The CHILDREN Set Sail!
Disclaimer: (From a certain building, Normama was sent flying out into a heap of trash bags) Ouch! That hurt! Apparently, the owners of One Piece and Zettai Karen Children are determined to keep their ownership! So…I'm back to square one…
The Children could not believe their eyes. Here they are caught in a standoff between the Marines, the Straw Hat Pirates, and their mysterious savior who had apparently taken their side. What's more is the fact that the leader of the Marine, Smoker, and the mysterious savior, calling himself Ace, seem to have powers beyond what they could have imagine.
"Ace!" Luffy continue to cheer despite the dire situation they were in, "I can't believe it's you!"
"Believe it Luffy," Ace smirked without turning his head, despite the growing number of Marine on the other, "What I can't believe is the fact that you've gain a wallop of a bounty on your first try, but you've always been one full of surprises…"
"By the way Ace, did you eat a Devil Fruit?"
"Sure have, I ate the Flame-Flame Fruit during my journey; I'm literally a fireman…"
The Children stared back and forth between the two, almost completely lost in the conversation. They did get three things though: first, Luffy and Ace seem to know each other well; second: Ace had eaten a Devil Fruit; and lastly: they don't seem to consider the Marine as a threat anymore considering that the enemies are only a few meters in front of them.
They, apparently, weren't the only one who found the situation bizarre.
"Uh Luffy," Vivi spoke up, breaking the continuous exchange of speech, "you two know each other?"
"Of course," Luffy grinned a toothily grin, "he's my…"
"Hey," Ace suddenly interrupted, "you better get your crew out of here…I'll stall them out…"
"Huh? But…"
"Get going…I'll catch up later…"
Luffy stood in silent for a moment before nodding and turning to his crew.
"Alright everyone," Luffy ordered, "back to the ship!"
"Hold it, Straw Hats!" Smoker called, attempting to charge only to find that he need to jump out of the way of a fire ball.
"Consider that as a pay back for slamming my head into the ground," Ace smirked as prepared another ball of fire if needed.
"Damn it," Smoker growled, glaring at Ace, "why are you helping them out, Portgas D. Ace?"
"…That's for me to know," Ace grinned as his body burst into flames, creating a wall of red flames between the Marines and overall surprise Straw Hats as they begin to leave, "and you to find out…"
Smoker growled in annoyance as his body burst into a cloud of smoke ready for combat.
"Brother?" Kaoru exclaimed in shock as everyone else jolt back in the same manner.
"Wait a minute," Aoi staggered, "you're telling us that cool looking person back there…was your BROTHER?"
"Yeah," Luffy nodded, as if it was no big deal, "he's my brother…"
Thanks to Ace, the Straw Hats manage to return to their ships without much incident. Once there, Vivi had sent Carue off with an important message to her father, the king of Arabasta, before joining everyone as they set off. Now they were talking about Ace.
"Well," Zoro huffed, "I'm not surprise that you have a brother…"
"Sure you're not…" Shiho sneered in mockery only to shrink away from the First Mate's glare.
"…But why is he in the Grand Line, Luffy?"
"He's a pirate too, and also looking for One Piece," Luffy smiled in remembrance, staring off into the sky, "Ace is three years older than me so he left my home island three years before me…"
"How strange," Sanji huffed in amusement as everyone stared at him for an explanation, "I mean, what were the odds that both brothers end up eating a Devil Fruit…"
"Yeah," Luffy laughed, "I know, I was surprise too!"
"You were?" Usopp noted in surprise.
"Yeah, because even when he hadn't eaten one and I had already, I could never beat him in a fight. Ace is really strong so I didn't think he would eat one…"
Everyone stared at Luffy in amazement.
"You," Nami staggered, "You couldn't beat him?"
"Not even once?" Kaoru mouthed in the same manner, "Against a regular person?"
