THE CHILDREN Set Sail
Disclaimer: One Piece and Zettai Karen Children are both product of a Japanese industry. I'm an American citizen with a Vietnamese origin. So they don't belong to me!
Back on the ground, Officer Tashigi witnessed the entire thing. She saw a large falcon wearing clothes and two children fly out of the clock tower, carrying a huge object to what she presume to be the bomb. She watches as they quickly ascend into the sky, bringing it away from the city. She also witnessed as the three suddenly disappeared only to reappear again near the clock tower as the child with red hair flew above the clock tower before creating a huge barrier with a reddish hue over the general area, just as the bomb explode. She watch as the barrier kept everyone battle on the ground from the explosion that threaten to engulf the area.
It kept the explosion from coming through, but not the shockwave created by it. People, Marines, Royal Soldiers and Rebels alike, were sent flying to ground. They collapse from the shockwave, but that was pretty much it.
"No way," Tashigi awed as the explosion ended, "That little girl…prevented the explosion from killing everyone…"
However, she had little time to continue awing as she soon notice the Royal Army and the Rebels getting up and readying themselves to fight again.
"…!? Wait! Stop now!" Tashigi made an attempt to stop one of the nearby rebels, only to be held back by one of her subordinate.
"Officer Tashigi!" the subordinate exclaimed, "It's dangerous!"
"…What?" Being held back, Tashigi could only watch as the battle broke out again, as if the shockwave only slightly interfere with the fight. It was then that she remembers her Captain, Smoker, told her.
"Watch carefully how this country ends this mess," Smoker's words echoed in her head, "In a changing era like this, anything can happen…"
"They've lost control! Why…why won't they stop!?"
"I don't believe this," Shiho exclaimed as she watch the battle erupted around them again, "they just go back to fight!? Even after getting nearly killed?"
"…-p fight~!" Vivi's voice cried out from above, catching everyone's attention, "Please everyone! Stop fighting! Please stop fighting everyone! Cough! Stop~!"
"Vivi," Zoro managed as Vivi continue to desperately stop the battle with her sore voice. But the sandstorm was still in effect, the soldiers in battle could not hear her.
"…She tries too hard," Nami tear in sympathy.
"What are guys…DOING!?" Kaoru, descending with Pell and Aoi, shouted, "What are you doing just staring!? You heard the Princess, help stop the fight!"
"But what can we do?" Usopp exclaimed.
"Anything!" Aoi proclaimed, "Kick them senseless, hold them down, or knock them out! It doesn't matter!"
"We have to save as many as we can!" Shiho added as she raced towards the battle.
"Y-Yeah!" Sanji nodded and chase after Shiho.
"Come on, Zoro-han!" Aoi called to her mentor.
"R-Right!' Zoro snapped out of his daze, "C'mon, let's stop this chaos!"
"Oh~~!" Everyone cheered as they rushed into the battle, with Vivi still crying out desperately to stop the fighting.
Meanwhile, underground, a fierce battle was coming to an end. Crocodile finds himself in midair, having been sent there by Luffy earlier. Now Luffy was soaring towards him, spinning rapidly and ready to send his attack forward.
"Gum-Gum~!" Luffy declared before producing an illusion of hundreds of flying fist towards Crocodile, "STORM~~~~!"
"…! Desert~!" Crocodile counters by turning his right hand into four solid blades with fan-shaped edge and send them at the attack, "La Daggers~~~~!"
The two attacks collided, neither seems willing to give in. It was now a matter of concentration now, the first to falter loses.
Crocodile growled as he focuses on his attack. If he wavered even for a second, his attack will break. He was not going to lose to some amateur pirate. He will not allow it-…
A sharp pain suddenly hit him in his chest, surprising him. Why was his chest hurting? He did not recall Straw Hat hitting him there, nor breaking any rib bone.
Then he remembered; the battle he had with those three little girls. One of them, the redhead, had used some strange force to attack his whole body. For some reason, he could not evade the invisible attack like he has always done. He had train himself to turn to sand instinctively should he face any form of attack. Thus guns, weapon, punches and kicks were useless.
