HOPE
Let's reel back time for a while and witness the events of one day before, at the same time the 'Rescue Team' entered Impel Down.
Red Haired Shanks sighed in content, shifting on his chair in search of a more comfortable position. He was currently enjoying the sun's warm rays and his crew's frantic shouts in the background.
He felt small thump on his head and lifted his eyes up to gaze at the face of his First Mate.
"And what do you think you're doin', cap'?" Ben Beckman raised an eyebrow at his choice of occupation in the middle of preparing for their important 'part' in the Dark King's plan.
"Enjoying the sun, my friend. You should try it sometimes." The red head replied easily, his eyes closing once again.
"If I'd do something like that then this crew would be dead, us included." The grey haired man deadpanned, making his captain laugh.
"That's why you have premature grey hair, Benny!"
"Marco, we are ready." Jozu crossed his arms, watching the blonde haired man nod and resume his staring at the ocean depths.
They were currently near the former Marine headquarters, at the bottom of the ocean. If the currents were favorable, their meeting with the Red Hair pirates would be happening in two hours at most.
"What exactly is Rayleigh-san's plan?" The third division commander dared to ask.
Marco hadn't told them much after his return to the ship. His only orders were to prepare for submerging and that they were going to Marineford, something many of his crewmembers were dreading.
Marco blinked, and turned his back to the railing, giving his friend his full attention. A small smile played on his lips as he spoke.
"We'll be fighting with Red Hair's crew."
All eyes on deck widened at overhearing their captain's words. He had spoken out loud enough for everyone to hear him.
"Of course, not seriously. But we'll have to put in some explosions and flashes for it to work out."
Jozu stood frozen in place for a moment, before he shook his head.
"Why? How would that help the Strawhats?"
"We will be the diversion." Marco crossed his arms, eyes staring back again at the ocean's bottom. "We have to keep the Marine's attention on us and make sure reinforcements don't get to have a chance to sail out towards Impel Down."
"So that's why you called this many allies." Jozu concluded and Marco nodded.
Everything made sense now. Their job was to be the best actors they could. For pirates such as them, that would be a hard job to do. They were too lax and uncaring of their actions to try something so organized like this.
Their captain seemed to think along those lines too because he turned his head back to gaze at his shocked crewmates and grinned. "Well, it doesn't have to be a serious fight, but it'll be a fight nonetheless."
The division leader sighed partly in relief when the cheers of the crew erupted from all around them. The blonde sure knew how to motivate them. That's why they chose him as their captain, after all.
"All right, back to your posts."
Purupurupuru-katchin
"Yes?" A gruff voice spoke to the little blue snail on his desk. Suddenly, the animal's face contorted into a horrified expression, the voice of the speaker becoming frantic.
"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, sir. We have a situation!"
The Fleet Admiral raised a surprised eyebrow. "Go on." He urged.
The soldier didn't need too much encouraging as he began speaking hurriedly.
"Sir, the Red Haired pirates and the Whitebeard pirates have made contact!"
Sakazuki was immediately on his feet. Those two crews attempting an alliance might as well destroy the balance of the world. He set out to go after them himself, but the voice on the other side was not done.
"And they are attacking each other!" As if to accentuate this, a few explosions were heard in the distance.
The marine was even more confused. "Where are you soldier? Are you from the patrols that's been keeping an eye on them?"
There was a static pause for a few moments which made the Devil Fruit user think that the man hung up, but then the snail burst to life again.
"No sir!" The man continued. "I am stationed in Marineford. They are fighting here!"
Sakazuki cursed fervently. What the hell were those two doing fighting against each other at Marineford of all places was above him, but he wasn't going to stand around doing nothing.
As if on cue, the other Den Den Mushi inside his office started to ring at once. Ironically, he'd be doing nothing but answering phone calls for the next few hours.
Another explosion from a cannon destroyed an empty decoy vessel, though the pirates on the ships near it screamed and wailed as if in pain. The two crews grinned at each other, before resuming their mock battle.
Shanks shook his head in amazement.
"I didn't know these guys could be so happy. And it's not even a real fight." The man parried a barrage of blue flames courtesy of Marco with his sword.
The blonde man snorted, obviously thinking the same. "It doesn't really matter. At least they're having fun."
The red head grinned, launching a counterattack. "Then we should try doing this more often! It's fun for me too."
"Not likely, Red Hair." The deadpan reply was covered by another huge explosion and fake roar from the pirates all around them.
"Ivankov called. They are keeping them under control!" Vista shouted from his so-called duel with one of Red Hair's swordsmen. He was in charge of their Den Den Mushi for the moment.
Ben Beckman launched a few bullets before he faced Jozu. "Any news from the Marine Headquarters?"
The third division commander shook his head. "I can't believe it either, but we might just have the Devil's luck on our side this time."
The First Mate of the Red Hair pirates exhaled the smoke from his cigarette and shot another blank. "That means Luffy's alive."
The statement made everyone around him stop and stare at the grey haired man.
"And why do ya' think that?" Fossa asked.
The pirate in question shrugged and spoke in a tone usually used for talking about the weather. "That kid's luck usually makes such miracles happen. If everything goes smoothly and those kids get out of Impel Down without someone dying, then Strawhat Luffy is alive." The man flicked his cigarette into the water. "Mark my words."
With that, he started shooting randomly again.
The other pirates remained dumfounded for a few moments longer, doubt written on all their faces, before they decided to not bother with it anymore. What happens, happens.
"What do you mean they broke in?!" Sakazuki yelled to a white Den Den Mushi before addressing another pink one.
"Unit one, answer me!"
"Sir, we request back-up immediately!" The soldier on the white snail said urgently.
The Fleet Admiral glared at the small animal. "I just sent it two hours ago! Didn't they arrive already?!"
Sakazuki was becoming more and more irritated with each second passing by and no news received from the soldiers sent to back up Impel Down's forces. Intruders again in the most secure prison in the world should be impossible! He had made sure of that.
A knock on his door interrupted him from melting his office.
"What is it?!" The man growled, making the poor officer cower.
"Si-sir! I am here with news from Mariejois!"
Sakazuki lifted a hand up, signaling him to stop. He looked at the still transmitting snails and decided nothing would change if he would take a small break. Hanging up, the man gave his full attention to his subordinate standing by the door.
The younger officer cleared his throat and continued speaking. "The Celestial Dragons are requesting back up for the main security guard. They ordered the soldiers must be only Lieutenant level or higher!"
The Fleet Admiral's fist transformed into lava and started melting away his desk. This action made the poor officer gulp back a surprised scream and sweat bullets. His superior was furious.
Another knock interrupted attempted homicide.
"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, sir." A pink head poked through the doorway. "I am here to hand in some reports," Coby paused to take in the room in general before his eyes shifted to its occupants. The nameless officer almost jumped to hug him. The pink haired man was even more confused.
Sakazuki jolted, looking as if he'd only now realized Coby was there. His eyes scanned the partially hidden soldier that stood behind the door, and his mind arrived at a rapid conclusion.
"Captain Coby, you have a mission."
The marine froze for a second before nodding his head slowly and fully entering the room.
