen, Luffy, we are not— pirates—or whatever your fantasy is! Stop playing this stupid game!"

"It's not a game," he says, voice low.

"Yes it is!"

"We're crew!"

"No we're not!"

His eyes snap and something slams into her face. The next thing she knows, she's on the ground, breathless, her cheek aching, palm skinned against the gravel. What th—

Luffy's fist is raised.

Did he hit her—?

Did he seriously-?!

Sanji says something and she faintly feels someone helping her up but she can't hear and she can barely see anything but Luffy in front of her. As soon as she's on her feet she charges, fist caged and hits him back as hard as she can. So hard they both go slamming into the ground but she can't feel it. She can't care. She grabs the front of his vest and shakes him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! Don't you understand if I don't do something people are going to die!"

"They're going to die anyway, idiot!"

"Shut up!" she hits him again, soundly, but it only makes her angrier. His nose is bleeding. So is hers. "They're not going to die because I'm going to—"

"Be stupid!"

She goes to hit him again but he grabs her wrist, his hand callused and hard.

"That kind of guy isn't gonna stop just cause he has you. He's going to keep going until he has whatever he wants!"

"Then what am I supposed to do?!" she shouts it at him, trying to tug her hand from his grip, her throat raw. "What am I supposed to do?! He's going to destroy this place if I don't! He has hundreds of men! Hundreds of them! I can't even reach Koza and— and—" She digs the heel of her hand against her face, trying to scrub the tears away. She feels like she's drowning. The air is buzzing. There is so much. So much! And she can't— can't even see the surface.

"We don't gotta fight all of them at once," Luffy says, voice somehow breaking through. "But we have to fight. Even if I do the Peller or whatever stuff, it's not going to matter until someone kicks that guy's ass."

"But it's going to take a year to even get on the circuit."

"So we'll just go straight to him," Luffy shrugs.

"But everyone in between—"

"We'll kick their ass."

"Luffy, listen…even right now… there are about fifty men coming this way… maybe more. If you try to fight them alone you'll be killed." And that is what gives her the chill the most. That they will die because of her. For her. Like Igaram almost did. Like Pell almost has countless times now. He sits up, his eyes intense so much so that she can't look away.

"I'm not fighting alone. I'm with my crew… my nakama. We've all decided to put our lives on the line for what's important to you." He looks up and she does too. Looks at the others one by one. Zoro who nods. Sanji gives her a grin, teeth clamped around the cigarette, hands in his pockets. Nami a thumbs up and the flash of a wicked smile across her face. Even Usopp nods, though his hands are jammed in his pockets and he's rocking back on his heels as if nervous.

Her heart lifts and nervously, tentatively, she lets it. Should she? Is… is this right?

"But…" she looks back to Luffy again. "Why?" Why is what she wants so important to them.

"You're our nakama. Let us help you." Her lip trembles and for the first time in so long, the tears she's trying to hold back aren't from desperation. Chills wash through her body and she wants to speak but words…

"And you're our princess," Laki says and Vivi glances at her. The other Shandians arrayed behind her. Her eyes are dark but her smile is sharp "So we'll protect this land in your name."
"As Shandians of Alabasta!" Aisa says.

"Shandians of Alabasta!" the others chorus and Vivi has to press a hand over her mouth. They speak in one tone. One voice. Of their language that carries with it the tone of the bell. The honest voice of God.

"An old bull protects his home," Dalton says, his voice soft but filled with presence. "I'll fight, too. As much as I'm able."

"You are welcome, brother," Laki says even as Vivi nods.

"Okay!" Luffy says, holding up a hand, his grin wide but dangerous. "We'll protect this place then go kick a gator guy in the ass. Deal?"

She half wants to say no deal. It's not a fair fight and never will be. It will be long and hard and they may die. But she can't hold them back any more than she could hold Igaram, or Chaka, or Pell or anyone who fights for what they believe in with their whole heart. When people give you their heart that much, as Father says, you must believe in them with every fiber of your being, as they believe in you.

"Deal," Vivi says, clasping her hands to Luffy's.

"Let's go kick some ass!" he says, hands thrust in the air and everyone around him takes up the call. Somewhere in a faint corner of her heart, she does, too.

xXxXx

They are not ready for this battle. Vivi knows this as they walk down the buckled main road of Little Garden the town, seared brick buildings on either side, all with broken windows that have glass like jagged teeth. A church steeple blasted clean off and the smell of acrid smoke lingering on in the still air. It is neutral territory now, Dalton had said as they'd approached the town not ten minutes ago, the crumbled buildings like the spine of some decaying beast. A hole in the Whitebeard's territory. Upstart gangs from all around still tried to come here and lay this place as their territory to build up strength and move against the Whitebeard division directly to the east. But they either broke up before they became a threat, decimating themselves through bloody infighting; or were otherwise scoured from the map by the Whitebeards themselves. As such, Little Garden remained a ground of intermittent war and fragile peace.

Vivi absently follows a twisted seam of disrupted asphalt with her eyes, and then up and over the town itself. So many places to hide, for the enemies and themselves. They could be being watched and not even know. Their whole plan could be destroyed. She clenches her fingers together in front of her and tries not to think about it.

She wishes the Whitebeards were here now. It would be nice to have that kind of power at her back for fighting Billions… Even one truck — fifty against fifteen weren't the best odds. And if rumors are true, perhaps a bounty hunter as well. Of course they had sent Mr. Boodle and Aisa to implore the massive gang for help. The Whitebeards had been known to be altruistic. But they'd also been known to be cold. And they may not move without the division commander's permission—only he was located hours from here near Kansas City. Well if help came or not, at least they will be safe for a time in that territory, not allowed to come back until someone came and got them.
So if they failed—

But they may not, she reminds herself fiercely, lifting her head to a faint sour wind that makes her wrinkle her nose. True the Billions have guns but with luck, only belonging to the key officers. After all, the government may sanction Crocodile's actions to a point, but they would certainly frown on any glimmer that he may be starting a paramilitary force. So really all they had to contend with were… well some guns perhaps, and fighters of other stripes, fist fighters, martial artists, swordsmen and poisons, perhaps, Laki had said. There had been rumors. There are always rumors.

