Chapter 24

"We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down."- Kurt Vonnegut

It had only been a day after sailing off from Drum Island, and they had already run out of rations. Of course it wasn't hard to pinpoint who the culprit was. "No, nope, no way. I don't know anything about it." Luffy said quickly, avoiding Sanji's glare. "Not at all. Not me." He whistled to the side, his sweating coming down like bullets. "Hey, why do you keep looking away? Look straight into my eyes. Now let me ask you." Sanji puffed a cloud of smoked from his mouth. "How is it that the rations for 9 that I had saved up to take us to Alabasta….suddenly disappeared in the middle of the nite?" He reached down and grabbed Luffy's face as he burped. "Resistance is futile; you'd be a terrible poker player. Hey, there's something around your mouth."

"Crap leftovers!"

Kya chuckled as Sanji sent the boy flying into the wall. "It was you!" He yelled, obviously not noticing the three fishermen chomping down on the last of the food. "I guess we'll have to have traps set up to keep him out." She suggested, lazily leaning over the railing next to Nami with her head in her hand. Today had been quite a slow day; Zoro was sleeping next to the fuming Sanji, Luffy was now unconscious after being kicked into the wall, Chopper, Usopp and Carue were fishing for more food while Vivi watched. "Oh Nami-swan, can you believe that asshole?" Sanji asked dramatically. "You gotta buy me a refrigerator with a lock on it!" The navigator frowned, glowering at her crewmates as they noisily chomped on their food. "Yeah, I'll think about it. Our lives probably depend on it…" She sighed. "Okay…..Better catch some fish for Sanji-kun!"

Nami's fist collided with the three, knocking them off the railing. "So, Vivi, you should probably explain what's happening before we get to Alabasta." She suggested as the girl sat against the wall. "Well, as you know Crocodile is the head of Baroque Works, but he's also the hero of Alabasta." She said lightly as Kya jumped down and sat next to her. Nami leaned against the mast while Luffy sat next to her and Sanji sat on a barrel on his other side; Zoro was still asleep in the middle of it all. "Hero?! Crocodile is the hero of Alabasta?!" Nami repeated, waving her hitting hand lightly. "Basically the Shichibukai are pirates working for the government." Vivi explained. "Whether the Shichibukai crush pirates for treasure, or the Marines crush pirates in the name of justice, the people's gratitude doesn't change." She folded her hands in front of her. "After all, their town's attackers are driven away."

"I get it now." Sanji said over Zoro's snores. "The people would never even dream that the hero of Alabasta is actually trying to take control of their country." Luffy suddenly stood up, punching his arm out. "So look out Crocodile! I just need to kick his ass right?!" Vivi smiled at him but nodded. "Yes…first, we'll stop the rebellion. If we can drive the Baroque Works out, my country will be saved."

"You really care about you're country, don't you?" Kya asked quietly, crossing her nearly bare legs; it had been unusually warm today, so she had decided to go with a pair of white shorts and black tank top. "A country is made up of people, and that should be a leader's number one concern." She explained firmly, earning a nod of approval from the assassin. "Wait hold on. How does this Baroque Works system work anyways? Mr. this and Ms. that." Usopp suddenly butted in. "The system is simple: at the top is Crocodile, Mr. 0. There are 13 agents who take orders directly from the boss; 12 men and 1 animal. They are paired with female agents who compliment their particular powers. Mr. 13 and Ms. Friday are special in that they punish the other agents for failure.

"All the agents from Mr.5 and up are called Officer Agents. Most of them have Devil Fruit powers. They don't act unless the business is extremely important. Below them are the Frontier Agents. The command the basic units. Their job is to raise funds for the company around the entrance to the Grand Line. That is the secret organization Baroque Works in a nutshell." Vivi let out a small breath after she explained it, and Luffy jumped up again. "I get it now! Look out Crocodile! I just need to kick his ass, right?!" He repeated what he said earlier. "You didn't understand a word she said, did you?" Sanji muttered, blowing smoke from in between his lips.

Kya leaned her head back against the wall. "Then that means, is the takeover of Alabasta is Baroque Works final plan," She started. "Then, the Officer Agents should all-" Vivi cut her off. "Yes. Be together." She finished for the pink haired girl, staring at the ground intensely. "So, we're basically up against a Shichibukai and top agents from a secret agency. Should be fun, right?"