"Do you have anyone over Lieutenant rank in your unit?"
I am so lucky, I can't even believe myself. How the hell could this even be? What were the fucking chances? No, better question would be when did I begin having so much luck?
Coby shook his head in disbelief, the earlier events still replaying inside his mind. The Fleet Admiral gave him a pretty simple mission, but the place they were going to was exactly where the pink haired soldier had been struggling to go to for almost a month.
HOW.
"Yo, Coby. You okay inside there?"
Helmeppo's question snapped him back to reality. Funny, the marine didn't even know how he got back to his shared room.
"You look like shit." The blonde man continued, still eyeing him. He was sitting on his bed, a book about fighting techniques resting next to him.
Coby fought back the urge to smile, but in the end his face blossomed into the biggest grin Helmeppo saw his friend make.
And it made him very uncomfortable.
"What-"
"We have a mission!" Coby almost yelled, jumping up and down.
Helmeppo groaned. "Look, I know you're happy when we get missions, but this is exaggerating. Besides, this couldn't be worse timed! We have to somehow get to Mariejois remember?" The blonde scratched his head and sighed.
Coby giggled, still jumping up and down. Helmeppo looked at him with a mixture of horror and shock.
"Remind me to not let you deliver reports anymore." The man stood up, dusting his pants.
That's when the pink haired marine jumped on him, placing his hands on the blonde's shoulders and jumping in a circle, forcing Helmeppo to do the same.
The Lieutenant Commander was ready to go search for a psychiatrist's help when Coby whisper-yelled, somehow.
"We are going to Mariejois!"
PRESENT TIME
Iceburg studied the Thousand Sunny with careful crafted attention and interest. The ship's figurehead stared right back at him with its usual smiling face, though the shipwright could feel a shadow of sadness around it.
Behind him, Paulie smoked his favorite cigarette, already finished with his assessment of the vessel. Peeply Lulu watched his boss, arms crossed and blank faced. Tilestone burped. The rest of the Dock 1 staff continued their jobs in spite of the tense atmosphere surrounding the place.
Since Sunny's arrival, the initial cheers of joy died down quickly, replaced by an unusual air of rigidity. It irritated most of the upper echelons, but they could not do anything about it. It might have been partly from the unusual people that came along and were currently staying in the company's headquarters, but even if the vessel was a danger to Water 7, they'd never think of sending it away.
The mayor eventually nodded and crossed his arms. His expression did not change from the serious one it was in, giving his employees a hard time deciding whether to speak or not.
"It's in pretty bad shape." The blue haired man murmured after another five minutes.
"It's a fucking wreck." Paulie exhaled smoke, stating the obvious. "Look at that decimated hull, that bastard Franky almost let his ship get killed!"
"Hm, I expected more from him, but it seems the Marines weren't merciful." Lulu commented.
"I doubt it's the Marines fault, y'know?" The blonde man growled.
"What do you me-"
"It doesn't matter." Iceburg's bored tone cut in. "Now we can finally get to repairing it."
The head of the Galley-La company rolled up his sleeves.
"Paulie, tell them to bring the Adam wood here. We are pulling an all-nighter."
"Thanks for getting us here, Smoker." Law didn't want to admit it, but it was really because of the Vice- Admiral that they managed to get in such a short time back to Kuja Island.
The white haired man scoffed. "Don't let it get to your head kid." He crossed his arms, eyeing the yellow submarine docked in front of them expectantly.
"How are they?"
The doctor looked to his 'ship' as well and sighed, aggravated. "They'll be fine, physically."
Smoker raised an eyebrow.
"Who knows what stupid thoughts jump through their heads. Those idiots have to be watched."
The marine nodded in agreement. "You going back to Sabaody after you drop them there?"
It was Law's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Why."
The statement irritated Smoker, but he supposed it was only fair. "I want to talk with Rayleigh. I understand that he is the brain behind all this."
Law shook his head. "Then you'll be coming with me. He's meeting us at that island." He paused eyeing the marine ship approvingly. "The KairÅseki will be welcomed."
Smoker snorted but nodded nonetheless. He really didn't have any better plan at the moment.
Rusukaina Island was situated to the northwest of Amazon Lily, inside the Calm Belt. Despite its constantly changing climate, it was chosen as the meeting spot for the escapees from the Impel Down and their saviors.
"Aha, so that plan went good! I'm surprised to hear they managed to think about that." Rayleigh laughed after he heard Leo's recounting of events inside the prison. The dwarf had also thanked him for the backup plan the former pirate told him with the elevator. It had been a saving grace.
"I'm actually more surprised these people could work together in the end." Mr. 3 lifted up his glasses.
The grey haired man nodded in agreement.
"It'd have been easier if you bastards didn't get in my way." Crocodile scoffed, eyeing Buggy pointedly.
"Excuse you, I was not in your fucking way!" The easily irritable clown yelled, before doubling over in a coughing fit.
"Stop that. I didn't patch you up to end up dying from your idiocy!" Law barked from his spot on the ground.
Rayleigh shook his head at their antics before his attention was drawn to the two persons exiting the submarine docked near the shore.
Zoro scowled when he saw the circle and he almost threw up. Those bastards were acting like they were fucking best friends now, what the fuck. Besides him Sanji's face was a mixture of irritation and incredulity. Something was wrong with this picturesque image.
The First Mate of the Pirate King smiled when he saw them approaching.
"It's nice to see you again."
The blonde cook nodded, a grateful smile on his face. His green haired friend was not feeling quite the same.
"What's the big idea, Rayleigh." His voice was gruff and the statement brought silence above the group.
The older man's smile turned rueful. "Disappointed to be alive and free, Zoro?"
"As a matter of fact," the swordsman began, "yeah."
All around him, everyone's faces were shocked and doubtful. Sanji's was a bit of both and then some fury.
"What the hell are you talkin-"
Rayleigh chuckled, cutting him off. "You seem to live up to your position as the First Mate. You gonna follow in your captain's footsteps?" His eyes locked with Zoro's angry ones. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you'll be living for a while longer."
Mouth pressed in a tight line, the green haired man opened his mouth to refute his words, but the older man was not done.
"We'll begin telling you what our plans are from now on. Just to be sure we're riding the same wave."
Both Strawhats were surprised at the confession and stared at him expectantly.
"After your friends join us. Sabo should be back soon as well. In the mean time, soup?"
"How did Doflamingo know about that?" Crocodile asked the man sitting next to him, eyeing the two eating pirates on the other side of the circle.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out." The Surgeon of Death muttered.
"It might be legit." The sand man continued after a while despite the other's silence. "You planning on telling 'em?"
Law studied the two for a minute longer before he answered. "I don't see why not."
"It's so good to see you again Rayleigh-san!" Nami smiled sweetly at the older man, her hand stroking Chopper's fur. The reindeer almost purred.
Rayleigh chuckled. "The pleasure is all mine." His eyes moved to gaze at everyone gathered around the large bowl of soup now in the middle of the circle. It was obvious the Strawhats had benefitted from Law's expert medical attention. They were patched up good and a little color had already returned to their faces.