She looks at the faces of the others. The Shandians and Laki, their expressions closed and guarded. This will be another fight for them and she can see the bearing of the warriors they are in their shoulders, and were in tradition as guardian priests of Alabasta's most sacred treasures. Her own companions are much younger in comparison, except for the stone faced Zoro and Sanji who seems, at most, blase.

Nami's expression is flat and hard as she screws the ends of a metal staff together and Usopp— well is trying to look as stone faced as the others but she can see the twitching at the corner of his mouth and the faint sheen of sweat over his forehead. She should have suggested he accompany— no— guard Mr. Boodle and Aisa. He would have been safe there. Luffy's expression is the hardest to read, though he seems almost casual as he walks along a low brick wall, jumping over the blasted gaps with surprising ease. She wishes he would take this a little more seriously.

Vivi tries to convince herself they will all survive this… but she only has so much optimism. But those in Whitebeard's territory will be alive at the end, at least. And perhaps Mr. Dalton and Karoo who are standing watch in a field not too far from here, bull and duck respectively and hardly a target, she hopes.

"Alright," Laki says as they reach the west end of the road where it curves away into trees and summer heat. "Is everyone still clear on the plan?"

There are various nods and grunts from the assembled Shandians. Vivi nods as do the others except Luffy who seems not to be paying attention, instead watching a circling bird high above. Honestly she wants to slap him upside the head sometimes. This is important.

"Then fan out. Don't make a move until I give the signal." The Shandians do, moving with a briskness of practice. Usopp hesitates, his arms folded tightly across his chest and Vivi bites her lips to prevent herself from asking him just to walk back to the car and wait for them. She's certain his pride is stronger than that.

"Are you sure you can handle this?" Laki says gently and Vivi thanks her for saying something she wouldn't dare.

"Whaat? Of course, I'm the great and powerful Usopp," Usopp says, waving a hand in a jerky motion. "I do this stuff in my sleep. Ask anyone. I'm just sort of wondering what we're planning to do if all fifty of these creeps have guns."

"We'll improvise," Luffy says, crouching where he is on the wall and then moving into stretches as if preparing for nothing more dangerous than a workout.

"Improvisation is only suited for comedy and lies, I'd prefer a good solid plan."

"There are no solid plans in this kind of situation, Usopp," Vivi says, smiling apologetically and wishing she had something better to tell him.

"Yeah but even an inkling…"

"You'll be fine," Sanji says, lighting a cigarette. "You lie like the shitty wind most of time and, hey, come to think of it, your face is pretty funny so improvisation is right up your alley."

"I don't want to hear you talk about funny faces, snail face," Usopp says, jamming his bendy nose into Sanji's cheek.

"What is it…you guys plan on doing, exactly…?" Laki asks, seeming a bit unsettled by this display in the face of danger. Vivi can't say she's quite grown used to it herself and can't help but empathize with the woman as nerves jump and twitch in her stomach.

"I'll punch," Luffy says with a grin, holding up his fist.

"I'll cut," Zoro says, hands on his swords.

"I'll kick," Sanji says, lowering his head and blowing a stream of smoke, the light glinting off the yellow tinted sunglasses he'd picked up somewhere.

"I'll snipe," Usopp says, folding his arms and lifting his head, Vivi tries not to stare too much at his legs shaking.

"I'll leave it to you and hide until it's over," Nami says, sounding proud even as she taps the butt of her metal staff against the ground.

"Oi." Usopp swats a hand through the air. "Why do you get to hide?"

"Because I'm the brains of this outfit not the brawns," Nami says, canting her hips to the side.
"Anyway someone has to be alive to rob them blind at the end, right?" and she sticks out her tongue and rubs her fingers together in the money sign. Vivi smiles, faintly amused, faintly, because she should be and Nami wishes her to be, she assumes, but she just wants to say 'please. Please, not now.'
Fortunately a low twisting whistle skirling through the ruins prevents her from saying anything. It's a sign. The Billions are on their way. Get ready. Laki straightens, her whole stance seeming to change.

"Go on," Laki says. "But keep out of sight until we're ready." The woman puts a thin brown cigarette between her lips, rests her hands on her jean pockets and then says: "Hey, Mr. Eyebrow, got a light?"

"Of course, Mrs Laki!" Sanji bellows, tornadoing himself closer before producing his lighter with a flare. "My heart is a bonfire of love~!"

She blinks at him, but takes the lighter anyway, ducking her head to light the cigarette before handing it back. Then Laki grabs the hem of her shirt and pulls it off. Vivi is surprised at first until she sees that the woman is wearing a blue tank top underneath. She peers closer at the woman, ignoring Sanji's bellowing protestations of love in the background. Still she doesn't understand…until Laki rolls her shoulders and Vivi notices the blue and red tattoos inked there. They are typically tattoos associated with men but in a burst of insight, Vivi wonders if they are some tribute to her late husband. The bell of Shandia shines proudly just below Laki's collarbone and Vivi is comforted to see it.

"Don't worry, Princess," Laki says, placing a hand over the bell. "The Voice of God will tell us the way."

"And guide the weary home," Vivi says repeating the ritual quietly. Laki smiles and Vivi can't help but return it. For a moment she feels completely at peace, but then the sound of a truck growls in the distance and the nerves return, but dulled somehow.

