The Beginning of the End
After Jabra, Blueno, and Lucci had consumed the three devil fruits, the changes began to take place the moment that they had eaten them. None of them understood what sort of powers that each fruit held until they were released in the physical form of the three young men. Blueno now had the ability to create any sort of doorway leading anywhere out of thin air from the Door-Door fruit. This was referred to as a paramecia devil fruit. Jabra now had the power of a wolf, enabling himself to tur into a wolf hybrid or the full beast. He was given this power through the Mutt-Mutt fruit of the wolf model, a zoan type. This was the same type of fruit that Lucci had eaten, however this fruit was called the Cat-Cat fruit of the leopard model. This devil fruit gave Lucci all of the hidden powers that resided within a leopard. All three young men were now even stronger than they were before. The fear of the devil fruit users initiated a hidden fear among the other CP9 members. None of them knew what sort of strength these young men were capable of on top of their already incredible strength and speed.
A few years after the devil fruits were eaten, Astrid and Kaku were in the courtyard. The two of them sat at their usual spot on the boxes near the south wall. They watched as Kalifa and Kumadori were sparring with each other.
"Astrid, do you think one of us will have to eat a devil fruit?"
"I hope not, I don't want to rely on that kind of power to protect myself."
"If you had to…would you?"
"It depends."
"I wonder who will be next to fall victim to the devil's powers."
"I'd miss being able to swim way too much to be able to hold onto that power."
"Are you ready?" Kalifa asked.
Kaku and Astrid stood up from the boxes and walked past Kumadori and Kalifa. The two walked towards a cabinet. Inside the cabinet was an assortment of swords used by common guards. What would seem like powerful weapons were really common training swords at the hands of CP9 assassins. Kumadori and Kalifa stood by the boxes wiping off the sweat from their faces. Kaku and Astrid stood in silence once they had selected their swords. Lucci and Jabra joined them in the court with Fukuro and Blueno not far behind.
"I see their trying out weapons again," Lucci said walking up next to Kalifa.
"They usually put on a good show," she responded.
"I see that you only picked one sword, interesting," Kaku said swinging his two swords in between his fingers, "You will never match up to my four sword style that I've been working on."
"Kaku, I think you need to go back to math class. Schmuck can't even count, what a loser," Jabra called out.
"I wouldn't underestimate his skills. Kaku has something up his sleeve," replied Lucci.
"Does the wager still stand?" Kaku asked.
"Of course! How could I say no to free food when you're paying for it," Astrid replied.
"In your dreams, I'm the one who will be eating the free food," he yelled charging at her.
He swung his two swords meeting Astrid's as she blocked the attack. With a swift kick to his side, he swung his sword for a counter attack. For at least an hour, the two swordsmen were attacking each other using their legs as a sword along with their blades. Neither one of them were giving in to the other. Both had great determination to defeat the other for the price of free food.
In a quick aerial attack, Kaku used a tempest kick strike so forceful that it left Astrid's blade in half. Now that she had no sword to fight with, she was left with her hand to hand combat. While trying to avoid the swing of his swords she landed a few punches here and there. He kicked her in the stomach sending her across the court into the stone wall. She got up from the empty wine barrels she had crushed and charged at him. The main gate swung open as Kaku and Astrid collided. They both managed to deflect their attacks into a long range force of wind that was directed towards the gate. As the strike had hit the gate, the unfortunate person who had opened also received the forceful blow. The gate was left broken and their leader Spandam was left on the ground yelling in agonizing pain.
"Well, I suppose that's the end of the game," Kaku said.
"Better luck next time," she replied with a wink.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU IMBECILES THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Spandam yelled as he jumped back up onto his feet, "DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM!?"
All of the members glared at him in silence.
"So scary," he said, "Anyways, enough with the standing around, you have work to do!"
"We weren't informed of any business to attend to today," Kaku replied.
"He is just saying that because he doesn't want to get hit by you two again, chapapa," said Fukuro.
"Ah, zip it, Fukuro," Jabra said zipping up Fukuro's zippered mouth, "Let the guy speak for once without getting blown to bits again."
"I have a very important mission for you all. But this time will be different. I need you all to go undercover," Spandam said.
"How is that any different from any other mission?" asked Blueno.
"I'm glad you asked, because these missions require to work in teams rather than as individuals. The World Government wants to see how you all will manage working together to get the job done. Of course the job will get done because with myself as your powerful leader, we will succeed every time."
"Powerful, ha, coming from someone whose strength level is lower than that of a regular guard," Jabra said with a laugh.
"You watch your tongue or I will send you off! Anyways, you will each find a file regarding your mission and who you will be working with. Don't fail me."