"No way," Aoi exclaimed in disbelief, "You're one of the strongest person I know, and even then…"
"The brother of monster," Shiho shivered, "must be one hell of a monster then…"
"Yeah, I was really pathetic," Luffy laughed, "But now I can beat him…"
"That's a groundless statement," Zoro sweat dropped.
"Just exactly WHO you can beat?" a voice suddenly called before Ace suddenly jumped on top of Merry Go rail, knocking Luffy, who was sitting on it, to the ground in surprise.
"Whoa!" The Children exclaimed in surprise.
"Ace!" Luffy exclaimed in joy.
"Yo!" Ace smirked at his goofy little brother before turning to the rest of the Straw Hat crew, "Hey everyone, thanks for taking care of my brother. He must have been a real handful for you all…"
"No kidding," the senior members of the Straw Hats stated as they respectively bow to him.
"Uh," The Children began as Ace stare curiously at them, "We haven't been here for long, but we'll definitely take care of him from now…"
Ace gave them an approval nod. "Glad to hear that," Ace smirked, "even though you look young, knowing my little brother he picked you because you were very interesting to him or that you were very strong…"
"You're correct in both ways," the senior members of the Straw Hats mumbled with a sweat drop, causing Ace to laugh out loud.
"So why are you here, Ace," Luffy asked, halting Ace's laughter as he looked at his little brother in surprise.
"Huh?" Ace slightly exclaimed, "You didn't get my message at Drum Kingdom?"
"Drum?"
"Ah, never mind, forget it; it's not important. Anyway, I'm glad I was able to meet you, I'm actually on a serious business but I figure I could try persuading you while I'm at it…"
"Persuade me what?"
"…Luffy, will you come and join the 'Whitebeard Pirate Crew'? With your friends too, of course…"
"No thanks," Luffy replied instantly.
"THAT'S FAST!" The Children exclaimed in astonishment.
"Too fast if you ask me," Vivi sweat dropped, "he didn't even think about it…"
"Ha," Ace laughed, "figure you would say that! But it was worth a try…"
"So," Usopp began nervously, "that mark on your back is the real deal? The mark of Whitebeard?"
"Huh? Whitebeard?" Shiho wondered to herself.
"Yep," Ace nodded as he turn around and pointed to the large single tattoo on his back, "it's my pride and joy…" He turned back to Luffy with a peaceful face. "Whitebeard is the greatest pirate I know, I'm going to make him the King of the Pirates…not you Luffy…"
"That's okay," Luffy smiled, "I'll just have to fight him when the time comes…"
"Hey, hey," the senior member of the Straw Hats nervously exclaimed as they stare incredulity at their captain, "Don't say such a suicidal thing!"
"Anyway," Sanji began, turning back to Ace, "Why don't you come inside if you're going to continue talking? I could make some tea…"
"…Oh no, don't worry about me," Ace declined, "I'm about finish here…"
"Really?" Aoi noted in surprise, "that's it?"
"Pretty much…at least now that this is over with I can focus on my task…" Suddenly, Ace casually tossed a wad of paper at Luffy, who promptly caught it. "Here Luffy, I want to give you this…always keep that with you…"
"Huh?" Luffy wonder curiously and unfolded the paper, "It's just a blank piece of paper…"
"Yep. That piece of paper will let us meet again…"
"WOW!"
"You don't want it?"
"No, I do!"
Ace huffed a chuckled, then looked at his little brother's crew before giving them a smile. "A kid brother like him, makes a big brother like me worry. Even though he'll continue giving you all trouble from now on, please take care of him in my place…"
With that he jump off the boat and onto a small surfboard-like sails ship floating nearby the Merry Go.
"WHAT? You're leaving already?" Luffy exclaimed in disappointment as Ace simply replied with a 'Yeah', "You can chill out here a little longer! I haven't seen you in long time!"
"I told you already, I only came to try to persuade you," Ace reminded, "I got a serious business to attend to…"
"…May I ask what the business is, Mr. Ace?" Shiho suddenly questioned, "Just out of curiosity?"