Vivi puts her hands behind her as if she is captured and Laki holds her wrists between her long fingers, as if helping. Dipping her head so that her bangs obscure her face, Vivi tries her best to make it seem as if she's defeated. She hopes the others are hidden well. That they don't do anything foolish. This is life or death, and should they fail so many would suffer. But—they won't. She must believe that at least. She must believe in the strength of her friends, and her people. She is not defenseless either. She stretches her fingers a little to feel the edge of the slashers, coiled and hidden behind her. If worst comes to worst…

The truck comes into view now, tires crunching over loose gravel and broken glass. Vivi swallows against the knot of apprehension and feels Laki's fingers tighten. Vivi lifts her gaze so she can see, but it's difficult to tell who might be behind the windshield that is still reflecting light and the intwined branches of trees. The truck hisses to a stop and her throat dries. She hopes it is not Nico Robin who would be harder to fool. She hopes it is someone blind and foolish who will bring out their full force, so that they may see how many guns they might be up against before the surprise attack. Once upon a time she would have hoped it would be someone to be negotiated with, but she's long since given up that ideal.

The man who steps from the cabin is one she faintly recognizes as Mr. Eleven, an officer agent, but she knows nothing more about him than that. He gives them a sneering smile as he comes closer. There is a rattling sound as the back of the truck opens and more men come out, more than a few with guns.

"I brought her," Laki says. Mr. Eleven squints at them and then takes a photograph out of his jacket and looks at it.

"Lift her head," he orders. Laki's hand moves from Vivi's wrists to bury in her hair and Vivi winces as she jerks her own head upward as if Laki has pulled it. Mr. Eleven comes closer and Vivi tries not to tense too much, her heart pounding in her ears. He is too close. It will be too difficult to enact the plan unless they get some distance. But how—?

"Looks more like a tramp than a princess to me," he says, but at least seems satisfied because he puts the picture away.

"Who cares what she looks like?" Laki says. "We followed our orders, now follow yours." And she gives Vivi's head a little shove.

"Yes, of course," Mr. Eleven says, his sneering smile widening as he reaches behind him. The Billions chuckle and Vivi tenses. "Thank you for your service, Mrs. Laki." And he points a shining black pistol at Laki's head. "The boss sends his regards."

"What—?" Laki rears back.

"Pachinko Star!"

Mr. Eleven blinks and then yelps, the pistol flying from his hand and skittering over the asphalt, going off with a bang.

"The great captain Usopp will not tolerate dirty shit!"

Vivi catches Usopp flatten himself on the low roof of a building just before a hail of gunfire comes zipping at him, pinging off the brick. Idiot! Vivi fumbles with her slashers as Mr. Eleven dives for the gun, but Laki is quicker on the uptake, whipping her bola through the air three times before letting it go to wrap around his arms, the weighted end clocking him in the back of his head and sending him sprawling. Vivi is caught between snatching up his gun and releasing her own weapons.

"Go," Laki says, picking up the gun herself and firing at some of the men who are still firing at Usopp. Other shots come from Shandians still hidden but it's hard to tell— and in any case.

"Laki, I can't—"

"Go!" A bullet sings past Vivi's ear and she starts to turn, reluctantly, when she sees one of the men race around the truck holding a bazooka and pointing it at the building Usopp is hiding on.

"Watch out!" she cries. Luffy bursts from behind another building in a streak of red, throwing himself under the guard of the bazooka and skidding across the ground, throwing an elbow into the guy's stomach and making him double over before kneeing him between the legs. He grabs the bazooka before the guy drops it and intentionally or not, fires it at the ground.

The roar rings in her ears and Vivi is knocked to the ground, by Laki, she realizes in an isntant, as the asphalt under the gunmen rips up and sends them flying in all direction, chunks of black rock raining around them. Laki is shielding Vivi from the worst of it, and Vivi winces as a clot of asphalt skins the woman's bicep.

"Laki…" Vivi says, caught between thanking the woman and wanting her to stop. She has a daughter and people to look after.

"Don't worry about me, Princess," Laki says, a smile twisting one side of her mouth. "This vengeance is a long time coming."

"Smoke bomb!" Usopp cries and Vivi closes her eyes just before it hits open with a pok followed by several others as the Shandians lob theirs. The air is soon full with acrid stinging smoke that makes her cough and sends tears to her eyes. Laki rises, pulling on a pair of goggles and a filter mask as she grinds the cigarette under her shoe.

"Get going," she says. "You've got things to look after."

Vivi nods and coughs against her arm as she hurries toward the low brick wall she can just see the fuzzy outline of. There had been no goggles left for her but Vivi fumbles on her own face mask so she won't cough her lungs out. Only she nearly misses her target through a haze of smoke and tears before a slender hand grabs her wrist and tugs her behind it.

Vivi startles, hand going to her slashers when she sees its Nami and relaxes somewhat, pulling her slashers free to be at the ready as she crouches behind it with her. They are to guard the medical supplies, what there are of them. Bandages. Bandaids. Iodine. Tweezers to pull out bullets. One temporary splint.

"If anyone else says this is a good plan, shoot 'em," Nami says, her voice muffled by her own mask. Vivi laughs instinctively but doesn't find it at all funny. What a situation to be in. She hates to be here, waiting, wondering. She can only hear the battle raging down the road. Some gunshots, who can say from which side? Muffled roars, the thud of fists or feet, the skreek and clash of metal against metal. Here they all are fighting for her, risking their lives. But… no, not just for her, she reminds herself. For their home, too. Their dream. They've got something they want to protect.

"How do you think it's going?" Vivi asks after a while, peering around into the still swirling clouds of smoke.

"Who knows? But if anyone can handle it, they can," Nami says. It's not ultimately that reassuring but she tries to be reassured. Reassured and on guard, Vivi reminds herself, getting to one knee. After a moment or so, there is the hesitant crunch of footsteps on the road behind them and a raucous cough. Vivi glances at Nami who nods, gripping the metal staff. Vivi pulls down her mask.