But the girl had attack him as a whole. Even if he had turned to sand, every morsel of sand that made up his body was hit indiscriminately. He could not explain how or why. The point is that that was the only time when he was hit in the rib area. It must have done more damage than he thought. And the stress of his battle with the Straw Hat must have worsened it bit by bit.
"…Damn-!" Crocodile managed. The short jolt of pain had broken his concentration. It was more than enough for Luffy's attack to break through and connect.
"RAAAWW~~~!" With great bellow, Luffy pressed his attack, hitting Crocodile everywhere, pummeling him into the ceiling above and driving him deeper into it.
Finally, the ceiling gave way and Crocodile was sent hurling into the sky, unconscious and defeated.
Elsewhere, the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates did their best to stop as many people as they can from fighting. Kaoru kept many pinned with her powers, Shiho resorted to kicking their groin (fortunately not enough to destroy them), and Aoi teleport next deep into the ground or in nearby walls. As they were doing this, the thunderous sound of rock breaking and exploding caught their attention. Turning skyward, they spotted Crocodile descending in an ungraceful manner.
"Hey everyone!" Shiho exclaimed to her comrades, pointing to the falling Pirate Warlord "Look at that!"
"…! It's Crocodile!" Usopp stated the obvious.
Sanji grinned. "Although I don't know where he came out of but…"
"That doesn't matter!" Usopp exclaimed in joy.
"Yeah," Kaoru smirked, "It's enough to know that that guy…Luffy…HE WON~!"
Everyone nodded in agreement before returning to try stopping the fighting as Crocodile crashed among the battle. The threat has been eliminated, but the battle still ongoing. Unless they do something, even if Crocodile is defeated, he'll still be able to get one last laugh in.
As everyone contemplate on how to end the meaningless battle, Kaoru felt something at the corner of her face. Checking it, she discovers it was water. Confused at first, wondering if he was crying or something, she felt another drop of water landing on her shoulders, then her nose, then her hair. Before Kaoru knew it a downpour had begun over the city of Arubana.
"…It's raining," Kaoru noted.
"…Everyone!" Vivi voiced was heard, ringing across the battlefield, "Please~~! Stop fighting~~~!"
"Ah!" Aoi noted, "Vivi's voice is so clear now!"
"The rain is starting to make the scene clear again!" Chopper noted, now being able to see the whole crowded street now.
"Vivi's voice," Nami blinked, noticing that the soldiers and rebels had stop fight and stared up to the clock tower, "Everyone heard it…"
"…Princess Vivi?" one of the rebels managed.
"It's Princess Vivi!" another exclaimed.
"I though the princess wasn't here!'
"…Ah! Sir Crocodile!" one of the rebels cried out, drawing everyone's attention to the downed Pirate Warlord, "Why is he down here!?"
"Crocodile!?" Shiho and Usopp growled, preparing to step forward, "I'll tell you all why he's down!"
"Hold on you two," Sanji pulled back the two, "Just wait and watch…"
"…The rain right now," Vivi called out, "will fall again like before. Because all the nightmares have ended!"
The two armies were silent, as if Vivi's words were a beckon of hope for their suffering. But…
"Wait!" the rebels suddenly began to shout, "the nightmare has not ended yet!"
"We saw with our own eyes what the king has done!"
"Right! Kohza was attacked too!"
"What the Royal Army did cannot be forgiven with an apology!"
"How can you say such things to those who have lost their lives!?"
"Put down your weapons! Royal Army!" a voice suddenly ordered amidst the protest, coming from the palace. Everyone turn to see…
"Chaka!" Pell raced up to his friend's side in worry.
"Pell, good to see you're alright…"
"Well, mostly…"
"You, cough, put down your weapons too, Rebel Army!" Another voice rang out from behind the rebels. Everyone turn to see a tall man with a small red nose and blonde hair in a 16th and 17th centuries wig style. He was carrying a small injured boy in his arm.