Ace gave a chuckled. "Right now I'm chasing a major pirate criminal now, he's been calling himself 'Blackbeard' lately…"
"Blackbeard?" Aoi noted before turning to her childhood friends, "isn't Blackbeard the name of an infamous pirate in history?"
"It was?" Kaoru and Shiho tilted their head in confusion.
"…Never mind…"
"On a side note," Shiho suddenly wondered as she addressed Ace again, "Why are you chasing this pirate? If it was because he's a criminal, aren't all pirates, no offence, criminal?"
"…Even among pirates," Ace answered, "there are things that even pirates would consider detestably low…"
"Such as?"
"…He originally used to be a member of the Whitebeard Second Division…my subordinate…and he committed the worst possible crime on a pirate ship…"
Ace paused for a moment as everyone waited to hear what the crime was.
"…he killed a crewmate…"
"He WHAT?" Luffy angrily exclaimed, causing the Children to jolt back in shock.
"…Why is Luffy so angry all of a sudden?" Aoi managed.
"Well," Zoro, being the only one to have heard Aoi, began, "Luffy was never a real fan a killing (except animals of which he later eats), especially crewmates. To him, crewmates are like friends and family…you get what I'm saying?"
"…Sort of…"
"…Since I was his superior," Ace continued, "I have to be the one to finish him off and see that he gets what he deserve. To be honest, if it wasn't for that, I wouldn't be here in this back water…" Ace turn to Luffy with a smirk. "But next time for sure Luffy we'll meet on the high seas…"
Luffy gave a determine nod before Usopp suddenly gave a loud screech.
"DAMN, you idiot!" Sanji hissed, "What did you THAT for?"
"It's the Baroque Works!" Usopp exclaimed as he pointed his trembling fingers at a company of ten large ships some fifty meters away and closing.
"Oh, great!" Nami slapped her forehead in stress, "if they find out about us…"
"Looks like you got another pickle," Ace suddenly volume, "Well, I suppose I could give you all one more helping hand…"
"Huh?" The Children sounded in confusion as Ace sped off towards the ships.
"I knew it!" one of the member of the ship exclaimed as he stared through his binocular, "It IS Fire Fist Ace!"
"Sweet! Fire Fist Ace?" another exclaimed in greed, "As in Whitebeard's Second Division Captain! If we kill him, we'll be agents for sure!"
"Excellent!" a higher member exclaimed, "It's fifty to one, we'll crush him and become agents! He won't pass and live!"
Ace heard none of this as he quickly draws nearer to the ships. With a confident smirk, he made an incredible leap into the air, causing his little surf boat to dive under water.
"Whoa!" a member screamed as Ace slowly somersault over the ten ships, "He jumped!"
"Shoot him!" Another cried as everyone on the ships took aim and fire, only for the bullets to pass harmlessly through Ace's fire body.
"Don't waste your ammo!" the higher member shouted, "he'll eventually fall into the sea and then he'll be ours!"
Not going to happen. Sure enough Ace cleared the ten boats and began to descend towards the water. But just as he was about to hit the water, his surf boat suddenly rose bellow him as he expertly landed on it, his fist ignited into a giant ball of fire.
"What the…" a member sweated nervously.
"Oh no…" another joined.
"Shit!" the higher member cried as he tried to jump off the boat.
Too little, too late…
"Flame…" Ace roared as he send a gigantic fist of fire plowing through all ten ships, "FIST!"
"AAAH!" the Billions cried in agony as they were blown away, charred at the very least.
From the Merry Go, the members of the Straw Hats watch in awe at the spectacular display of power.
"No way!" Shiho exclaimed, "he literally blew them away!"
"That's the power of Whitebeard's Second Division Captain for you," Zoro shivered.
"And Luffy's big brother might I add," Usopp added.
"…If he's this strong," Aoi mumble, "I can't imagine how strong this Whitebeard guy is…"
"…Yo, Luffy!" Ace suddenly called back to the Merry Go, catching everyone's attention, "Let's meet again at the very top!"