"Who is it?" she asks. One of their own should say 'me' or 'nakama' in hopes that Vivi or Nami will recognize their voice. A Shandian should answer the equivalent in either Alabastan or the ancient language of the Shandian Priesthood.

"Found you," says a voice, unfamiliar and rough with smoke. Vivi and Nami go at once from opposite sides of the wall. Vivi whips out the slashers, catching the hulking man around the ankles and knocking him off his feet to send him crashing back against the road, something clanging out of his hand. Nami claps him on the temple with her staff until he goes still, then pulls one of the lengths of rough rope attached to her belt and Vivi turns his bulk over with a grunt so that Nami can tie his hands together. Then together they grab the guy and haul him behind another shattered wall so that no one will see the body and get suspicious. Hopefully he'll refrain from waking up until they are gone and the police arrive.

They do this four more times as the battle starts to quiet. It begins to become a routine. Trip, hit, pull over, tie, drag, return. It becomes so routine in fact that Vivi forgets to ask and Nami is a hairsbreadth from clocking a new attacker until he says:

"Wait, wait, wait!" in a familiar voice.

"Oh no," Vivi says, recognizing the long nosed profile and crouching immediately to unwind the slashers from his ankles.

"Oh there you are," Nami says.

"Don't just say 'oh there you are' so casually when you're the one at fault!" Usopp snaps.

"You're right, forgive me," Nami says, not sounding sorry at all.

"Not in a million years!" Usopp says. "I nearly had a heart attack!"

"I'm so sorry," Vivi says as she winds up her flails and they duck behind the wall again. "I didn't notice."

"It's fine. I'm sneaky like that," Usopp says, waving a hand pushing his goggles up. Though it seems he immediately regrets it as his eyes well up with wet and he curses and rubs at them. Vivi checks to make sure none of the flails cut him, but he seems alright. Bruised here and there and a long peppered scrape on his arm, but it seems to be healing up already.

"You don't seem injured…" Vivi says, wondering why he's here. Perhaps he thinks it may be the safest place but…

"Well my nose is a little bent from where… Oh wait." He snaps his fist into his palm. "Listen, Vivi, Karoo found me."

"Karoo?!" Vivi says, reflexively clutching his arm. She doesn't see the duck anywhere. Had he perhaps…?

"He flew right off again don't worry. He's safe," Usopp says. "He had a message…where is it?" He reaches through his pockets. "I know I—"

"Shh," Nami puts a finger to her lips and Usopp immediately shushes, sweat springing up on his temples. Vivi gathers the slashers again and listens, hearing the sound of heavy footsteps coming closer. Usopp has gone completely still, like a deer in the headlights and Vivi frowns. Whatever message Karoo had must have been important. Perhaps even vital and time sensitive!

"Find it," she whispers. "Quickly."

He blinks at her, and then seems to realize, going back to searching in his pockets. Nami slides a glance at her and Vivi nods, clearing her throat.

"Who—?"

She's interrupted when earsplitting snarl of a chainsaw rips through the air and a huge woman barrels through the skirl of smoke to bury the chainsaw into the brick wall a milimeter from Nami's head.

"IYAAA!" Nami and Usopp shriek in unison, Nami falling back and landing on Usopp's lap in an attempt to get away, but he's scrambling upward, too, knocking Vivi flat on her butt. The woman pulls the chainsaw from the wall and comes after her. Vivi has only just enough seconds to scramble to her own feet and out of the way. Usopp and Nami are tearing away and Vivi trips in an effort to catch up to them, the smoke making her tear up.

"Don't just run, you idiot!" Nami shrieks. "Hit her with something!"

"With what?! All I have are pachinko balls left! You have a staff! You hit her!"

"I'm not getting near her, are you crazy?!"

"Neither am I!"

"W-" Vivi coughs. "Wait!" They are fast and so is the woman behind her. Vivi can hear her footsteps and the roar of the chainsaw, closer, closer and then further away as if—
—as if she's swinging it back for a hit!

Vivi shrieks and launches herself forward, crashing into Usopp and Nami and sending them all crashing to the ground as she feels the wind ruffle over her hair. She coughs again, apologizing.

"Watch out!" Nami calls and Vivi grabs the back of Usopp's overalls, yanking him out of the way in a roll as the chainsaw comes down between her and Nami who has rolled the other way. There is no getting any message with this woman in the way. She must be dealt with. Vivi gets to her feet, bringing her slashers with her, squinting through stinging eyes as the woman lumbers closer to Nami her arms raised.

Vivi whips the flail out, catching the woman around the raised arms, blood spotting under the flails edges. She pulls back but the woman in astonishing strength pulls forward and turns, sending Vivi stumbling and even lifting off her feet before the ring that connects the flail to her finger snaps and she goes crashing into Nami who has just started to get up.

It knocks the wind out of her and Nami, too, no doubt. But she can't afford it. She needs to… She tries to tug her remaining flail free as the woman shrugs off the first slasher, but it's trapped under Nami's legs and she doesn't want to hurt her.

"Hey! Koopa Troopa! Over here!" Usopp shouts. "Pachiko Star! Pachinko Star! Tabasco Star!" But no matter what he hits the woman with, it doesn't seem to affect her. She raises the chain saw, Vivi flinches, tugging her finger free of the flail and flopping to her knees, trying to tug Nami to her feet. Nami grabs onto her shoulder, digging fingers into the cloth, trying to get herself sorted. Vivi looks behind and sees the chainsaw coming down—

She closes her eyes, bracing herself and there is a shrieking noise that only grows in intensity, piercing her ears. Vivi opens one eye and sees Zoro's broad back, the chainsaw stopped on the white katana he's holding between his teeth. The shrieking is the chainsaw blades going against the metal of the sword which…oddly doesn't seem to be even chipping. The chainsaw itself is smoking though, sparks flying from the motor.