They had been on the sea for around five days now, and we're still struggling for food; they hadn't eaten in four days. It was another warm day, so she decided to sport a black tube top and jean shorts. She was currently reading an older novel by Nami's mikan trees; something she didn't get to do too often.

She was on the last chapter of the book when she could hear Vivi yelling. "I should probably go check on them." She mumbled, flipping the page. "But then again, Nami can handle it." She figured, crossing her legs as the bright sun beat down on her.

Smiling softly, she came to the last two pages; there wasn't a better feeling in the world than finishing a good book. Just as she began to read the first sentence of the page, the smell of sulfur drove her out of serenity. "I guess it's time to go check things out." She grumbled, dog-earing the page and setting it down.

"What's going on?" She came over to Nami, Vivi and Sanji by the kitchen. "And why are they fishing with Carue?" She pointed at Luffy and Usopp, who had the poor duck tied up and hanging over the water by their fishing poles. "We're just going through a hotspot. And they're just getting some food." Nami explained as Vivi deadpanned.

"We caught an okamaaaaaa!"

"Oh no! How did I get stuck on this weird giant duck?!"

The came out of the hotspot, only to see the okama, who had been hanging onto Carue, fall off and plunge into the water. "He's not coming back up…" Luffy noted, pursing his lips. "Maybe he's a Devil Fruit user?" Usopp suggested, peering over into the water. "Zoro!"

After grumbling incoherent profanities, the swordsman dragged the okama back on board. The man fell to his knees next to the mast in front of Nami, Zoro, Luffy, Chopper and Kya. The assassin gave him an awkward once over; he was wearing two swans with their wings out on the back of his jacket, a collared shirt with two swans on it, puffy shorts, and ballet slippers. Of course, his face was covered in makeup and he had two furry balls on his head to match the ones on the bottom of his jacket. "I will never forget this. Might I have a cup of soup?"

"No! We're hungry too!"

The okama suddenly looked up, making a peculiar face. "Oooooh. We'll aren't you a cutie! I'd like to gobble you right up!" He said in a sweet voice to Vivi. "So you can't swim either?" Luffy laughed, changing the subject. "Yes. I ate a Devil Fruit." The okama explained. "Really?! What kind?!" Usopp shouted excitedly. "Yes well, I must wait for my ship to come back anyways, so I might as well put on a show. This is my power!" He suddenly shoved his right hand into Luffy's face forcibly. "Luffy!" Kya quickly pulled out her dagger and shoved it in the strange man's face. He touched his face, and suddenly he was Luffy. "Waaaaaiiiiittttt! I told you this was my show!" He laughed, but in Luffy's exact tone and voice. She dropped her arm, her eyes wide. "H-How the hell…." She trailed off, turning around. Zoro's eyes were wide as he held his swords, and everyone's jaw had dropped to the ground. "Stooooppp joking aroooound cutie pie!" The okama (Luffy?) got in her face and laughed.

"Huh?! It's me!" The real Luffy placed his hat on his hand and looked at his twin. "They're identical!" Usopp cried fearfully. "Surprise surprise!" The okama said before touching his face and turning back to himself. "Touch my face with my left hand and it goes back to normal! This is the power of the Mane Mane no Mi!"

Kya backed up next to Luffy as he touched the other crew members faces. "Whoa, coooool!" Luffy awed at him. "Well, it's not necessary for me to punch you for it to work. If I just touch your face…" He turned into Usopp, voice and all. "…with my right hand…" Zoro. "…I can imitate anyone…" Chopper. "..just like this!" And finally, Nami. "And your bodies too." He opened his shirt up, making Usopp, Luffy and Chopper gasp. "Stop it!" Nami was quick to end the flashing. "Ouchie." He complained before jumping to his feet. "I'm sorry that's all I can show you-"

"You're awesome!"

"Do some more!"

"Very weeeeeel!"

Kya hung her head as the man twirled; she didn't like him at all. "I've also got a perfect memory!" The three boys cheered. "Every face I've ever touched, I never forget a single one." He bragged, going through a few faces. "Ridiculous…" Zoro muttered from his seat behind the assassin and navigator. "He needs to go." The pink haired girl muttered, rubbing her temple. She wasn't going to be able to finish her book anytime soon.