That evening, each CP9 member went into their rooms to find the files laying on top of their beds. Each file contained each mission for each member. In big letters across the file read, "Do not share this with any other member and follow each direction thoroughly". That night while going to bed Astrid read the file which would be her next life for however long it would take her to complete it. She curled up in her bed and read the following:
You have been chosen for this covert mission to obtain information regarding a very important matter to the World Government. You will not speak of this mission to any other person including the other members of Cipher Pol number 9. Doing so will result in immediate execution. The World Government will not tolerate disobeying orders and potential harm in any mission. You and your partner are receiving direct order to obtain this information to proceed in further developments of the World Government's belief of justice and peace. You will not know who you partner is until the time comes to proceed in the mission. Good luck and safe travels.
Assassin: Astrid Cross
Assisted skills required for mission: Swordsmen, disguise, deceitfulness, speed, observation.
Skills necessary for undercover co-op: Guitar, vocal talents, potential showmanship.
"Wait this can't be right!" she yelled, "I need to know how to perform for this mission. I can't sing. I can't play a guitar or anything, let alone preform anything on a stage! Who do they think I am Victoria Cindry?"
The World Government understands that to go into this mission essential training is needed to perform the necessary duties. Training will begin tomorrow morning with your instructor in town. You are receiving special permission along with other possible CP9 agents to go through with this extra training to proceed in the mission. Please dress accordingly as to not to create a stir among those in the village. You will learn quickly.
"Great ok, so I have to go into town to get singing lessons? What kind of mission is this, just get on with it already!"
You and your partner will be sent to a kingdom. Through World Government information, it is understanding that a wanted person resides on the island. This person is very dangerous and may be harmful to the justice that the World Government represents. Your job is to go to this island and observe her only. She is a threat to the World Government, but still necessary in the advancements that the World Government wishes to protect.
Your target is Nico Robin, bounty of 79, 000, 000 and believed to have initiated an attack on the island of Ohara as a child. She has come into contact with the initial CP9 members ran by Spandine and is deemed as a notorious deviant. Observe with great caution on her movements. It is believed that she resides in the kingdom of Alabasta. You will be sent to the Rain Dinners Casino as a performing duo with your partner. Approach with caution and obtain as much information as you can. Once you have confirmed Nico Robin's whereabouts, you will report immediately. Step two will be initiated and the next assignment will be found. If not found after a month upon arriving in Alabasta, World Government officials will find you and reassign you to a new location. Your lessons begin at 08:00 tomorrow morning.
At the bottom of the page was the seal of the World Government. She closed the file and got out of her bed to the kitchen. In the kitchen were all other CP9 members.
"You read slowly," Jabra said as Astrid grabbed herself a glass of water.
"I want to make sure that I knew exactly what to do," she replied taking a sip.
All of them sat in silence staring at each other. None of them knew who they would be working with, but they all knew that they each couldn't share the information that they have been told. Tension was in the room which gave a very unsettling feeling. None of them spoke the entire time they were in the kitchen.
The next morning, Astrid had woken up to the yelling of her transponder snail, her wake-up call that morning seemed unsettling. The mission she was now on seemed bigger than what it really was. She couldn't figure out exactly what made this mission so important, but something about it made it seem nerve wracking. She made her way through the gate and started walking down the pathway to the village. No other CP9 members were around as she walked through the small forest that concealed the area.
Once in the village she did not make any eye contact with any other person that was around. She quietly made her way to the place she was meant to go. On a piece of paper in her hands was the address.
"Here I am," she said to herself upon her arrival, "this is where it all begins."
She walked inside to see a man standing at a counter with a large smile on his face. All around on the walls were an assortment of musical instruments and books on shelves.
"I see that you've come for some lessons!" the man said with joy. "Come, come right in to the back and I will show you everything you want to know about any instrument! Please say that you want a lesson, nobody comes in for lessons anymore."
"Teach me what you know about the guitar and singing. I will pay you for your hospitality," she said throwing him a small sack of coins that was given to her by the World Government.
He gladly accepted the payment and showed her the way to the back.
"Now through a series of a few months, I will have you mastering the guitar and have you singing like an angel!" he proclaimed.
"I don't have a few months for that. I need to know how to master it immediately."
"Well I don't know if I…"
"You have two days, today and tomorrow. I'm a fast learner."
He stared at her in disbelief and handed her a guitar. He grabbed a guitar of his own and began to teach her how to play. After the first couple of hours, the man knew that she was serious about wanting to master the two skills in a matter of two days. He went to the front of his shop and locked the door and closed the blinds. Astrid practiced until her fingers bled and her throat was dry that night. The next day upon her return, the two sat once again until nightfall.
"Incredible! Never have I ever seen someone with as much will power and talent that you have," he said.
"I'm not normal. You could say that it was the way I was raised," she responded, "Thank you sir for sharing you knowledge, but I am afraid that our time together ends here."
"You know, you're just like the other fella that comes by here."
Astrid quickly snapped a shocked look at him.
"He comes here just before you do. My lovely wife has graciously offered to give him lessons for about the same amount of time. Funny, it's almost as if you two should be working together with your determination."