"That won't work on me," he says in a tight growl over the hilt of the katana. "Tatsu Maki!" In a motion that Vivi can't quite follow, the woman is blown back, skidding along the ground and bouncing once or twice before disappearing into the smoke, her chainsaw sputtering and then stopping.

"Thank you, Mr. Roronoa," Vivi says, rising to her feet, her legs trembling underneath her. Her heart is going so fast. Her lungs are stinging. This fight feels like it's gone on forever and she's still not sure who is winning. She realizes Nami is still on the ground and goes to help the woman up, but Usopp is already there, tugging her to her feet.

"This is crazy," he says. "It feels like I'm in a Friday the 13th sequel."

"A bad Friday the 13th sequel," Nami says, then touches her side and hisses.

"What is it?" Vivi asks.

"I think I got stung by something right before you nailed me."

"Why would a bee be out here?" Zoro says. Vivi presses her lips together. She's sure it isn't a bee and can't imagine how Zoro even came to that conclusion other than— Oh but wait, now she remembers, that's not important just now.

"Usopp, what was the message?"

"What? Oh." He begins to search through his pockets again.

"Didn't you read it?" she asks.

"I did but it was in Spanish. Here it is."

He hands the wrinkled paper to her and she unrolls it but with the smoke and her tearing eyes it's impossible to read.

"We have to get out of this," she murmurs.

"Good idea," Usopp says. "Zoro, you're with us."

"What? Why me! I don't know how to get out of this smoke."

"We know that," Usopp says flatly. "It's just that if we run into another ax murderer, I want to be prepared."
"It's easy, just don't get hit by the ax," Zoro says.

"How is that easy?!" Usopp snaps. Vivi ignores them as she gathers up her slasher. The other seems like a lost cause for now and she debates finding it in the smoke when she sees Nami leaning heavily on her staff, seeming dazed. Is it just some sort of ptsd?

"Nami?" Vivi says, reaching for her. Nami blinks, then straightens and smiles. "I'm fine." She coughs. "Just this damn smoke. Let's get out of here."

Vivi agrees, following Nami's lead and trusting her to know the way even if there doesn't seem to be a way to tell any kind of direction in this mess. Zoro seems to follow reluctantly but they meet enemies enough to satisfy him, or so it seems. They even pass a shadowy corpse on the ground but Vivi keeps her eyes ahead, biting the inside of her lip. None of her companions seem to recognize it but—that doesn't mean it isn't a Shandian…

Still she won't think about that. There are other things on her mind. The grubby message in her hands, Zoro grumbling. Two men charge out of the thinning smoke at them and Vivi barely has time to flinch before Zoro has taken care of them. The message needs to be read. Is it a warning? An all clear? Is he on the verge of being captured? Is it some secret new information?

"Nami?" Usopp says. Vivi glances over at the woman but doesn't see anything wrong with her, other than perhaps her leaning on her staff more than normal, blood spotting under her shirt but not much.
"Just a loose rock or something. It's so hard to see…"

"We'll just find a place with no rocks…" Vivi says absently, still wrapped up in her own thoughts. Nami blinks at her. Usopp stares.

"Do you realize what you just said?" Usopp asks.

"Well, I—"

She's interrupted as Zoro shoves her to the side. She stumbles, catching herself on Usopp just before gunfire rips up the place she'd been standing and bullets plink off the blade of one of his katana. There is a thunk, a strangled cry and Vivi sees a shadowy form hitting the ground, hearing something metal scrape the asphalt and the click of shoes, Zoro remains tense, though his swords are lowered, holding the white one and one of the black ones together as if it's no problem. Another angled shape looms out of the smoke and Vivi drops her slasher down at the ready.

But it's only Sanji, smoke curling from his cigarette. Vivi relaxes a little, realizing belatedly the note is crumpled in her fist and she puts it in her pocket.

"Nice defense, Mossy-boss," Sanji says. "But if you ever shove my vivacious Vivi again I'll flatten your brain pan."

Zoro just grunts, looking ahead at something in the smoke that Vivi can't see.

"Nice save yourself," Usopp says, jerking a thumb at himself. "I would have had it if you didn't but it's nice to see you're so reliable."

"That's an east wind," Nami murmurs, as if to herself. "We're in trouble."

Vivi wonders what she means until she can feel it herself. The wind is starting to scour the smoke away. There are figures all around them. They are surrounded. She hopes for a moment that they are Shandian, but as the faces become clearer, she knows they are not. More Billions. Fresh faced even without the wear and tear of fighting. Twenty in all. The dim black outline of another truck. She wipes the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and tries not to let it get to her. How many of them are there? How many were sent?

They are all smirking. None of them seem to be holding guns and that is a blessing, but still, still… She shifts her weight, wishing she had the other slasher. Sanji straightens, shoulders back, hands in his pockets, smoking quietly. He's had a bit of a fight, she can tell, a streak of blood across his cheek, a darker blotch of wet on his black pants and she hopes it's not blood and, if it is, it's not his own. Nami straightens, too, her face looking a little too focused as she shifts closer to Sanji. Usopp is somewhere behind Zoro, but back to back with him since they are surrounded and there is nowhere to hide.

"Where is Luffy?" Zoro asks, voice rough. Vivi can't hear his voice but can't hear much over the pounding of blood in her ears.

"Fighting a fresh wave of bastards who came in from the south," Sanji says, biting the end of his cigarette. "But he's got backup so I wouldn't worry about him."

"He's right, you should be more worried about yourself," says a woman that Vivi vaguely knows as Miss Father's Day. "We've got another whole truck coming so even if by some slim chance you beat us, you won't survive the next wave."