He looked at Zoro's almost livid face and his smile widened. The swordsman looked ready to blow and it was making his crewmates uncomfortable. To be honest, the former pirate had expected at least something like this from him. Despite his detached nature, he cared very much for his friends and especially for Luffy. He was the man Zoro had pledged his loyalty to and now that man was dead.
A long time ago, Rayleigh was sure the swordsman would have just scoffed and walked away, uncaring, but after everything they've been through, it was pretty obvious that he would behave that way. The grey haired man knew that from personal experience.
His jaw tightened as he recounted the facts he had to tell and his mind searched for the best way to spill them without causing a huge uproar from the former prisoners. They were still psychically weak.
"All right, since your swordsman looks like he's about to kill me, I guess I should start speaking."
Rayleigh chuckled when he saw the dirty faces the other Strawhats threw at Zoro. The man did not move a muscle, his gaze fixed on his.
"Why did you save us?" The green haired man growled.
"Because I might have reasons to believe that Luffy is alive."
The shocked silence that followed was expected. Zoro's outburst wasn't.
"DON'T SCREW WITH US!" The swordsman was on his feet, breathing hard.
"Oi, oi." Law glared at him, obviously not in the mood to treat idiots.
Rayleigh watched him for a few moments before speaking. "I am not."
The simple sentence seemed to snap the others from their stupor.
"W-what are you saying Rayleigh-san..." Usopp's voice broke at the end, his trembling hands closing into fists.
"When I saw that article in the newspaper I knew what they tried to cover up. I sent out my thoughts to the people I knew would not mind giving me a helping hand. But some others wound up along the way." He explained, looking at Crocodile, Bartolomeo and Leo pointedly.
"We've staged your rescue and brought you here to help us."
"How can you know that Luffy's alive when you weren't even there?" Franky asked, his face doubtful but his eyes held a glimmer of hope.
"Because what you probably saw was Sakazuki capturing him before the marines arrested you and took you away. It's fine to assume he was dead, but he might as well be alive. We've yet to see his body."
Mouth pressed in a tight line, Robin asked. "Where is he then, Rayleigh-san?"
"Mariejois." Law answered in his place.
Rayleigh looked at him, surprised. "That's what I assumed too. How did you get to that conclusion?"
The former Shichibukai shook his head. "Doflamingo said it."
Grey eyebrows shot up in surprise around the others' gasps.
"When I told him that Strawhat-ya is alive, he looked like he had been waiting for me to say it. He told us about a key and a door we can use to enter Mariejois."
"You really believe that guy?" Usopp asked hesitantly. He's had enough of the blonde Noble to last him a lifetime.
"It might not be a fluke. There is a possibility." Rayleigh's hand was on his chin, his eyes alive with the numerous possibilities.
"Then we just enter the place and take him out of there?" Sanji asked, looking between the two.
"No, this needs to be planned carefully. If we screw this up, they might as well kill him before we get there."
A grim prospect, but a real one. The former pirate could not believe their luck. Such key might play a very huge part in their next move.
"The only problem is that I have to search for Baby 5." Law continued, not noticing Cavendish's slight jolt of surprise. "After I find her I'm going to-"
"Baby 5..." The blonde haired pirate began thoughtfully. "Is she that black haired woman that's dressed like a maid?"
The Surgeon of Death stood up in shock, his eyes narrowing. "You know her? Where is she?"
Their gazes locked and both were silent for a few moments as the people around continued to watch them with interest.
"Yeah," Cavendish began uncertainly, "she was latched onto Sai. She kept saying they're getting married or something."
Law's face was a mixture of exasperation and I've-dealt-with-this-shit-long-enough.
"Where are they?"
"On standby in Sabaody." Rayleigh answered in the blonde's stead. "She has the key?"
"She knows where the key is." The doctor crossed his arms and sighed. "I'll go and search for it."
"And we can enter Mariejois with this key?" Nami asked, looking doubtful.
"If what Law says it's true, then we have to search for the door." Sabo spoke for the first time since the discussion began.
"Should we split into teams again?" Leo asked, already excited.
"No," Rayleigh scratched his chin. "I say we let Law find the key first. When we'll have it we can begin searching for a way inside."
Everyone nodded, understanding the logic behind his proposal. It'd be stupid to put themselves in danger if they didn't have the key.
Seeing all of them agree, the former pirate could not help but smirk. "All right then. Until Law returns, everyone is on standby. You know what to do."
With those words, he stood up and left for the ocean.
"Rayleigh." Smoker's voice stopped him from leaving. The older man hid an amused smile.
"You found me."
"I've got no intention of helping you people invade Mariejois." The marine went on to the point.
Rayleigh shifted to gaze at him. "But you want to mock the Government." His statement brought a smirk on Smoker's face.
"Yes, I'd like to give them a piece of my mind. It's been boring lately."
"I completely understand." The Dark King shook his head, his feet splashing the water as he made his way deeper. "You just help these kids however you want. If not, then we'd like some info on the Marine's moves."
No matter how Smoker rebelled the Government, he wouldn't betray the Marines and Rayleigh knew that. He just said it to look like he was giving the man a choice, a simple psychological game.
Smoker gritted his teeth but said nothing. He put his sunglasses on and crossed his arms.
That old man was making him uncomfortable.
"Trafalgar, I'm coming with you." Crocodile's announcement stopped the man in question mid-step. His dark eyes looked back to glare at the sand man.
"Hell no. I've had enough of you people destroying my ship."
"If I remember correctly, it was you and Buggy who did most of the damage." The smoking man smirked at him.
Twitching slightly, Law decided to let that reason go and move on to the next one. He had a complete list of ten pages.
He opened his mouth, but stopped at the last second and actually thought about it. Crocodile didn't have any reason to come with him, taking into consideration the nature of the mission. This fact really bothered him.
"Why do you want to come?"
Crocodile shrugged, looking already bored. "I sure as hell don't wanna stay on this island and mope with those bastards." He gestured with an eye roll to the sad group behind them on the beach.
The Strawhats were closed in on themselves, sitting in a tight circle and were literally standing there and brooding, moping and doing things like that in general.
Yeah.
"Besides, this search might very well be fruitless. Either way, anything to stop my boredom will be enough."
Had he been told this two months ago, Law would have never even dreamed of allowing him on his ship. But after everything that happened, after Impel Down and getting to know this strange bastards a little better, he supposed the man's reasoning was sound, if nothing else.
"Fine."
"Trafalgar."
A vein pulsed on the man's head. "Yeah?" He turned to look at Smoker's approaching form.
"I'm getting you to Sabaody." The white haired man pointed to his vessel. There was agitation on deck, signaling that preparations for departure were under way.
Having nothing else to say to this, Law nodded. "Alright."
Helmeppo took a long look at his restless friend and shook his head, wondering when this madness will end.
No, not the madness that they were actually attempting into using a perfectly innocent backup mission that could possibly advance them further in ranks for their own personal gain, and more accurately speaking, for pirates' gain.