"How do you like my super special talent?!"

"Cooooool!"

"I usually never show this to people!"

They four of them began to jump and kick around, arms linked behind each other's shoulders as they chanted 'stop joking around!' over and over again. "Someone kill them." Nami groaned, turning away. "Hey! There's a ship coming this way. Is it yours?" She pointed at the equally flamboyant ship heading towards them. "Oh me my me! Is it time to leave already? Too bad!" The okama jumped up on the railing as the boys whined pathetically. "Do not be sad my babies! Separation is inevitable! Never forget me! Length of time means nothing to true friendship!" He gave a thumbs up before flipping onto his ship. "We'll see you again!"

"Let's go my lovies!"

"Yes sir! Mr. 2 Bon Clay-sama, sir!"

As the ship sailed away, it hit them; he was a part of Baroque Works. "Mr. 2?!" Usopp screamed, his jaw on the floor. "That was Mr. 2 Bon Clay!" Vivi shouted, her eyes wide with surprise. "We're all idiots." Kya muttered, sitting on the ground angrily. "Vivi! Didn't you recognize his face?!" Luffy yelled at the princess. "No, I've never met Mr. 2 or the Mr. 1 pair. I didn't know that he had any powers either!" She fell to her knees in distraught. "But I did hear rumors about him….that he was a huge okama, talked like an okama, wore a swan coat which had 'okama way' written on his back…" She covered her mouth her hand as Usopp, Luffy, and Zoro shamed her. "You should've noticed."

"One of those past faces he showed off of memory was my father's…" She held her hand against her forehead, trying to stop her anger and frustration. "What in the world will he use my father's face for?!" She ground out. "He could definitely do some bad things with that." Zoro commented, crossing his arms. "We just let a really dangerous guy get away." Usopp said, obviously frustrated. "He was an enemy…?" Chopper asked innocently; he still hadn't fully grasped the whole Baroque Works deal.

"Well, he will be dangerous if he turns into an enemy!" Nami said suddenly. "Assuming he finds out we're his enemies, if he uses his memory to turn into one of us, he won't be able to trust each other." She figured, which was a valid point. "Aye, the only people he doesn't have are Sanji and myself." Kya informed them. "Really?" Luffy cocked his head to the side and Zoro placed a hand on his shoulder. "Listen Luffy, wait a minute. She may have a point, but there's no need to be afraid of him. I think we're lucky that we met him, now we can use countermeasures."

Just as the swordsman was about to explain what exactly he, meant the water beneath the ship began to quake. "What the hell…" Kya steady herself just as what looked to be a giant cat popped out next to Merry. It meowed loudly, holding its paw out as if it were to attack the Straw Hats. "What is that?!" She cried, looking at the massive creature. "A sea cat!" Vivi yelled, somewhat fearful and somewhat surprised. "A sea monster!" Usopp and Chopper shouted together, nearly fainting.

Of course, Zoro and Luffy were up and ready to take it on. "Our first meal in four days!" The swordsman was crazed from hunger, his swords out and ready. "Food! Food!" The look on Luffy's face could possibly scare even a psychopath. The two idiots obviously scared the poor creature, as it began to move slowly back into the water. "No, it's retreating!" Luffy yelled, twisting his arm. "Put the ship in reverse!" Zoro was close to jumping off the railing after the sea creature. "You can't do that!" Kya informed the two idiots, rubbing her forehead. Suddenly, after being hidden for so long, Sanji came out from the galley, a determined look on his face. "Don't let it get away! Make sure you kill it!" He shouted at the two other boys.

"Noo!"

Vivi was quick to punch the three boys on the back of the head. 'She's turning into Nami.' Kya deadpanned, backing away from the scene slowly. "W-What's wrong Vivi-chan?" Sanji cooed in his inebriated state. "Jeez, Vivi you asshole." Luffy wasn't quite as charming. "You can't eat it! Sea cats are sacred in Alabasta." She informed everyone.

Kya frowned deeply; they were being followed. "There sure are lots of weird things in the ocean." Chopper murmured lightly, holding onto her leg. "Y-Y-You're still a k-k-kid if that kinda s-s-s-tuff s-s-scares you!" Usopp chuckled nervously, his entire body shaking before he stood in a warrior-like pose. "Okay, time for me to tell you about the time I bravely fought with sea monsters on the calm belt." Kya snorted at the statement and crossed her arms. It was at this moment she spotted the first few ships heading towards them. "With sea monsters?!" Chopper asked innocently, moving away from her side. "Yeah! The giant kind!"