Another truck. Vivi tries not to get sucked into the dizzy feeling that produces. Three trucks. How damaged are they now? Who has died?

"H'ooh, looks like you're some kind of threat, Princess," Sanji says casually, though he sounds strained to her. "Don't worry, this is just a workout."

Vivi hopes he is right.

xXxXx

Seventy-five or so Billions down, fifty more on the way and they have run out of rope to tie everyone up with. All that is left to do is wait for the next truck. The next fight. A Shandian is dead. Vivi doesn't know his name yet, but will make sure to ask it later provided they don't all die. No. She shakes her head wearily. She can't afford to think like that. They will survive.

Zoro and Luffy are monsters and barely wounded. She has only scratches and scrapes, though her arm is tired from the weight of the slasher. Even the Shandians are standing more or less unscathed considering the force they had just been up against. There is not a single person who hasn't been bloodied in some capacity. Nami is sitting on a small patch of grass, her head resting on her knees, the metal staff on the ground beside her. Vivi hopes it's just exhaustion and not…not whatever else.

"Ahhh I'm starving," Luffy says, flopping on his back right on the asphalt. Vivi is surprised he doesn't crack his skull. "Sanji! When this is over you better make a huge lunch."

"Aye, aye you bottomless pit," Sanji says. "I'll see what I can do."
Vivi winds up her slasher, considering whether to holster it or not and goes to stand over Nami, knowing that if she sits she won't want to get back up again. The woman is still sweating and looks a little pale.

"Are you alright?" Vivi asks, resting her hands on her knees and trying to get a good look at Nami's face.

"Mm. Fine. Just tired." Nami turns her head to the side as if hiding. Vivi frowns. Could it be just that? It has been a rather exhausting fight. Perhaps she should see if there is any bottled water left with the medical supplies. She puts a hand on Nami's heated shoulder.

"I'll be right back." She straightens, closing her eyes a moment to compose herself, and moves across the buckled, scarred road, past Luffy who seems to be sleeping of all things, with his hat over his face. Zoro resting against a wall, seeming to be doing the same. How can they manage it? She has no idea. She ignores them and goes to where Usopp is sitting cross legged on the ground as he and a large Shandian… Genbou? Wind what bandages they have left. They will definitely need more by the time this is over.

The sound of tires on the road make them all freeze, and she looks over her shoulder with trepidation. She doesn't want to use her slasher again. She wants it to be a miracle, somehow. Someone to save them from having to grind against this seemingly endless fight.

It is no miracle car that comes into view, but a familiar scarred black pickup that makes her breathe a sigh of relief somewhat. Dalton. Though, why has he returned? Have the Billions decided to turn around? Should she dare hope? Dalton opens the door and the most Vivi has in warning is a 'kweh!' before she his fairly hit with a rather ruffled Karoo who clings to her neck with his wings. Vivi smiles and holds him tight, breathing in his familiar— if somewhat overpowering at times— ducky scent.

Though as Dalton emerges, face somber, it's evident that he carries no good news. Of course not. She scratches just under Karoo's cheek where he likes it the best but he just heaves a sad duck sigh and she swallows and tries not to let the worry knot in her. She wants to call his name but she's not sure she can speak.

"Dalton?" Laki says, standing from where she was sitting by the corpse. He shifts his weight on the crutch.

"I won't be much… but I came to fight," he says. "I can't just stand out in the field any more." He shifts his gaze to Vivi. "You got my note, I'm guessing?"

"Ah…" Oh that. She'd forgotten all about it. "Well, yes, but…"

"Add another truck to that list," he says.

"What?" Vivi says. "Yo-you mean two besides these?"

"Shit," Sanji says with vehemence.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Usopp says, but Dalton only nods, jaw clenching.

"Heard it on the CB. Two more, about thirty or so miles away. Probably twenty by now." He shakes his head. "I should have guessed it. There were rumors that he'd try to get a foothold in Little Garden so he'd have a base for launching against Whitebeard territory but I never thought it'd be now."

Vivi sinks to her knees. No… How can they…? This almost put them at their limit but two more trucks? Maybe a hundred more people…? How is it even possible to… to fight a world so big? A power so strong?

"Damn," Dalton is saying and Vivi lifts her head to see that he is standing over the dead Shandian. "Poor Mayushika."

"We figured he must have got hit with something," Kamakiri is saying. "He dropped right where he was. We got the man that did it and he had this on him." He shows Dalton something pinched between his fingers that Vivi can't make out. "See? WT. Is that—?"

"Yes. Wapol Toys…" Dalton says with a growl. "Seems like that rumor was true too. Poor Mayu must have gotten it right in the vein since as much as I've heard it they at least get to suffer a few days." His voice is bitter. It seems like another thing to add to the impossibly long list, but Vivi isn't even sure what to do with it.

"Uh…hey, not to interrupt or be insensitive or anything," Usopp says. "But two more trucks? Are you crazy? What if they have guns or more of that poison stuff or whatever it is? We're all pretty strong guys, myself included, but we're not an army."

Vivi stares at him. As does everyone else. It's true. They're not. They're at the end of their rope and facing overwhelming odds. This isn't the time to point it out, perhaps but now that he has, she feels the despair growing in her. Usopp seems to shrink back, clutching the too small roll of bandages. She should say something. It's what leaders do right? The King or Queen standing up to give a rousing speech, spurring their troops to battle and glorious victory against a swelling background score. But there is nothing in her. She feels empty. Sucked out.

"I-I mean I'm all for—you know— the A-Alamo or whatever b-but— I— I just don't think dying h-here is our best strategy. I-I mean I could be wrong."