"I-Igaram!?"
"Captain!" Chaka exclaimed, "You came back safely!"
"Ah!" Zoro exclaimed, "He's that weird guy on Whiskey Peak!"
"He's still alive!?" Nami exclaimed as well.
"Who?" The Children and Chopper tilted their head in confusion.
"Ah, you guys weren't there," Usopp noted, "He was Vivi's guardian when they infiltrate Baroque Works. He was supposedly killed by an assassin back on the first island we reach in the Grand Line…"
"He's also the one that 'hire' us to escort Vivi back to Arabasta for Ten Billion Beli~~!" Nami chimed, her eyes flash Beli signs.
"…Is that right?" The Children sweat dropped at Nami's reaction.
"Can you still talk child?" Igaram asked the boy in his arm, who gave a nod.
"…!? He's the kid from the town the Royal Army attack!" One of the rebels identified.
"No!" the child suddenly informed, "Someone else attacked me! Listen everyone, I saw it all! The Royal Army that attacked in my town was just fakes! The king was a fake too, it was all a trap!"
The rebels glance at each other in astonishment, not believing what their ears heard. That is until another voice popped up.
"That's right, this battle was planned from the beginning," everyone turn to see Kohza, bloody from the shot wound he receives but alive.
Everything about this incident," Igaram announced, "I will now explain. Now put down your weapons!"
With only a second of hesitation, everyone Royal Army and Rebels alike drop their weapons.
"Well," Nami huffed, "looks like our job here is done…"
"Yeah," Zoro nodded, "Now there is only one thing left to do…"
"Find Luffy," The Children smiled and everyone started towards the area Crocodile was sent flying from.
"Hey," Sanji mused as Usopp staggered ever now and then, "Can't you walk right yet?"
"Shut up," Usopp managed, "I'm suffering from 'If-I-walk-anymore-I'll-die' disease at the moment…"
"Just plain out say you're tired already," Shiho sighed.
"Well, if that's the case," Kaoru snickered, "We'll just leave you here~!"
"Wait!" Usopp comically cried, "I'm coming too~! Damn it, my body just won't move like I want to~…"
"You want some help," Zoro offered.
"Oh, gee, thanks Zoro…"
"No problem," Zoro shrugged…and began dragging Usopp by one of his leg.
"HEY~! Don't drag me~!"
"That's evil, Zoro-han," Aoi sweat dropped at Zoro's action.
"We're not going to get anywhere with him slowing us down," Zoro reasoned.
"… …If you say so…"
"Don't abandon me~~~!" Usopp cried out pathetically.
"Oh!" Sanji voiced, stopping in his tracks, "There he is!"
The Children stared forward to see Luffy being carried by a wrinkled faced man with a tied-off beard and long curly black hair. The three felt like they've seen him before, but with everything happening, they couldn't recall where.
"…Who are you?" the man asked them.
"Us?" Sanji scratched his head nervously, "Well, that guy on your back…he's one of our friends. Thanks for carrying him, let's switch…"
"…Ah, so you're the pirate group that brought Vivi back…"
"Ha? Who are you, mister?"
The man was about replied when he notice the Children. "Oh!? You three were the one who fought Crocodile with Chaka!"
"Eh!?" the Children sounded off in confusion…until they widened their eyes, finally remembering where they have seen him, "AH-! You're-!"
"Everyone~!" A voice from behind caught their attention as everyone turn to see…
"Ah! Vivi!" Chopper called.
"Don't just run off like that guys!" Vivi panted as she came to a halt, before noticing the man, "…!? Papa!?"
"…! Pa-Papa!?" Sanji comically screeched, gasping at the man, King Nefertari Cobra, "You're Vivi's…DAD!?"
"You're the king?" Zoro noted to which Cobra nodded.
"…I thought I was dead for sure," Cobra finalized his briefing, "But this kid saved me. Even after fighting with Crocodile, he carried two people to the surface…such unbelievable willpower…"
"Don't we know it," Kaoru snickered as she poked the unconscious Luffy's cheek, causing him to mumble a bit.