No, Helmeppo had long since given up on thinking about that. The problem was Coby himself. Ever since they were appointed the mission, a week prior, he had been jumping around up and down- literally and metaphorically- a feat that made the blonde more and more aggravated and somehow, the positive vibes the pink haired man was spreading in the general area around him, where the blonde was standing, seemed to transform into negative ones.
In short, he was irritated, pissed and since yesterday, restless.
Unknowingly, he growled out loud, which made his friend stop and look at him.
"Is something bothering you, Helmeppo-san?"
Besides you and the flowery fields that seem to magically appear in your background, no.
"No." The man answered carefully. "Just wanting to arrive already."
The other marine nodded fervently, clearly just as anxious to get there as he was.
"Forget it." The blonde man shook his head, sighting. "I'm going back."
Coby nodded and resumed his happy humming, watching as the officers scrambled on the deck in preparation for docking.
His eyes strayed to the archipelago awaiting them on the horizon and his mouth pressed in a tight line. This was it. This was what they've been waiting for and Coby will be damned if he let Luffy slip through his fingers. He didn't believe in something like marines and pirates that can't be friends. Coby knew better, they could and his friendship with Luffy was the proof. He didn't tire himself in thinking deeper than that. He'd help the black haired pirate however he could.
A sudden grin spread on his face when he imagined Garp-san's face as he heard what they did. And the punishment training after that.
Totally worth it.
Helmeppo sighed again as he closed the door to his shared room with Coby. Even with superior ranks, they still made you share a room until you were Vice-Admiral or something. That, or they were the idiots of the place. Either way, he was used to it so he didn't complain.
Casting a look at the small space and the two bunk beds squeezed in there, his eyes strayed beyond them to the small space that served as a deposit. Well, it had a small table and a small wardrobe. The blonde shook his head, even with their size- and he and Coby were still normal sized! - the living spaces were getting smaller and smaller. Now he knew why all the bigger guys strived for Vice-Admiral.
A small shift made his eyes narrow. His experience in controlling Haki was guessing at best and instinct at most, but he was still training to awaken it so he could sense things normal people usually didn't.
The wooden boards under his feet cracked as he slowly made his way towards the space at the end of the beds. He had his hands hovering above the hilts of his kukri and his body tensed to attack.
The last step was bolder, the wardrobe fully entering his view. Nothing.
Before he could sigh in relief and call it his imagination and Coby's optimistic vibes for triggering it, he caught a shadow move from the corner of his eye and before he could act, the glinting blade of a knife was at his neck.
Not daring to breathe nor move a muscle, his mind reeled with all the defense techniques he had learned throughout his training, trying to single out the best one. But before he could go for it, his captor spoke.
"Hello. I'd like to speak with," there was the shuffling of a paper behind him, "Captain Coby."
A woman?!
Coby waved good night to the officers on duty as he made his way towards his room. The pink haired man was tired. All his excitement during the day had left him feeling somewhat empty and really tired. He couldn't wait to sink in his bed.
There was a shout from the inside and the man raised an eyebrow. Helmeppo was pretty popular with his subordinates, but he didn't know he had any other good friends he spent his time with besides Coby. Not that they would have time for such a thing.
Hand on the doorknob, he entered confidently, wanting to surprise them, but what he saw made him freeze. His jaw hung open and his feet felt like they were glued to the ground.
"Aww man, I lost again! Dammit, you're pretty good at this game." His friend shouted, completely oblivious to the door being opened.
The blonde woman on the other side of the playing board grinned. "Of course."
Her head whipped in the direction of the door though, when she heard him step inside or heard his jaw hit the floor, either was possible. She was on her feet in a second, a dagger in her left hand.
"Coby!" Helmeppo snapped him from his stupor. His friend looked frantic, waving his hand at the door. "Close it already, dammit!" He whispered harshly.
Left without a choice and working synapses, Coby closed the door just as quietly. The woman relaxed ever so slightly.
"Wha-what is happening here?!" His voice was higher than he would have liked.
"Is he usually such a sissy?" The blonde woman looked at his friend.
The man chuckled. "Usually. If you're lucky, he's going to pull himself together in the next couple of minutes."
"Good, 'cause I don't have much time." She whispered back, studying him carefully.
Coby had to try a few times before he finally regained his lost dignity. Clearing his throat, he addressed the now silent room.
"Uhm, hello?" The pink haired man began uncertainly, inwardly cringing. "Who... are you?"
The blonde woman's face lit up in a smile. She adjusted the crimson cap on her head and replied. "My name is Koala. I'm an officer in the Revolutionary Army."
Her statement made Coby's body tense up and he frowned. It did not deter Koala's smile in the least.
The pink haired man considered his options and concluded that he might as well hear her out since she's made the effort to infiltrate the ship. It made him a little uneasy knowing that their vessels weren't impenetrable, but it was a thing that would be useful to keep track of in the future. Nothing was perfect, and the Marines were surely at the very front of the list. Debating for a moment longer the best way to not sound impolite, he asked.
"How can, uh, we help you?"
The blonde haired woman's smile widened. "I've heard that you have a mission in Mariejois."
Ignoring the 'heard' part- Coby didn't even want to start considering it- he clenched his fists tightly. Why would she want to...?
"Yes. Why?"
Koala reached inside the brown bag she was carrying and took out a folded paper which she began unfolding and showed them its insides. Luffy's face stared back at them.
"Wha-"
"This is the man I am searching for. I heard he's in Mariejois."
"I'm not even going to ask how you heard that too." Helmeppo shook his head.
"How do you know that?" Coby asked in all seriousness. It took him risking his neck and listening in to a conversation between his teacher and the Fleet Admiral of the Marines to find out.
"My boss has the right connections." Koala smiled again, her eyes wide and innocent.
Coby was almost buying it, but his blonde haired friend didn't. "And who are these connections exactly?"
His question was met with silence. Obviously the woman wouldn't tell them. Coby resigned himself, but he tried anyway.
"If you tell us then you can come, after you tell us your plan." He underlined the condition just in case. "Besides, we are not ones to go and kill the guy. You can contact him after this and let him run away. He's going to have enough time until we get back."
Koala looked like she truly considered it, but then she burst out laughing. "All right, fine." She wiped her eyes. "I plan to find Luffy, that's all."
"We want the same thing. It's a good start." The pink haired man nodded, a small smile on his lips.
"I actually found out about it from my boss." Koala sat down and proceeded to explain her mission further. "Our Chief of Staff just up and ran away to try and do the same thing, but he's taking a detour, considering they only have rescued the Strawhats from Impel Down."
Coby nodded, clearly remembering the news that shook the world for a second time in a single year. Everyone was frantic at the Headquarters, but he couldn't say the same. He was happy to know the rest of his friends were out of danger for now. Garp had actually been caught-again-between the unpleasant feeling of the marines losing and his own feelings of relief that his grandson's friends were alright. Not to mention he had almost had a heart attack when he saw someone named Sabo in the newspaper. It took a few days to get him off the poor piece of paper.
"So he sent me on the direct road." The blonde woman clasped her hands, resting her chin on them. "And that's that."
"So," Helmeppo summarized her earlier words, "you want to go in with us, how?"