"No… you're right," Dalton says, running a hand through his hair. "It is crazy…and too big for us."
"Dalton…" Laki murmurs. Vivi clenches her fingers against Karoo's feathers. The duck gives a concerned kweh and pets her cheek. There is nothing she can even say to soothe him but she must speak! She slowly rises to her feet, lifting her chin.

"Even if it is crazy," she says, somehow raising her voice loud enough to be heard. "We will fight." Fight and fight until they're ground to dust in this place.

"No way," Luffy says, stinging her and she wants to hit him again. Why does he always do this? She levels a tired glare at the boy who is standing, pulling his hat on. "They don't wanna fight anymore and I don't either."

"Luffy!" she snaps. This is not the time to be giving up! Saying things like that! They've dedicated themselves to this and—

"No… He's right," Dalton says, and when Vivi, shocked, looks at him, he gives her a tired smile. "I am tired. I've spent my whole life defending places that I've cared about. Doing what I could to keep them safe. Blaming others for my failure… But I understand now."

"Mr. Dalton! Forgive me, but you can't give up! We have to fight! We can fight!" She can't allow them to give up! If they lose here…! If they lose just one simple home— How can they expect to save Alabasta? What about everything else they are fighting for?!

"Don't misunderstand," Dalton says. "I'm not giving up but we should retreat here."

"How can you say that?! Little Garden is—"

"A place. But even a fantastic place can be rebuilt. If not here than elsewhere. But I would rather it be burned to the ground then lose someone else." He looks down at the deceased Shandian. Mayushika. Then shakes his head and looks to Laki. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." She puts a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it. "He fought hard for what we all believed in. Now that it's over… We'll stay together until we can return to Shandia." A ragged chorus of agreement follows that but Vivi can't accept it. She can't! It feels too much like giving up.

"Stop it with that dour expression," Nami says by her ear. The woman is standing tall and strong, as if having gotten her second wind. "You've got other things to do, don't you?"

"Yes, but…"

"No yes buts." Nami shakes her and then wraps an arm around Vivi's shoulders, but she's looking out at the others with fever bright eyes. "Listen, everyone! Don't act like this is the end. This is the television age for gods sake not every fight can be won by punching someone. Crocodile is not God, he's just a bounty hunter and what he really needs is some negative PR. Get some incriminating photos to the right places and bam, we put him in a very uncomfortable spot."

"And…maybe the government will pull its support," Vivi says, a faint spark of hope glimmering again. Yes! But— "But the owner… your friend… Mr. Dalton, is this really okay…?"

"It's okay," Dalton says, the smile on his face…nothing that Vivi can place but it seems…peaceful as if—he's come to terms with it already. "A man isn't gone until he's forgotten… and I haven't… and I won't."

"And we haven't, and we won't, and neither will the camera," Nami says. "Now we don't have a lot of time, so Vivi? Usopp? Can you go get it?"

"Yes, but…"

"Hurry!" Nami says, giving her a small push. Vivi blinks, then sets her teeth and nods to Usopp who gets to his feet. As they're jogging away, Vivi hears Nami say: "Mr. Dalton can I talk to you?"
This isn't the best solution. She doesn't like it but—

But it galvanizes her.

Because she can see it in her mind's eye. Not just telling Koza and the Alabastans, but telling the world. Stripping all of that man's secrets away and laying him bare for everyone to see just what kind of person he is. Just what kind of organization he runs. And punching him in the face. She still wishes to do that and she knows that Luffy can get her that far. He wants to kick Crocodiles ass and so does she, but they will devastate him. That she knows. That she is determined to do.
There will be nothing left for him when they are done.

Vivi sits in the front seat of the Impala, her hand resting over the golden bell necklace that Laki had put around her neck. To remember, Laki had said, what was really important. And also a symbol of a promise. To ring the bell of Shandia. The Voice of God. Signal a new age is beginning. Vivi will somehow. She'll find it. She may even save it if she can.

xXxXx

She rests back on the headrest, watching the trees go by, listening to the quiet tunes of Usopp playing his game in the backseat. It's so quiet in this car. They've separated. They had to. There were three roads the Billions could come down, Laki had said, and whoever was caught could help shake them off the others tails. Vivi was with Zoro and Usopp, taking the east road which was the safest, Laki had said, as it skirted Whitebeard territory. The Shandians had taken the more dangerous west road — and Luffy, Nami, Sanji and strangely, Dalton, had gone north.

Vivi chews on the inside of her lip. There is something there. She's not sure what's going on with Nami. But she had seemed paler than usual, Dalton and Sanji, too. In fact Vivi had overheard Sanji telling Luffy something about visiting Dalton's friend and it was super important but don't argue with him right now he'll tell him later. Tell him what later? Vivi had wanted to know. But she'd gotten the sense that Sanji— well all of them were trying to protect her. Keep her from worrying. So she hadn't pressed but she couldn't help but worry just a little. She'd sent Karoo with them in hopes that… if anything happened…they would send her the news. Also so that they could find each other when they met in Las Vegas a week or so from now.

On top of that, Nami had ordered her not to listen to the news in any capacity and Vivi had promised, but that didn't bode well. Fortunately at the moment Vivi was only mildly worried. Mostly because she felt numb from the emotional roller coaster of the past forty-eight hours. But it would bother her later. Usopp yawns hugely in the back seat and then sighs, his chin resting right by Vivi's shoulder.

"Mannn I'm exhausted. I don't know how you guys keep your eyes open." A pause and then. "But good job, Zoro, keep at it."

Zoro just grunts, fingers flexing on the wheel. He must be more tired than they are. His eyes are veined red. Well, perhaps they can pull over early once they are certain they're not being followed or in danger of running into anyone. If she could drive, she'd certainly volunteer to do it for him but it was probably better that she didn't. Still she tries to stay awake for Zoro's sake. Someone needs to keep an eye on the road and…

"Please… please tell me that's not what I think it is. Please someone tell me," Usopp moans. Vivi opens her eyes, not even realizing she's closed them, and sees a truck coming down the opposite side of the road. Another truck behind it. Something like dread fills her and she doesn't even think that they may not be Billions trucks, or even that they won't be recognized. Especially since they almost immediately the trucks slowed to a stop, the one behind pulling up beside the first to block off the road.