"M-My food got away." Luffy was clinging onto the railing with his teeth, a waterfall of tears coming from his eyes. "Don't worry; you'll be able to eat all you want soon." Vivi comforted, earning a surprised gasp from the boy. "Really?! What kind of cat will it be this time?!"

"Vivi! The wind and temperature seem to have stabilized." Nami shouted, coming up onto the back deck with the others. "Yes, we've entered the Alabastan climate zone. The sea cat is more proof." The princess told her. "I bet those things behind us are even more proof we're closer to Alabasta." Zoro smirked, mentioning the Baroque Works' ships Kya had been carefully watching the entire time.

"Look at all these ships, when did they-?!"

"Hey they all have Baroque Works signs on them!"

"All the members are coming together!"

"A-lright! Let's shoot them with the canon now!" Usopp was shaking violently as Luffy grabbed his arm. "No it would be faster just to go over there and kick their asses! No, wait I have to eat first." Luffy was indecisive about his thoughts, making the assassin shake her head in defeat. "Stop getting worried." Zoro smirked, but he was easily ignored. "Those are probably the billions!" Luffy cried, looking out a sea with his hand shielding his eyes. "Servants of the officer agents…" Kya chewed her bottom lip, trying to imagine how many people were on those ships. "200 of them will be tough…"

"And these are different from the elite bounty hunters Baroque Works hired for Whiskey Peak." Vivi was beginning to sweat nervously at the sight. "Yeah, all is lost if we lose sight of our main objective. There is only 9 of us." Sanji tapped the edge of his cigarette, letting the ashes fall slowly to the ground. Zoro suddenly stood to his feet and walked off into the storage room. Everyone shot confused glances, weirded out by the swordsman's quick departure. "Strange guy." Sanji muttered, earning a snort from the assassin.

"I've got a plan." Zoro came back, holding a wad of Chopper's medical tape and a marker. He took the marker, opening it with his mouth, and wrote an 'X' on the back of his left wrist. "Here's to make sure we all know who everyone is." He explained, passing the marker off to Sanji. "Well what's with the medical tape?" Kya pointed with her head to it in his hand. He ripped a long piece of it off and tossed it to her. "It's so no one can copy us. If they don't know what's underneath, all we have to do is rip it off of them to see if they have an 'X'." The crews' mouths nearly dropped to the floor at the fact the swordsman had come up with something as brilliant as this. "So tie them on tight." He sat down on the steps and tied the tape around his wrist with his mouth. "Our enemies have plenty of mysteries."

"I see." Vivi nodded, tying Nami's around her small wrist. "As long as we can see these, we don't need to doubt one another." The navigator couldn't help but smile a little at the idea. "Does he really look like us that much? When he does use is Mane Mane no Mi thing…" Sanji asked as Kya tied his for him, and he did the same for her. "He doesn't look like us, he is us. Too bad, you really should've seen it. We were even dancing!" Usopp exclaimed, sitting next to the chef. "I'm not interested in okamas." He muttered while he lit another cigarette, making the assassin laugh. "You and I are the only ones who didn't get touched by his hand." She explained before turning to Zoro as he spoke. "Now that we know he is among the enemy, we can't allow for any careless individual actions." He hit his wrist with his fist lightly. "Hey, what should I do?!" Chopper piped up; still being fairly new to the crew, he was worried that everyone would find him weak and unable to be their nakama. "Just do what you can, nothing else. Run away from enemies you can't beat! Just do your best!" Usopp told him firmly from his seat on the crate. Kya snorted next to him and shook her head. "You're just telling yourself that." Carue gave a quack in agreement as his bandage was tied by Sanji. "What I can do…. Got it!"

"We're coming up to the harbor." Nami informed everyone. "Let's stop in that inlet to the west; we have to hide the ship." Suddenly, Luffy thrusted his arm out. "Okay! Whatever happened from now on, this left arm…is proof of our friendship!" Everyone followed in suit, forming a circle with their left arms held out and their hands balled into fists in the middle. "Now, let's get onto dry land!" He smiled, pulling back, then suddenly grabbed his stomach tightly. "To a restaurant! Then Alabasta." Nami proceeded to hit him in the head. "Shut up you idiot!"