"You got it Ace!" Luffy shouted back in reply, "And I'll get even stronger by then!"
Though he was too far away, the Children could have swore that they saw him chuckle.
"Well, until then," Ace called, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do! Got it?"
"Got it!" Luffy called back, and with that Ace sped off.
"…You know," Shiho muttered, "it just struck me that that guy is…very mature…"
"I could hardly believe it myself," Nami exhaled in disbelief, "How could someone so mature and mannered…be related to Luffy?"
"Yeah," Usopp jumped in, "I was really expecting another Luffy…at least…"
"Guys," Vivi voiced with a sweat drop, "that's rude!"
"So that's a big brother?" Chopper cried, "I never thought having one would be so wonderful…"
"A big brother, huh?" the Children sighed, "I wish I had one now…"
"I didn't think a big brother would be that awesome," Zoro mumbled, "Caring for a little brother like that…"
"Well," Sanji puffed on his cigarette, "that just goes to show you that you'll never know who you'll meet on the Grand Line…"
"…So nothing was written on that piece of paper?" Aoi repeated as she and Shiho watch Nami sew the piece of paper tightly in Luffy's hat.
"Yeah," Nami nodded as she put the final touch to her work, "It's just a piece of paper. It's not a note or anything…"
"What does it mean?" Kaoru wondered out loud.
"I don't know," Luffy stated, "But Ace told me to hold onto it, so I'm holding onto it. So sew it in tight, Nami…"
"Behind the ribbon, right?" Nami noted one last time to make sure, at which Luffy nodded, "got it!"
After a few more stitches, Nami was finished.
"Here you go Luffy," Nami smiled as she handed Luffy back his straw hat.
"Thanks Nami!" Luffy cheered as he reposition the hat back on his head, "Now I don't have to worry about it~! I'll never lose it!"
"How do you know that?" Usopp wondered uncertainly, considering how well he knew Luffy.
"I bet he just does," Shiho murmured.
"Well, now that that's over with," Vivi pulled out a set of coats for Luffy, Kaoru, Aoi, and Shiho, "Wear this you three…"
"Huh?" the Children questioned uneasily, staring at the pile of coats in Vivi's hands.
"Why?" Luffy wondered, "It's so hot!"
"You wear it because it's hot," Vivi began.
"That make less sense," Aoi pouted.
"The desert gets over 50 C…"
"That's not really convincing us any more than the last explanation," Shiho mumbled.
"You'll get sunburn if your skin is expose…"
"Oh," the Children thumped their palm, finally in understanding, "NOW it makes sense…"
"Why are YOUR clothes so simple, then?" Luffy wondered as he looked between Nami and Vivi, who were wearing sexy Egyptian-like dancing clothes.
"Who CARES~?" Kaoru snickered, leering her eyes between Nami and Vivi.
"We'll be wearing coats too," Nami informed.
"WHAT?" Kaoru and Sanji exclaimed, their eyes popped out and tearing a waterfall, "YOU'RE GOING TO BE COVERED UP?"
"Oh well," Luffy chimed as he headed to the boys cabin, "I guess I better do it too…"
"We better too," Shiho addressed her two childhood friends, "we don't want to slow everyone down…"
"Yeah," Kaoru and Aoi nodded as they headed for the girls cabin.
"Oh by the way, you three," Sanji suddenly called, stopping the three girls, "I found a set of new clothes for you three as well. They're on the bed; I hope they're to your liking…"
"Uh," Aoi noted in surprise, "Thanks?"
"Did you get them dancing clothes too, you lolicon?" Zoro mocked in disgusted.
"I did NOT!" Sanji roughly in deny as the Children disappeared into the cabin, "I told you, they're too young for me!"
"Right~, sure~…"
A few moments later, the Children reemerged on deck fully clothed as Vivi began to finish her explanation of their destination on the map.