Her face lit up again and the blonde haired man had the nagging feeling she was a happy-vibes person like his friend. Just his luck.
"Obviously disguising as a Marine!"
The two men chocked back shocked gasps. A few moments of silence followed before Coby scratched his head in confusion. Too much shit going on.
"Fine, whatever. If you're not going to cause trouble for us, you might as well come."
Koala grinned at his positive answer. She didn't need to kill them after all. Before she retired for the night, she said one last thing.
"Your master has one hell of a big mouth. He's called Dragon-san just to weep and tell him Luffy's alive." She released a laugh at the memory and at their horrified expressions.
Coby promised himself to buy a leash for his master, no matter how ironic it might look with his dog hat and the vessel's dog figurehead. And confiscate his Den Den Mushi. It just didn't do for the Hero of the Marines to call the head of the Revolutionary army to cry his eyes out over the phone.
"All right then, goodnight." The blonde woman said quickly, throwing herself on the bed and pulling the covers over herself.
The two men continued to look at her snoring form a few minutes longer, jaws hanging, before the blonde one snapped himself out of the stupor Koala successfully put them in, again. He looked at his frozen friend for a few moments before shaking his head.
"I'm not sharing my bed with you Coby. Have fun on the floor."
Coby wept.
Mariejois was truly a wonder city. It was obvious the World Nobles lived there just by looking at its enormous golden gates.
Coby and his two subordinates, despite announcing only one, were welcomed with warm smiles by the security staff working on keeping the peace in the most important city of the world. These people were normal marines, veterans or officers that had undergone special training to be part of these troupes.
Their Headquarters were at the very edge of the city, near the gates that welcomed visitors. From there, they explained to Coby, easy access was possible to any district of the city through the huge walls that enclosed it, more precisely, from the tunnels that permeated them. Of course, nothing was easy when the Celestial Dragons were involved. The only way for a soldier to enter the city was through a spray of water filled with a substance that acted as a disinfectant. Obviously, it was mostly just a show to keep them at ease, considering they walked through Sabaody with bubbles on their heads.
Koala had behaved until now and no one, even the officers on their ship who knew each other- so they'd have had a reason to doubt her sudden appearance- had reacted hostile to her presence. Which was reassuring Coby that everything will be alright.
After they've been presented their tasks and informed of every other details that might have slipped, the pink haired man asked the nice man that had been their guide if they were allowed to take a look at the city.
"Nothing much, we just want to visit it and have a feel of the place we are going to protect from now on."
He hoped his smile was innocent enough.
The red haired man in front of him blinked, but accepted his explanation. He left to speak with his superiors for a few minutes, leaving the office room descend in silence.
Koala was already on to her intelligence gathering, quickly scanning the room for surveillance snails. Surprisingly, or not, there weren't any.
Before Coby could point out the obvious and ask why, she spoke. "They obviously trust every single person that enters here and would not dare doubt the Marines. Shows just how egoistic and self-inflated the Marine organization is. This is almost too easy."
A pink eyebrow shot up in surprise. Helmeppo groaned beside him, his hand slapping his forehead.
A few minutes later steps were heard again in the hallway. Quickly scrambling to her feet, the blonde haired woman took her previous position next to her two companions, who have not moved. They threw her some dubious looks, but the appearance of their guide stopped them from further commenting.
The man smiled amiably at the group when he entered. "Please follow me. They granted you access."
Inwardly sighing in relief, the trio followed him out in the hallway and down a series of tunnels that felt curved, like they were going in a circle continuously. After a half an hour walk, which felt more like days to the pink haired man, they stopped at one of the metal doors that were found at regular intervals through the stone structure.
Pressing a button on the pad next to it, their guide activated a series of machines that soaked them suddenly from above. Stifling down a selective curse of their own, the trio watched in awe as the water evaporated almost immediately, leaving them smelling like some flowers and spirit.
The door immediately opened after their sudden shower and the beam of light was really unexpected.
"Wow, it's shining." Coby whispered as they walked on one of the walkways that went above the rooftops, connecting the different districts of the city.
Their guide laughed. "Everyone says that when they see it for the first time." His eyes twinkled, obviously enjoying their reactions. "You can go wherever you wish. I will stop you if it's a restricted area. In the meantime enjoy your visit and please don't mind me, I'll be standing at the back. If you have questions please don't hesitate to ask them." His words left his mouth without hesitation, obviously a well-rehearsed speech he told often.
Coby nodded and smiled gratefully before resuming his walk alongside Helmeppo. Koala was already way in front of them.
The trio was focused on one thing only: Find Luffy!
Their search was taking longer than Coby would have thought, but then again, he hadn't known that the city of Mariejois was this big!
His hope was already waning by the time he heard Koala gasp in surprise and almost launched herself over the railing.
Their guide threw her a questioning look, but Coby covered for her quickly. "I'm sorry, this is how she's always reacting to nice views. I should say, it's quite amazing!"
The raven haired man seemed satisfied enough by his answer and resumed talking on the snail phone a little ways from their positions.
Both men leaned over the railing, trying to pinpoint where she was looking at. Coby jumped and almost yelled out his name when his eyes settled on the very person they were searching for. Helmeppo had almost the same reaction next to him.
He looked healthy. His hair was a little longer than usual, but still cropped short. All in all, he looked the same, minus the horrendous scar on his neck, no doubt from his fight with the Fleet Admiral. Coby's eyes hardened as the thought entered his mind. But the small spark of hatred he had been harboring for the lava man was not there anymore. In its place was only relief at seeing his friend alright.
The sound of a photo being discreetly taken snapped them back to attention. Koala had been the first to act and her mission was now partially successful. She smiled at the thought. She would've wanted to see Sabo's shocked face, but she'd settle for the stories.
Her eyes narrowed when she took a better look at her friend's brother. He looked fine, but she wanted to know who his companions were.
A red haired woman that was obviously a Celestial Dragon by the clothes she was wearing on one side and a normal clothed kid on his other.
Strange combination.
But this was Luffy they were talking about so he'd have to have snatched them up on a crazy adventure or something around here. She was confused why he'd be so relaxed knowing that his friends were in mortal danger, but their guide's words interrupted her musings.
Next to her, Coby had been thinking something along those lines too. He was just as confused, but the man in front of them was speaking. They had to keep up appearances. Maybe if they played this right, they'd get another chance.
"Let's leave this for later." Helmeppo's whisper caused a smirk to appear on his face in spite of himself.
"I'm sorry, but the closing hour is a pretty strict thing for them."
Koala almost snorted, but refrained if only to not sabotage her mission. The next step, she recounted inside her head, was to search for a way to send the photo to Dragon. For that, she'd need a fax Den Den Mushi.
She nudged Coby with her elbow a little too hard. The man yelped a little, but thankfully Helmeppo was keeping their guide occupied.
"I need a fax, now. We have to send the photo." The blonde woman whispered.
"What do you want me to do?!" Coby exclaimed silently.
"You are the freaking man in charge. Deal with this!" She shoved him forward for good measure.
This woman is strong!