Just as Zoro dropped the anchor into the sea, Luffy jumped off the Merry and headed, full speed, into the town. "Restaurant!" He cried, quickly disappearing. "Wait a minute!" Kya grabbed her side lightly, leaning onto the railing for support. Her side hadn't managed to fully heal, and it had been bothering her for a while. 'I should probably take it easy for a while.' She thought, letting out a breath slowly to ease the pain.

"What should we do now? Nanohana is a large town." Vivi looked overly distressed as they all stood next to the Merry. "It will be very hard to search for Luffy-san!" Everyone merely shrugged it off; their stomachs were too empty to be worrying about him. "Don't worry Vivi-chan, we'll just look for the noisiest spot in town. He'll be there." Sanji told her, casually shrugging his shoulders. "You got that right!" Usopp laughed. "Anyways, I wish he would pay more heed to the bounty on his head. Especially in a big country like this one." Nami complained, fanning herself. "Just let him take care of himself." Kya muttered, closing her eyes. She was rather enjoying the heat of the island, unlike back at Drum. "Let's go eat. We can think things through after that."

"Wait!"

Everyone stopped and looked at where Vivi was pointing to. There, in another small inlet, was a small ship with a 'Mr. 3' painted on the side of it and a 3 as its figurehead. "That's Mr. 3's ship!" Kya frowned angrily. "He was supposed to be dead." She grumbled, thoroughly frustrated with Baroque Works' agents. "That ship can only move through his Doru Doru no Mi fruit. He must be in the kingdom." Vivi chewed her lip nervously. "Hold on! I have an idea!" Usopp pulled a giant tarp from his pack. "We'll use this to disguise ourselves!"

Ignoring everyone's protest, they all gathered under the sand colored material. "This is stupid." Kya muttered, trying to push the hefty swordsman's body away from her. "How come Sanji and Chopper don't have to walk under here?" She let out a small yelp as he grabbed her hair and nearly plummeted her face into the ground. "Mr. 3 doesn't know what they look like, so they don't have to worry about hiding." Nami explained to her, kicking Usopp in the leg. "Stop tripping me!" She screeched, earning a glare from everyone under the tarp. "Keep it down. People will notice!"

Eventually, after almost crashing into every stand possible (no thanks to their two guides) they ended up in a secluded, run down part of Nanohana. "Chopper and I are going to get some food." Sanji informed, grabbing the panting reindeer. "Oh, Sanji-san!" Vivi called out before the two turned the corner. "Yes, Vivi-chaaan!~" He swayed back and forth, holding his hands together in front of his face. "Please get us some clothes so we fit in with the citizens!"

"Hai, hai, hai, hai!~"

"Pervert cook." Zoro muttered, sitting down against a broken wall. "He isn't so bad, Mr. Bushido." Vivi smiled down at him, and he grunted in reply. Kya snuck around the corner of the building, peering into the busy street life. Everyone seemed to be just regular citizens, no sign of anyone suspicious. Looking closer, she could make out the bright white uniforms of the Marines gathered on the far side of the large market.

"There are Marines here." Usopp nearly doubled over with a heart when she returned. "D-D-D-Don't do that to me!" He stuttered, clutching his chest tightly. "Sorry." She said apologetically before turning to Vivi and Nami. "There doesn't seem to be that many, but we should still be careful. They probably know who we are by now."

It seemed like hours before Sanji finally returned with a bundle of clothes and food; Chopper had a lighter pack, since the high heat was not treating him well. Kya took her bundle inside an abandoned house, sighing lightly. "It's probably some skimpy outfit." She muttered, slowly undressing.

It seemed like she knew exactly how his mind worked. Staring at her reflection in the small bathroom, she frowned. The top was more of a bathing suit; it was white with a golden dragon design over each side and stopped just below her chest, revealing most of her cleavage. Her pants were rather large, but they began just below her hips, and had long slits down each side and in the middle. They too, were also white with golden hemming. She pulled her hair up into a high pony tail, letting a few pieces fall down to frame her small face, and she placed the jeweled head band on top of her head. Lastly, she placed the two bangles on her right wrist, and they jingled slightly whenever they moved. "This should be interesting."