"…and this our destination," Vivi pointed to a marked spot on the map, label "Yuba Oasis", "We'll cross the Sandora River, then head out for it!"
"So," Aoi pondered as she and her friends hover over, catching everyone's attention, "That's where need to go?"
"Apparently," Zoro mumbled, "According to Vivi, Yuba is where the leader of the Rebellion is…"
"So I just have to kick his ass, right?" Luffy smirked as punched the air.
"If that's the case," Kaoru smirked in the same manner, "then no problem…!"
"Would you two cut it out?" Shiho rolled her eyes, "even THIS world doesn't revolve around solving things with only your fist you know…"
"Exactly, so would you two stop that?" Vivi comically pleaded, "I just want to get there to persuade the rebellion not shed anymore blood…"
"But," Zoro suddenly voiced, "Will they just stop? We are talking about a Rebellion of Seven-Hundred-Thousand, you know?"
"S-Seven-Hundred-Thousand?" the Children yelped surprise, "T-That's a lot! B.A.B.E.L. personal army doesn't even close to that!"
"Will they…stop?" Vivi repeated, her frustrated and pleading face grows harder, "We've pretty much uncover everything on our way here! What the Baroque Work had done and what the citizens of Arabasta had went through because of it! Once the rebellion finally understands this, they have to stop fighting! I'll make them see that even if I end up turning to Arabasta sand! I will definitely not let Crocodile get his way!"
Everyone awed as Vivi steadily began to calm down.
"Sorry I asked," Zoro huffed, impress.
"Okay!" Luffy exclaimed, "I got Vivi, let's go…to UPA!"
"Uh," Kaoru sweat dropped, "I thought it was Yuba…"
"Oh right…YUBA!"
"Finally," Luffy cried out yet again a few minutes later, "We made to Yuba-! Wait a minute, there's nothing here! Vivi, are you sure that leader guy is here?"
The Straw Hats had successfully reach yet another shore on Arabasta…only to have set foot on a port full of ruins. As usual, Luffy had not been paying attention to the details, the important ones no less. And, unfortunately, he wasn't the only one…
"Yeah~, don't tell me they're hiding in those ruins and we have to go find them," Kaoru pouted, glancing at the ruins that is roasting in the sun and slowly turning to sand.
"Uh, no, Kaoru and Luffy," Vivi sweat dropped, "This isn't Yuba. We still need to walk north-west for through the desert for half a day before we get to Yuba…"
"Half a DAY?" Usopp exclaimed, with his mouth comically wide open.
"In this heat?" Aoi frowned as she used her sleeves to wipe her forehead clean of some already developing sweats.
"Hmm," Shiho hummed as she stared at the map in her hand, "according to this, we're actually in a town called Erumalu, the Green Town…"
"Green Town?" Kaoru comically frown as a question mark over her head.
"But there's nothing green here," Luffy added in the same manner.
Vivi looked on in sadness. "No, not anymore…"
"You mean it use to be?"
"What happen then that caused all of this?"
"It's because-!" Vivi began only to be interrupted by Usopp's scream.
"What the hell is that? A turtle?" Usopp exclaimed as he took a defensive stance.
Everyone glance at the creature that Usopp had notice find a rather strangely cute animal of some kind waddling closer to the long-nose coward.
"What is that?" Aoi sweat dropped at the creature sudden appearance, "A seal?"
"A brown and green seal?" Shiho mocked Aoi's guess, but she too sweat drop at the sight.
"Oh no," Vivi exclaimed, "A Kung Fu Dugong!"
"What~?" the Children mouthed in confusion at the strange name.
"Kung Fu?" Usopp repeated in confusion as the now identify Kung Fu Dugong got even closer.
"Ah-! Usopp-san, get away!" Vivi advised, "they're not only strong but they also knows martial arts!"
But by the time Vivi was finished, Usopp was now on the ground beaten to a pulp as the Dugong stood tall.
"Ah-! Fast!" The Children exclaimed in surprise.