Coby rubbed his shoulder as he caught up, not on his free will, with the two walking in front of him. He smiled when the red haired man looked at him questioningly.
"I wanted to ask you a small favor. I will need a Den Den Mushi to report our arrival to Vice-Admiral Garp. I am from his division."
The man looked doubtful, but complied. Coby asked himself when he'd learned to lie so good.
Koala looked impressed and asked him to join the Revolutionary Army.
He refused.
Helmeppo snorted.
"This is perfect, good job Captain!" The blonde haired woman exclaimed, typing in the Den Den Mushi the number she was sending the photo to.
Coby scratched the back of his head, flattered.
"So what comes after this?" Helmeppo asked from his spot. He had declared the comfortable office chair in the room his propriety and was now sitting in it with his feet propped up on the table.
"We try to make contact with Luffy again. And search for more info. I'll try to contact the Strawhats too." Koala explained in an obvious voice, clearly expecting better from her companions.
"Then you'll have to hurry or you want to use this room again?" Coby asked hesitantly, though he knew the answer.
Giving him an I-think-you-know-the-answer look, the blonde woman continued to fix the snail. A quiet haze descended above them, interrupted only by the small sounds coming from the monitors.
"You think Luffy knows who we are?"
Helmeppo's casual question brought a cold wave of fear upon his two companions. They snapped their heads back to look at him, startling the blonde man a little.
"What," Coby rasped through gritted teeth, "are you talking about, Helmeppo-san?" His fists clenched trying to keep the uncomfortable feeling away. His friend had just given life to the worst nightmare he had been trying so hard to squelch ever since they've seen the raven head.
"It's very possible that he doesn't." Koala's answer did not help him in the least.
"How can you know something like that?!" He almost yelled at her before facing his friend again.
Helmeppo sighed when he saw Coby's desperate eyes and the blonde man knew in that moment that the worst case scenario was playing in front of their very eyes. For Coby's sake, he explained.
"You've seen how he was behaving..."
"Normal." The pink haired marine interrupted with furrowed brows.
"Normal?" Helmeppo repeated, almost laughing out loud. "But with who?"
His question echoed inside silent the room. Coby did not have an answer for that.
Before any more words could be spoken, Koala's shout of triumph caught their attention.
"Finally! Alright, let's get down to business." She cracked her knuckles and smiled.
Coby watched her actions with detached eyes, his mind already overloaded with searching for an answer for his friend's behavior. It was true that he had questioned himself exactly the same thing after he's seen the pirate, but he didn't want to dwell on something that would never happen.
That shouldn't have ever happened.
Luffy forgetting his friends was, in Coby's honest opinion, something that should have destroyed the very laws of nature. It just was not plausible. But now that the fact had been slammed in his face, he had to grudgingly agree that it might be possible. After all, Luffy was not a good actor and he couldn't lie to save his life. And he surely wouldn't act like that in a situation where his friends' lives were in danger. He'd bust a hole through this city and go save them. So his relaxed and normal behavior must have been just that.
In that moment, Coby finally felt like he understood Luffy better, if only by the conclusion he came to regarding the rubber man. Him forgetting his friends could be attributed to a number of reasons and still the world did not stop moving, and nothing apocalyptic happened. After years of considering the black haired pirate to be more than just a simple man, Coby realized with a startling clarity that they were the same.
Luffy was only human after all.
And Coby swore he would help him in any way he could to make him remember them.
Purupurupuru
Dragon raised an eyebrow as he watched his fax Den Den Mushi wake up and start printing something. And it was from an unknown number.
Absently, he remembered Koala was on a mission in Mariejois and a smirk slowly appeared on his face. Crossing his arms, he waited patiently for the papers to print before taking them with a lost feeling of anticipation.
Like it was Christmas.
Eyes scanning the first set, he felt the need to congratulate the blonde woman. These were perfect shots of the city of Mariejois.
Shifting through the stack of papers hurriedly, his eyes stopped to gaze at the last picture. His son's laughing face stared back at him. The kid wasn't looking in his direction, his attention was caught by something on his left side.
The man's eyes narrowed slightly as his mind caught the implications behind that smile and a plan was already forming in his head by the time he reached for the snail to forward the photo. Sabo will have a panic attack, that he was sure of. The question was:
What will his friends do?
MARIEJOIS (The next day)
A flash of golden light hit him, but he continued on. A wave of poison threatened to engulf him, but he swam through it. A block of ice almost hit him, but he avoided it.
His eyes were focused in front of him, everything else becoming nothing more than darkness. He reached out his hand but couldn't touch him. Desperation building up in his chest, he screamed his name.
"ACE!"
Lava exploded in front of him, engulfing him in a scorching cocoon of fire.
"LUFFY!"
"Lucy, wake up already!"
The raven haired teen blinked his eyes open, but closed them again when the hellish sun rays threatened to burn his retina. He groaned, turning on his side.
The person behind him snorted and he could almost see her cross her arms, eyebrows scrunched up in irritation.
"It's late."
The boy almost snorted. If that was her reason then he'll go back to sleep.
"And Kiiro is here."
Shooting up from his spot, Lucy almost stumbled to the ground on his tangled covers and cursed.
"We'll be waiting for you downstairs."
The black haired teen nodded as he entered his bathroom and his humming was cut short when he saw his disheveled form in the mirror. He cringed, massaging one nasty, purple bruise and washing another cut on his cheek. He should put a plaster on it.
It did not help his mood at all when he thought what brought these marks upon him. Needless to say, he was surely looking forward to finishing the 'training' he was put under, whenever that was. Those bastards were starting to irritate him after almost three months of repeating the same sentence over and over again.
"Remember, you are a Celestial Dragon master Lucy."
Yes, I know that already. Why do they have to keep repeating it?!
It was surely starting to become a hassle, especially when he started to have more and more headaches because of it. And Lucy didn't like his head to hurt.
A hand went through his damp hair and he sighed. No use in thinking about it anymore. He had already talked to Ivy about it and she said she'd discuss with her father after Lucy totally refused to do that. The guy was making him uncomfortable and the young man avoided him as best as he could.
Opening the door to his room, his foot caught on a discarded newspaper from a couple of days ago. He bent down to retrieve it, silently asking himself what it was doing there.
IMPEL DOWN BREAK IN - THE STRAWHAT PIRATES ARE FREE
Ah.
The article that captured his attention on that fateful day stared back at him. He had been pretty confused at first by what Kiiro was talking about, but he had kept the paper anyway since it captured his curiosity. Ivy, and most of the population of Mariejois- but especially Ivy- had been in a frenzy that day. She had been frantic to the border of desperate, which made Lucy even more confused and curious.
After he read the article he had gotten himself a headache though, so he flung it in a random direction in his room and forgot about it.
Flipping the page, his eyes caught eight small photos of the people that, as the newspaper said, had escaped from the jail.
So these are those Strawhat pirates.
They didn't look too bad in Lucy's opinion. He had expected some ugly, big, fat pirates to make up the crew- his image of pirates was only so much, partly being Ivy's fault- so his eyebrows rose in surprise when he spied a small raccoon- that on second look was more of a reindeer- and a bulky blue haired guy that had a metal nose. They even had a walking skeleton.