"Kaoru, leave him alone," Aoi rolled her eyes catching her friend's hand before she could bother Luffy anymore, "He had a tough fight, resting is a good immediate reward…"
"But he looks so cute~…"
"Like a baby," Shiho giggled alongside Nami.
"So," Usopp continued to talk to Cobra, "does that mean the poison is gone already?"
"Hmm," Chopper nodded, "It should be neutralized…"
"But the wounds should be treated," Vivi suggested, "You guys too…"
"Vivi," Zoro suddenly huffed as he sat himself down near a wall, "stop bothering with us, hurry up and go!"
"…Eh? Go? Go where?'
"…Where else?" Aoi jumped in, catching her mentor's drift, "Back to the Palace ground…"
"Right," Usopp intervened, "You finally stop the uprising, without you and the king showing up, it just won't seem like it end…"
"That's right," Vivi blinked in realization, "Let's all go…"
"Vivi, I think you should know," Sanji lit one of his cigarettes, puffing on it, and then gave a big smile, "We're pirates! We don't get involved with politics…"
"Hey," Shiho huffed as she swipe the cigarette out of Sanji's mouth, "You're injured. No smoking~!"
"Come on, Shiho!"
"No means no!"
"…Fine…"
"I'm hungry~!" Chopper panted.
"I'm so hungry I could eat a reindeer," Kaoru visualized.
"… … … …HEY~!"
"Sorry, it was a stupid joke… …besides I prefer a bath right now rather than a meal…"
"I agree," Nami nodded, "Vivi, can we go to the palace to rest? I'm about to collapse…"
"…Of course," Vivi nodded.
"Then get going," Kaoru glee, "We'll see you at the palace!"
With one final nod from both the father and daughter, they made their way towards the palace ground.
"… … …Okay~!" Shiho let out a sigh, "She's gone, you can stop acting tough now guys…"
"…Yeah," Nami managed before everyone aside from the Children collapse into unconsciousness, only prevented from crashing hard due to Kaoru's power.
"…Honestly," Aoi chuckled as she steadily hoist her mentor onto her back, "If it wasn't for all that training Zoro-han gave me, I wouldn't be able to drag him to the palace like this…"
"You're telling me," Shiho began dragging Sanji by the feet, with Chopper on top of him.
"They call themselves Pirates," Kaoru used her power to levitate their remaining comrades, "But the way they fought up to now, if I didn't know any better, I would say they fought like super heroes…"
"In a way they are," Aoi shrugged, "Just not very popular with the law…"
"Still, I'm nearly on my last leg too," Shiho admitted, "I can only guarantee I have enough strength to reach one of the palace empty guest rooms or something…"
"Same here. We're in a better position because we have been using our powers more than physical strength…"
"YOU two have been! I actually have to use mostly physical strength!"
"Hey me too!"
"Guys, stop it, you're wasting energy," Kaoru giggled.
"Ugh, it's over when you reprimand us, Kaoru…"
"Either way, I hope we don't run into any-!" Kaoru noted before noticing a group of Marines had cross path with them, "…Trouble~…"
"…! It's the Straw Hat Pirates!" one of the Marine soldiers pointed out.
"Looks like they're out cold!" Another noted, "This is a chance of a lifetime!"
"Hey, kids! We'll take those pirates from here-!"
"I don't think so!" Shiho stepped back.
"You're not taking them!" Aoi declared.
"Not OUR comrades!" Kaoru glared.
"Comrades!?" the Marine soldier blinked, "You mean, you're with them?"
"Yeah! That's right!" Kaoru answered immediately, getting into a fighting stance, "I don't suppose you got a problem with that, right!?'
The soldiers hesitate, wondering what to do, when Tashigi suddenly stepped forward.
"All soldiers fall in!" She declared, "We are not capturing them…"
"What!?" the Marines exclaimed, while the Children stared at Tashigi in confusion.