"You lost?" Zoro mumbled in a sweat drop.
"Ow!" Usopp managed from his pulped mouth, his body twitching every now and then from the pain.
"Hey," Shiho mumbled as she poked Usopp downed body with a stick, "are you alive?"
"Man," Aoi exclaimed in surprise after Usopp failed to respond, "that Dugong must be extremely strong…"
"Well, don't look now," Nami mumbled as she point over to Luffy and Kaoru as they stand over the now defeated dugong, "but it would seem we have a new pair of winners…"
"Huh?" Shiho and Usopp, who had just rapidly recovered, exclaimed.
"What the-?" Aoi exclaimed in the same manner, "when did THAT happen?"
"NO!" Vivi cried again, "You can't beat them either!"
"Why?" Luffy and Kaoru mumbled at once, only to realized that the dugong had gotten up and is now bowing respectively to the two, "Huh?"
"It's the Kung Fu Dugong law that the loser of the fight becomes the winner's disciple!"
"So they're martial artist looking for masters?" Shiho sweat dropped.
"You got to be kidding me," Aoi slap her forehead at the strangeness of such a law.
"No, this is the stance you want," Luffy declared in a stance as Kaoru mimicked…along with several more Kung Fu Dugong than the supposed "just one" disciple.
"What the-!" Aoi comically exclaimed, "How did you two suddenly get so many disciples?"
"Well now," Luffy later announce happily, "let's go to Yuba!"
"Finally," Kaoru chimed as well, only to notice the grumbling face from most of the crew, "Uh, why is almost everyone in a bad move?"
"Gee~," Shiho sighed sarcastically, glaring at both Kaoru and Luffy, "I wonder why…"
"You two wasted almost all of our food," Sanji angrily informed.
"Honestly," Nami started lecturing, "if Chopper hadn't talked those Dugong out of it, we'd be in major trouble you know!"
"Yeah," Chopper added, "they kept saying, 'we shall follow our masters'…I had to give them our food to keep them away."
"Why don't we just take them along," Luffy blankly.
"Luffy," Nami groaned through clenched teeth, "there are many problems to that…"
"Like what?" Kaoru wondered.
"Oh, I don't know," Aoi replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes, "like for the fact that we can't go into any towns with THAT many trailing along!"
"I don't get it," Luffy and Kaoru tilted their head in confusion.
"Idiots," Nami huffed.
"Still," Sanji mumbled, "the Dugongs in this country are pretty weird, Vivi-chan…"
"Really," Shiho noted, "how so?"
"Don't you girls know? Dugongs usually live in the ocean, at the very least near the coastline…"
"Really?" Shiho and Kaoru blinked in surprise.
"What? Don't tell me the dugongs in your world are different…"
"No, our dugongs also live in the ocean around the coastline," Aoi informed, before narrowing her eyes at her two childhood friends, "It's just that these two are clueless…"
"Hey!" Kaoru and Shiho mumbled in embarrassment.
"Well," Vivi sighed, "the Kung Fu Dugong are no different; they too live in the sea. But…You see, ever since ancient times, the Sandora River as sustained this country but lately, the river has lost the force it once had and is now being pushed back by the sea…"
"Wait," Aoi frown as she pointed back where the dugongs were, "then the water those guys live in is…?"
"Yes, it's salt water and of course it can't be use on the field or even for drinking…"
"Is that why this village dried up?" Shiho asked as she and Zoro, who probably was wondering the same thing, stared around at the "once prosperous" village.
"…No," Vivi answered sadly, "They collected water on the rare occasions when it rained and the town survived off of that, most of the time. Up until recently, this town was a lively place, full of green plants…"
"This place…?" Kaoru wondered uncertainly, taking another good look at the ghost town but still couldn't imagine that it had once been like Vivi describe.