"It is funny isn't it? Perhaps this fellow and I will meet one day and we will share our stories of the two musicians who sat day and night to teach us. Thank you once again sir."
She walked out of the building and into the rain. Along the way she couldn't help but to think of the possible partners. She knew right away that once the man defined the person as male that it could not be Kalifa. Which means that Kalifa had a different mission of her own. As she continued up the path, she came across Jabra and Kalifa walking towards the shore to board a ship. While walking through the gate she barely missed hitting Lucci.
"Coming home a little late aren't you?" he proclaimed.
"Going somewhere?" she responded with annoyance.
They walked past each other as she made her way into the building. She walked down the hallway and walked by an open door. Inside was Kaku sitting in his bed with a hat over his face. On the floor were wet shoes, which suggested that he had just gotten back from somewhere. As she was about to walk away, she heard his voice.
"Did somebody leave?"
"Kalifa and Jabra are gone now. I saw them boarding a ship. I have a feeling that Lucci is next with whoever is partnered with him. Why were you out so late?"
"I could ask you the same," he said removing his hat slightly to show his eye.
She walked away not wanting to go further in the conversation with him. Once she was in her room, there was a piece of paper on her bed which read "12'oclock departure". Her heart skipped a beat. She quickly crumpled the piece of paper up and threw it to the ground and walked out of her room. She quickly passed by Kaku's room.
"Hey, where are you going?" he called out.
"I need to do some research."
Since she had read her mission file, there had been something on her mind. She couldn't make out what it was and now was the time to figure it out before she left. She entered a room that was filled with all kinds of World Government files and located the one on Ohara. She sat down at the desk and opened it up. In this file was everything that Ohara was up until the day that it was taken down. She learned about the island and the history that it had on preserving the records of the lands. The day that Ohara was destroyed was because of the troubles and theories of revolution. There was one little girl who had survived. That little girl was Nico Robin. No other information was given on her or Ohara from that point.
"Why go through all of this, what does she have that the World Government wants? Why did this happen to a little girl? What makes her so wanted by the World Government and how the heck has she been able to avoid them for almost twenty years? Something about all of this does not feel right."
The next morning, Astrid woke up to the sound of talking outside of her window. She slowly peered out to see Fukuro talking to Kumadori. She couldn't make out what they were saying. They weren't standing there for too long before a Marine approached them. She knew immediately that they were partnered together which narrowed down her options even further.
When she walked into the kitchen, nobody else was around. She continued to make her way through the building into the courtyard and still could not find anyone else. The entire building was quiet. She sat in her room in silence waiting for 12'oclock to strike still unsure as to if she really wanted to go through with this mission or not. In her head she kept thinking that it was just an observation mission with no tactics, nothing could go wrong, but on the other side she was feeling uneasy about who it was she needed to observe. Something about the situation seemed uneasy. She continued to sit until the transponder snail went off. On the other end was a Marine asking where she was. She realized that it was already past the departure time. She took in a deep breath and grabbed her bag. Quickly, she made her way to a galleon ship that was docked. As she made her way up to the deck she could hear a voice from above her.
"You're a little late," they called out.
She looked up and saw a black figure jump from the mast. They landed right in front of her and folded his arms across his chest.
"I had a suspicion that I would be your partner in this," Kaku said with a smile.
Knowing that Kaku was her partner made her feel a little more relaxed about the mission. A Marine had approached both of them and escorted them into a shared room.
"My apologies, the ship only had one room accommodated to the both of you. I hope you can understand the given situation."
"We will be fine, thank you," replied Kaku without thinking it through.
They settled into their room and began to familiarize themselves with their living space as the ship set sail. Kaku opened up one of the cupboards in their room to find two guitars and a piece of paper. He called Astrid over as the two of them began to read the piece of paper.
New information:
The owner of Rain Dinners Casino is one of the Seven Warlords known as Crocodile. Do not, by any means, interfere with him as a member of the World Government. You are to appear to him as performers only. If caught in a combat situation it is important to know that he is a user of the Sand-Sand fruit, enabling him to control sand. It is also important to know that if confronting Nico Robin at any time, to be extra cautious of your surroundings, importantly yourselves. It has been reported that Nico Robin is also a devil fruit user. She has the abilities of the Flower-Flower fruit giving her the ability to flower limbs onto any surface. You are also not to come into contact with the Royal Family of Alabasta.
The two looked at each other with concern. They were about to walk into a place owned by a one of the Seven Warlords who has a devil fruit power, while trying to locate a notorious outlaw who also has devil fruit powers. Neither one of them knew what these people were capable of.
"We just have to observe, nothing to it," Kaku said.
He walked away leaving Astrid alone in the room. She still couldn't help but to feel troubled. She grabbed one of the guitars in the cupboard and began to fiddle around with it in order to calm her nerves. Little did she realize that, the mission was the beginning of the very end for her.