"This is an order…"
"L-Lieutenant! This is a chance we cannot lose!" one of the soldier stated.
"You will not touch those people! Will you disobey a direct command from me!?"
"W-Why?" Another soldier asked, "They're right there! We will get promoted for bring them in-!"
"Is that ALL you 'People of Justice' can think about!?" Shiho suddenly yelled, causing some of them to jolt in shock, "Promotion? Wealth? Fame!? Is that why you guys join the Marines!?"
"Doesn't the fact that you Marine hardly did anything while we worked our muscles off mean anything!?" Aoi added, "And here you greedily talk about bettering your status!? You should be ashamed of yourselves!"
"…Between people who help save an entire country with the only crime on their head is that they are pirates," Kaoru growled, "and people who serve the people but are only in it for better status, who's more evil, I wonder?"
The soldiers by then were hanging their heads in shame.
Tashigi shook her head. "Even little kids can see that. You people really are putting the name of the Marine in a good light. Now I shall say this again, you will not touch these people, understand?"
The soldiers nodded, with no resistance this time around.
Nodding, Tashigi order them to continue to round up the Baroque Works Members. As they were leaving, she turns back and stared at Kaoru. "Kid, what is your name?"
"…?" Kaoru tilted her head at the sudden question, "…Kaoru, Akashi Kaoru…"
With a final nod, Tashigi left.
"…What was all that about?" Shiho wondered as they continue to carry their comrades towards the palace.
"You're asking me?" Aoi sweat dropped.
"…Sleep tight, everyone," Kaoru whispered as she tuck Chopper into bed.
"Don't act like a mother already, Kaoru," Aoi sweat dropped, as she finished bandaging up Zoro to the best of her ability, "…Damn it, I could really use some medical knowledge…"
"Medical knowledge would be helpful," Shiho chuckled, "after all, look how bang up everyone is after just this one fight…"
"Yeah… …Maybe we can ask Chopper to teach us some of his medical knowledge…"
"You do that Aoi…"
"…Eh? Me? Why only me?"
"A Psychometrist being a doctor? I don't need to get any closer to being like that Pervert Doctor…"
"You're talking about Dr. Sasaki?"
"Who else? The idea that I can be talking equally about medical treatment with him gives me Goosebumps!"
Aoi laughed nervously before staring at Chopper, who like everyone else was sleeping off without a care in the world. "…It's not such a bad idea. I'll be sure to ask him about it when he wakes up…"
"And I need a better gun," Shiho tossed the now broken rifle she picked up before aside, "If I'm going to helpful from now on, I need something more dependable than some random gun…"
"What I could use is a bath right now," Kaoru admitted before yawning, "Though I suppose it can wait until tomorrow~…"
"Agree," Aoi chuckled, placing her swords next to the bed she got in, "I'll stand being dirty going to bed for now…"
"Yeah, come to think about it," Shiho got into the same bed and drew the covers over them, "We didn't get a decent sleep since leaving Yuba…"
"You never miss these things until didn't do for some time," Kaoru cheered as she dived in-between her two friends, "Night, night~!"
"Sleep tight~," Aoi chimed.
"Don't like the Bed Bugs bite~!" Shiho finalized before all three of them fell fast asleep.
Kaoru: "Cute scene of us at the end right there..."
Aoi (rolling her eyes):Only you would think so, Kaoru! I can't believe we're going to bed without washing up..."
Shiho: "I'm sure we would have done so, but we were dead tired this time around. We never had to do something like this before..."
Kaoru: "I'm actually glad Shiho isn't going to learn how to be a doctor. I can imagine her chuckling evilly as she preform an operation-..."
Shiho (smiling innocently at Kaoru): "Did you say something, Kaoru-chan~?"
Kaoru (sweat dropping nervously): "... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...Uh, anyway, please review this chapter! And look forward to seeing what will happen next time~! Bye~!"
Shiho (chasing Kaoru): "Kaoru~! We're NOT finish~!"