Totally awesome.
His temples pulsed suddenly, and his hand immediately went to the painful area, rubbing to soothe the pain. Having lost all concentration, the black haired teen shook his head and let the papers fall on the ground as he made his way out of the door and down to the garden.
He hoped that he wasn't late, but the red head was going to yell at him anyway and he stifled down a laugh when he imagined her red face.
"Lucy!" The little blonde haired boy waved at him enthusiastically. His raven haired friend waved back with a disheartening amount of enthusiasm.
So he was having one of those headaches again. Kiiro didn't know what to make of them but it saddened him when his friend was in pain and he surely didn't like them for appearing at such random times. One minute Lucy is laughing and the next he screams that his head feels like exploding.
He saw Ivy sigh tiredly from next to him on the bench and he tried to offer her a reassuring smile. The red head returned it for a moment before her face returned to a blank.
Their meeting had been no more than strange. After his little adventure, Lucy had waltzed right back in the same Outer District he had met Kiiro, dragging an unwilling Ivy behind him. They've been on a road of what their black haired friend called 'adventures' which usually consisted of running around and finding random things or discovering new ones. One time they disguised themselves and ran away without paying after eating at one of the most luxurious restaurants in the city of Mariejois. Fortunately, they weren't caught or discovered, so the mystery thieves were still lurking around and scaring shop owners.
Their red haired companion had thoroughly disagreed with such activities and even got into a huge argument with Lucy, but the teen had just laughed it off and went to cause more havoc. The blonde haired boy didn't know how, but problems seemed to follow Lucy around like children wanting ice-cream. It was really funny sometimes.
"So what are we doing today?" Lucy asked, still rubbing his temples.
"Staying still and trying to cure your head problems." Ivy crossed her arms, looking at him in all seriousness.
Lucy grimaced. "I don't have head problems."
"Keep telling yourself that, sweetie."
Kiiro cringed at the word. In the time he had spent time with the two he had learned two things. One, Ivy could transform every nice word, like sweetie, in a derogative word. There was something in the way she said it to you that made you feel like a jackass and an idiot. She also had the tendency to switch between nice and evil-mad-woman that threatened to kill him in the space of five seconds.
"I would, but then I'd really have head problems. Shishishi."
Two, Lucy was completely immune to them. Not to mention blunt and to the point on everything from the weather to clothing advice. Kiiro shivered when he remembered the last time they went shopping.
Ivy opened her mouth to retort, but Lucy spoke again.
"I say, let's go try that new ice-cream sho-"
"I see that you are having fun." A heavy voice made the raven head standing in front of them stiffen.
"Father." Ivy stood up and smiled at the black haired man that was walking towards them.
Kiiro bowed in respect.
"I will not take much of your time." The way the man spoke made the blonde boy understand why his friend reacted that way.
"Tomorrow, the city will be visited by the Five Stars."
Twin gasps erupted from Ivy and Kiiro.
"This is just a visit, but we must be on our best behavior." He eyed Lucy pointedly.
The teen nodded his head slowly, still not turning around.
"Father, we should begin preparing ourselves then-" Ivy began, her voice sweet and shy, already looking frantic. Her whole persona literally did another one eighty when her father was present, which made the boy question if she was the one having head problems.
"There is no need." The older man interrupted her. "I actually came here to inform you that you will be sent on a diplomatic cruise."
Ivy tensed at his words, her brows furrowing slightly when the man wasn't looking.
This captured Lucy's attention. He turned back suddenly, face ecstatic. "Cruise, like on the sea? Can I come?" He asked hurriedly before adding. "Please."
Ivy's father nodded, eyes hard. "Yes, you will be accompanying Ivy."
Kiiro felt his stomach drop when he realized he'll be the only one to stay. It'll be boring without them.
"The little boy may come too. I've already talked to his masters."
Blue eyes shined happily. The two boys jumped around in excitement making Ivy shake her head in amusement. She stopped mid-action and eyed her father. He was not looking at her. She sighed in relief, inwardly, and glared at the two just as his hard gaze slipped back to her form.
Safe.
"We're going on an adventure!" Lucy exclaimed, arms up, a wide grin on his face. His hand went to the empty space above his head again and he swore. He was having those episodes with the thing above his head again.
Maybe it was a crown there and I forgot. Shishishi
Quickly forgetting this in favor of not destroying his new adventure, he opted to tug at the buttons of the red shirt he was wearing. It was really uncomfortable and tight. Growling under his breath, he opened two of them after casting a fast look in Ivy's direction. She was talking to her father. The coast was clear.
Adjusting his black leather coat over it, he stepped around to take a better look at the massive vessel in front of them. It looked awesome and Lucy couldn't wait to see what was inside and explore it. And he couldn't wait to see how it was to sail on the ocean. He cursed his amnesiac mind for not remembering. He'd bet it was a nice feeling.
He won't say it out loud in fear of Ivy hitting him, but he couldn't wait to leave Mariejois and see something else besides these same houses and ugly dressed people. Maybe the people from the outside were dressed better.
His red head friend returned, making him jump in anticipation even more.
"Lucyyyy!"
The raven head waved to his blonde friend enthusiastically.
"Yo, Kiiro!"
"So these are your friends." An older woman followed smiling at him and Ivy.
Lucy frowned when he took in her cold eyes and tight, obviously polite smile. Great, another uptight Noble. He's had enough of them.
"I am Hana, the assigned caretaker for Kiiro." The woman spoke formally.
Ivy nodded and the woman bowed before entering the ship.
Lucy scrunched his nose and glared at her retreating back. He got himself an elbow in the gut for his efforts.
The interior of the ship was just as luxurious as the exterior looked. Everything shined and it made both Lucy and Kiiro jump and run around, wanting to touch everything.
"Stop, you can't touch that Lucy."
"Kiiro no! You are going to break it."
"Lucy, I told you to stop touching it!"
"You can't touch that either Kiiro."
The two boys bowed their heads, a depressed atmosphere surrounding them. Ivy snorted.
"I should be the one to be depressed. I have to babysit you two for ten whole days!"
"Whoo, ten days on the sea, awesome!" Lucy was back on his feet, his eyes searching every bit of the room they were in.
There were three beds, a small couch and a vanity. The wardrobe was gigantic compared to the rest of the things present and the raven haired teen had to ask himself how many clothes that she would never wear had Ivy brought with her.
"We are not going to be only on the sea." The red head spoke interrupting his musings.
"What do ya mean?" Lucy asked curiously.
"Where are we going?" Kiiro's face was just as expectant.
Ivy examined her nails as she continued speaking. "We are going to be going to East Blue and back."
"What's East Blue?" Both boys asked at the same time. Ivy could swear they should have been twins.
"It's a sea, one of the four Blues. It's the weakest one out of them."
"And what are we doing there?" The blonde boy was jumping up and down, trying to occupy his time.
"Visiting Goa Kingdom. It's just a simple diplomatic affair. I will be part of the convoy. You just do whatever." The red head turned on her heels just as a person outside yelled that the vessel will be departing now. "Are you coming?"