"…However," Vivi continued as she watch Luffy pick up a skull out of the sand and try to show it Shiho (probably wanting her to read) only for her to ran away in comical fear, "in the past three years, not a single drop of rain has fallen in the entire country…"
"Really," Chopper awed in shock, "then is that port town we just been to going to be okay?"
"Oh Nanohana gets its water supply from the oasis near there, so they're safe," Vivi reassured Chopper before continuing, "Anyway, even in Arabasta, no rainfall has never been something to worry about for thousands of years…but there was always one place that got more rain than anywhere else…"
"And where's that?" Shiho managed after calming down from her near panic attack (she was rescued by one of Nami's timely head-smacking).
"That would be the Capital: Arubana," Vivi answered, "the city built around the royal palace. Because of it people called it the "King's Miracle"…At least, they did until that day…"
"That Day?" Nami repeated in curiosity.
Vivi was silent for a moment before she continued. "About two years ago at the port town Nanohana, a shipment that was supposedly being delivered to Arubana reveal to the public eye when an accident reveal the content. The content was a bunch of green powder…which was later identify as 'Dancing Powder'…"
"Dancing Powder?" Nami exclaimed in shock, catching everyone's attention.
"Hey Nami," Luffy and Kaoru wondered, "You know what that is?"
Nami stared at them grimly. "It's also known as…Powder that calls Rain…"
"EH?" The Children frowned, "powder that calls rain?"
"It was created by some country with no rain long ago," Nami begin to explained, "The powder emits a mist-like smoke that rises up into the air. It speeds up the creation of ice particles in sub-freezing temperature clouds and cause rainfall…"
"Uh-huh, right," Luffy nodded.
Aoi narrowed her eyes at the crew's captain. "Did you REALLY understand all of that?"
"Not one bit," Luffy and Kaoru replied at once, causing everyone around them to sweat drop in frustration.
"Basically," Nami sighed, "it's a powder that makes artificial rain."
"Aha~!" Luffy cupped his chinned, "So it's a 'Mystery Powder'…"
"So it just makes rain," Kaoru nodded in "understanding".
"That exactly what I just stated," Nami sweat dropped.
"Wait, hold on," Usopp voiced, "So that would make it perfect for this kind of island, wouldn't it?"
"Originally, yes," Nami confirmed, "the people who created it called it dancing powder because the result of the powder made them dance in joy… but there was a large pitfall to all this: it caused droughts to countries downwind!"
"Really," Shiho blinked, "how?"
"Artificial Rain," Nami began, "is the process of nurturing clouds that aren't ready to rain yet. It sucks the water out of the clouds…"
"I see!" Usopp awed in understanding, "It steals rain from clouds that would mature over neighboring countries!"
"Huh?" Kaoru and Shiho tilt their head, still not getting it.
"Let me put it this way," Aoi began, "let say a doctor needs blood to give to a patient. But instead of waiting to take small and reasonable supply from blood donor, the doctor suck the person dry. So now the doctor has plenty of blood but the donor can no longer give anymore because he's dead. The Dancing Powder seems to work that…"
"Oh," Kaoru and Shiho nodded finally in understanding, though they shivered a bit at the way Aoi had explained it (Kaoru more than Shiho).
"Yes," Nami continued on from where she left off, "And because of that it started a huge war and the loss of life was profound! Since then, the World Governments have outlawed the manufacturing of Dancing Powder worldwide. It's a powder that brings happiness and misery at the same time…"
"With the discovery of that large shipment of Dancing Powder," Vivi grimly went on, "people began to notice soon afterward the abnormal weather pattern and that it only rains where the king was…"
"I see now," Zoro mumbled, "Everyone then start thinking that it was really the king that was causing the drought everywhere else in Arabasta…"
"Dang, Vivi," Luffy suddenly exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Vivi, "Your Dad is evil!"
"He was FRAMED, you idiot!" Sanji roared at the idiotic captain, smacking Luffy's head with the heel of his boots, "Vivi-chan's father would never do such a thing!"