A dull sort of dread fills her as Zoro pulls over to the side of the road, staring at them a moment before saying:

"I'm going to get my swords and then you guys get out of here."

"What?! You can't be serious!" Usopp says. "Zoro! Zoro!" Usopp scrambles out of the car after him. Vivi feels annoyed at that. She wishes he would stay put so that they can run but on the other hand knows that she can't. She can't abandon him to face this. But knows that she must abandon him to face this. So that she'll have a chance.

If only—

And suddenly the trucks explode into balls of fire with a roaring BOOM that rocks the car. The force of the explosion knocks the trucks off the road, sending them sprawling either side, engulfed in flames that boil across the center of the road.

Vivi stares. Well aware her mouth is hanging open.

What—

What in the world—

There is another sound that she can just hear. The growling snarl of an engine.

There is a black shape coming through the flames and then a motorcycle bursts through, the rider spreading flames from his jacket as he screeches to a stop, the bike squealing as it's wrenched sideways, sparks flying from the road.

The bike was red and orange, and on it, seeming oblivious to the flames still dancing around him, was a dark haired man in an orange hat and a jacket emblazoned with the Whitebeard mark.

Whitebeard…

Whitebeard!

Vivi scrambles out of the car, nearly falling as she scrambles to meet up with him, her heart pounding in her throat. The flames seem to die down on her own and as he tips his hat up with a flame coated finger she hears him mutter:

"Assholes."

"Ex—excuse me!" Vivi says, panting nearly out of breath as she stops a short distance from the bike. "Excuse me please!"

"Heh?" The man turns and he seems immediately like a dangerous guy, narrow faced and shadowed. Still he is a Whitebeard and so—

"I am— I am— Well Little Garden— It—"

"Little Garden? You're from Little Garden?" he shifts to look at her more fully, his eyes sparking. "I heard there were dinosaurs there! That shit is awesome!"

"Yes… yes well er it's… I mean the Billions—"

"I know all about that, ma'am," he says with a wide grin. "That's why I came out here. Well a couple a guys went ahead of me so you guys should be safe."

Oh thank goodness. Vivi felt the knot unwind in her for the first time in days. This was too much for her. Entirely too much. But the Whitebeard was still talking so Vivi tried to be attentive.

"Guess Blenheim didn't realize that was out here but, come on,dinosaur park. How cool is that? Can you eat 'em?"

"Wha— uh…no…they're wood…" What kind of question was that? Well never mind. "Thank you so much for saving us. If we can ever repay you."

"Forget it. Those bastards had it coming." He snaps his fingers. "Wait, there is something—" he reaches into his jacket pockets and then the pockets of his shorts before pulling out a photograph. "Heard my little brother was around here. Seen him?"

"Er…" She takes the photo and blinks, surprised yet again. He looks very young but there is no mistaking that face or that grin. "Luffy?!" What? "You're Luffy's big brother?" That's…that's…not impossible to believe but —

"You know him? Sweet! Where is he?"

"Yes, he's my— we're… nakama…" that word is still strange but… "I don't know where… You see were were separated and…" She doesn't really know how much to tell this man. She doesn't know if she can trust him or not. He did help but there were a lot of people in this world so…

"We're going to meet in Las Vegas in a week." That should be enough.

"Vegas, huh?" The man pulls a toothpick from his pocket and wiggles it between his front teeth a little. "Sounds like fun. Mind if I tag along?"

"Well…I'm not…" entirely sure she wants to say, but she's interrupted by Zoro saying:

"Portgas?"

"Zoro?!" the man's… Portgas'? face lights up and he hops off the bike. Vivi has to catch the motorcycle before it falls over and she turns to watch the man swagger over to Zoro and clap him on the back so hard he almost falls over which is fine since then Portgas pulls him into what she's heard termed as a 'man hug'. "It's been forever, you green bastard. Where've you been keeping yourself?"

Vivi stares as Zoro seems bewildered by Portgas' very presence. She's bewildered by Portgas' very presence. She feels completely bowled over. After a moment she realizes she's standing there holding a still running motorcycle with trucks in flames behind her and watching two men she didn't even know had a connection reconnect. Well Portgas seemed to be doing much of the talking to be honest. Usopp sidles up to her.

"I don't know whether to be relieved or worried about this," he says, mopping his forehead with the handkerchief. His eyes look bloodshot, too. It occurs to her that she doesn't see him as young anymore. He's not a monster in any capacity of course, but she would trust him at her back.

"Either way stuff can just stop happening now," he says making a gesture with both hands as if pushing said stuff away.

"I agree…" But she is still holding the bike and at the moment it's most of what she can do to just hold up herself. "Um… Usopp can you help with…?"

"Oh sure."

He turns off the bike and manages to find the kickstand and once that is situated they both sit shoulder to shoulder on the road, watching Portgas run his hand along the Impala while Zoro trails along behind.

"Mr. Roronoa looks a little lost," she says distantly. Usopp makes a sound between his lips as if trying to hold in a laugh and Vivi glances at him, then suddenly realizes, laughing a little herself.

"Story of his life," Usopp says and she laughs all the harder for it. He laughs beside her feeding it and it gets to so her stomach hurts so she has to rest her forehead on her updrawn knees.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Zoro asks and ahh, she can't! She can't. Especially as Usopp starts slapping the asphalt. It's good. It hurts but it's good. The tension is easing. Things aren't great. There's still a lot to do… But… for the first time in a long time…things are starting to look up.