Lucy and Kiiro whooped and ran after her.
"This is so awesome!" An obnoxious voice covered the whole deck, making every person standing there gape at the young man standing on the mermaid figurehead, hands in the air and grinning as the wind wiped his face.
"Lucy, get down from there!" Ivy looked like she might have a heart attack. There weren't even five freaking minutes since they left!
"Lucy, I wanna come up there too!" Kiiro was the next to shout, his eyes wide with excitement.
"NO!" The red head yelled at him, pointing an accusing finger. "You better stay put kid, or I call Hana to put a leash on you!" Ivy growled, making the younger boy shrink back.
"Aww come on, Ivy. It's fun!" Lucy pouted, sitting on the brown head of the wood figure. He crossed his legs, resting his hand on his legs. "I'm gonna stay here from now one. If you wanna come talk, you better come up here." The black haired teen laughed at her horrified face.
Ivy pursed her lips before an idea hit her. "You mean you won't be coming down for the delicious dinner the chefs are making?" She asked tauntingly.
By now, everyone on deck had resumed their own business, not paying attention to the loud trio.
Lucy almost allowed his drool to soak his shirt-again-but wiped it just in time. He did not want a repeat of the beating Ivy gave him when he did that the first time. That red head could fight.
He suddenly grinned, making her raise a confused eyebrow. "Nope, 'cause I have help!"
As if on cue, Kiiro exited the salon in a hurry, carrying as many plates as he could with his small arms. A chicken leg was in his mouth for his own consumption.
Ivy did not have time to react, and before she knew it the two boys were enjoying their dinner on the wooden head of the mermaid. The red haired noble shook her head and bit back her own laugh. She couldn't believe it! Three months of living with Lucy and she still hadn't learned to expect the unexpected.
Silently studying the stairs leading to the top of the figurehead, she took a seat on one halfway up, praying she wouldn't fall.
There was silence for a while as both her companions ate and she took the opportunity to gaze at the dark blue color of the Grand Line waters and the sun shrinking on the horizon.
"Say, Ivy." Lucy's voice made her look above and see his head peek from the edge. He was still chewing a rather large bite of food. "How much time 'till we get there?"
The red head paused to think before answering. "We are going at top speed and in a straight line so I'd say at most five days."
Lucy hummed as he thought this over before firing another question. "And how long are we staying there?"
A red eyebrow lifted in surprise. It was unlike him to ask such things but she indulged him anyway. "Two days at most."
The trio lapsed in silence once more signaling the questionnaire was over.
Lucy's black eyes looked at the waves lapping at the bow of the vessel, then at the calm waters far away and lastly at the sinking sun, and realized his head hurt again. Bad. But he chose to ignore the pain for now. He wanted to stay here more and enjoy everything around him. He didn't remember if he liked to travel on the sea in the past, but the raven head was surely doubting he wouldn't. He absolutely loved this feeling, watching the world from this point of view made him feels so small yet so big and he never wanted it to stop. He closed his eyes, trying to capture the feeling as best as he could.
"Luffy get down, you are going to fall from there!"
His eyes blinked open again when the sun had disappeared, leaving the stars and the moon as the only source of light, making the water sparkle. He looked to his right and saw Kiiro already fell asleep sitting there and he almost laughed.
Lifting him up in his arms, he jumped from the significant height, making a loud thump on the deck. He looked at the stairs and saw them empty.
Seems like Ivy already left.
"Ah well, time for a midnight snack."
SABAODY
Law adjusted the cap on his head, eyes searching through the crowd of pirates that were supposedly allied with the Strawhats.
Too many people.
Grabbing a random limb, he tugged the guy to attention and demanded he be taken to Sai.
The scarred pirate hesitated for a moment as he tried to match his face with a name. Eyes widening, he nodded and hurriedly led him to one of the ships anchored near the shore.
What awaited the former Shichibukai on said vessel was anarchy. Well, it looked like one anyway. And in the middle of it was his target with the guy she was supposedly marrying.
Giving up in trying to solve such impossible mysteries, he stepped closer, eyes never straying from her in fear she could disappear. And he didn't have time for that.
"I keep telling you to stop that, dammit! Go help someone who needs it!" Sai growled, pointing around the ship at the numerous places she could give a hand to.
"That won't be necessary." Law felt the need to point out. "I'll need her help."
The two looked back at him in surprise.
"Law." Baby 5's eyes were narrowed, but her hostile attitude did not last long. "You need me?"
The black haired woman almost jumped on him. Law almost took a step back.
"How was Impel Down?" Sai asked as he made his way closer.
The former Shichibukai nodded in greeting. "It went better than all of us expected. They are on that island if you want to go see them."
The man nodded and crossed his arms.
The doctor's attention was back on the former Donquixote member.
"I spoke with Doflamingo." His words had the intended element of surprise.
Baby 5's jaw was hanging. "Do-Doffy? How is he? Is he-"
"Yeah, yeah, he's the same bastard as ever." Law waved her questions away.
"He said something about a key to enter Mariejois. You know where it is."
The trio lapsed into silence. Sai had an incredulous face on, while Baby 5's was blank, for the first time ever since Law had met her.
"Yes, I know where he hid it." The raven head confessed quietly.
This was all Law needed to know. "Good, you're coming with me."
"Eh? Wha-" She took a step back, but the doctor caught her arm in a tight grip.
"I don't have time for shit, Baby 5." Law growled, eyes narrowed. "We are on a tight schedule. If you're one of the people that came here to help then you better pull yourself together and lead us to that damn key."
The staring contest between the two did not last long. Sai stepped forward.
"All right, let's go."
Law threw him a questioning look. The man shrugged.
"Baby 5 is part of my crew." He explained before facing the weapon woman. "So where are we going?"
"Trafalgar, the fucking marines are coming and if they start shooting at you then I sure as hell will too." Smoker said from his spot on the railing. His appearance made most of the people on deck yelp in surprise.
Law's eye twitched but said nothing, his gaze pointed on Baby 5.
She bit her lip, eyes staring at the ground. "North Blue."
Her whisper sent a shiver through the doctor, but Sai was already shouting orders.
"We'll be taking you through the Calm Belt." The Vice Admiral transformed into smoke and jumped from the railing.
Snapping away from his stupor, Law nodded and made his way to his own ship. Whatever was Doflamingo's reason for hiding it there, it was a legit spot. He'll have to put personal matters aside if he wanted to find what he was searching for.
A/N: Surprise! (?)
:D
I decided to post the third chap a little earlier since I had some free time this morning and managed to beta it o3o
Huge cheers for Coby and his team! whoo... I don't know how, but their parts got longer than I had them planned in the beginning (by the end of the story I realized I really enjoyed writing those three as a team xD)
I also arrived to the conclusion that Shanks should be taken only in small doses, 'cause the awesomeness is too much (fangirl speaking here, I'm sorry... or not :'D)
The plot is moving and so are Lucy and the others! XD
Dragon is feeling the Christmas spirit already awww
I hope you enjoy this chapter~
Reviews and Feedback are loved! ^^