"So that's what's going on," Shiho mumbled to herself before noticing that Vivi had stopped and reach down to gently pick up skull in the sand (this time Shiho didn't freak out), staring at it sadly.
"I now realize that Crocodile's terrible plan was already in effect," Vivi sadly stated, "My father was suddenly surrounded by scandal he had nothing to do with…and somehow a large volume of Dancing Powder had been brought into the palace under his nose. It was all a trap set up by Crocodile! A rebellion arose…just as he planned! Towns dried up, people starved, and army of furious rebels started a bloody battle within our innocent country!"
As Vivi continued Luffy, Usopp, Sanji, and Kaoru continued to listen and fumed on the spot. They could deeply tell that Vivi was pouring her heart out on the subject and that she was saddening with every word she spoke.
"Everything…The kingdom's peace…the trust in the Royal Family…the rain! The towns…even people's lives…were stolen…and it was done by one man: Crocodile! WHAT RIGHT DOES HE HAVE TO DO THOSE THINGS? I WILL NEVER… EVER…LET HIM GET AWAY WITH THIS!"
Everyone started with understanding at Vivi as she had collapse to her knee from her own emotion. Suddenly, without warning, several ruins nearby were torn apart, catching everyone's attention. Apparently, Luffy, Usopp, Sanji and Kaoru had so much built up rage from hearing Vivi's pain that they are taking it out on the ruins.
"Sheesh," Zoro rolled his eyes as Luffy, Usopp, and Sanji made their way back to the group, "Stupid kids…"
"Eh~?" Shiho and Aoi glared at the swordsman, feeling offended.
"You two know what I mean…"
"Hey," Nami huffed as Vivi just stared on in confusion, "just what were you doing?"
"…Let's move forward already," Luffy declared, forming fists with several cracks, "I'm anxious now…"
The other two nodded as well.
"Well then," Nami sighed as she began to walk off, "let's go then…"
So the Straw Hats are off, ready to help Vivi win back her country from this evil Crocodile. Even the Children, who had only been in this world for only several days, are determine to help out. Wait…speaking of the Children…
"Hey," Chopper stared around, "Where's Kaoru?"
Everyone did a double take and realize that Kaoru was not with them.
"Wasn't she you three?" Zoro mumbled to Usopp, Sanji and Luffy.
"Now that you mention it," Usopp folded his arms as he remember back, "She was with us, but all she did was stood around while we smashed the ruins around her…"
"Really?" Nami raised an eyebrow in confusion, "then why did she-?"
Then, before anyone even realized it, the area where ruins of the town were exploded; the shockwave it generated flung the Straw Hats a good meter and hitting the sand either on their backs or their face. They glance back to see a huge cloud of dust and debris forming a huge mushroom shape. When it began to clear up again, Kaoru came walking towards them, leaving what was now a huge crater where the town had once been.
Everyone just stared at the redhead as she stopped in front of them with an emotionless expression on her face, but her eyes betrayed the expression as they still glow with great fury.
"I'm still mostly angry," was all she said as she walked pass them.
After a few seconds, Luffy gave a big giggled as he got up and rushed after Kaoru. "I like her style!" Luffy yelled back.
"Wasn't it just a few hours ago that she stated that she still may be too weak to help?" Usopp wonder nervously to Chopper, who was too freaked out to answer.
"Well," Shiho huffed a chuckled as she got up and dust herself off, "Looks like you don't have to worry about Crocodile getting away with anything now, Vivi…"
"Yeah," Aoi chuckled darkly as she too got up and dust herself off, "Apparently, someone isn't coming out of this alive…"
Normama: "And...Complete!"
The Children (fuming): "You took too long this time!"
Normama (laughing nervously): "Sorry...I have no excuse..."
Minamoto: "Except fpr the fact they put you in the hospital for most of the year..."
The Children (sweat dropped nervously): "Ugh...that has nothing to do with it!"
Minamoto: *Sigh...*
Normama: "Anyway, please review and tell me what you think about the chapter/story so far..."