Nami and Vivi were already finished when she returned, dressed in similar attire except they had skirts and a sleeveless and long jacket-like things. "You look more like a princess than I do, Kya-san." Vivi giggled lightly, holding her hand over her mouth. "That outfit makes you look short." Nami snickered, earning a glare from the assassin. "I'll kill you all."

"Sanji-san, these make us look more like dancers than normal citizens." Vivi said lightly, standing awkwardly in her revealing outfit. "Dancers are citizens too! It's okay as long as they don't find out you ladies are pirates and a princess!" His legs were like jelly and hearts grew five times the size of his head where his eyes should be. "But walking through the desert will be-"He cut her off. "If you get tired, I'll carry you!~" He turned to the guys, who were sitting around and eating. "Even if you guys are camouflaged not to look like pirates, compared to the girls you still look like bandits!" It was true; Zoro and Usopp had wraps around their heads and rather long robes. Zoro had ripped the ends of his pants off so they came up to his shins. "How are you any different?" He grumbled at the cook, shoving more food in his mouth. His statement was also rather true; Sanji was in a long robe too, although he didn't have anything covering his head.

"Apple." Kya demanded, holding her hands out. Zoro looked at her over his meat, frowning. "That's not how it works." He grabbed the red fruit, holding it tightly in his hands as he ripped more meat off the bone. She glared at him as he stood to his feet, a small smirk beginning to spread across his thin lips. "You know that outfit…" He moved closer to her, still holding the apple in his hand. "This outfit what?" She winced at the thought of all the possible things he could say.

"It makes you look really short."

An irritated vein popped up on her forehead as she clenched her fists tightly. "I. Hate. You." She seethed as he held the apple above his own head. "Try and get it." He said devilishly, making the others) aside from Sanji and Chopper) chuckle lightly. "I hate you." She muttered, crossing her arms under her chest in defeat. "I can't help genetics."

"Hey, what are you doing Chopper?" Usopp diverted their attention to the little reindeer who was Lying on the ground and holding his nose. "My nose is going to fall off." He complained, his voice nasally. "Your nose must be sensitive Tony-kun." Vivi concluded. "Nanohana is famous for its perfume." She explained as he sat up, hooves still over his blue nose. "Perfume?" he repeated; poor little guy still wasn't used to all the new things the world had to offer him. "There are extremely powerful ingredients in it…" The princess tried to explain before Nami interrupted. "Like this?" She sprayed the pungent fragrance on her neck lightly. "Stop it! Stop it!" Chopper cried, burying his face into the side of Kya's pants. "I'll fall in love all the way to the gates of hell!~" Sanji was quick to be by Nami's side, swooning over her every chance he got. "Can you get any dumber?" Zoro was chugging his alcohol now, still holding the damn apple in his hand tightly. "What!?" The two boys began their usually one-on-one arguments over simple stuff, until Nami ended it with her fists.

"Well. I've collected up the materials to make a journey through the Alabasta desert. Where are we going Vivi?" Sanji asked once he nourished the large bump on his head. "Well first and foremost I want to stop the rebellion. We don't know when they'll rise up and cause needless bloodshed." The look on Vivi's face was a mixture of determination and anger; Kya had respected the young girl for her will to stop the fighting in her country. Most princesses would never think to be involved in anything like this. "And the base of the rebellion where the leader lives is an oasis town called Yuba. To get to Yuba, we-"

"Wait, hide!"

Zoro suddenly pushed the young girl to the ground, leaning against the broken wall to peer at the commotion behind it. "Marines." He groaned as the assassin picked up Chopper into her arms. "How annoying. Why are they even over here?" She scoffed, listening to their loud cries. "They must have found a pirate or something." The swordsman answered her, trying to make out the figure at the lead of the pack.

"Not you!"

Luffy was currently running full speed away from a large group of Marines, his jaw slack. He glanced to the side, matching the faces to the voices he just heard. "Hey, Zoro! Kya!" He suddenly turned in their direction, laughing his ass off. The two pirates deadpanned angrily; she held onto Chopper tightly as the others began to quickly gather the provisions. "Get back, men!" Another familiar voice called out, making the pirates stop in their tracks. "You're not getting away!" Suddenly, Smoker plummeted through the Marines, smoking unfurling from his body like petals on a flower. "White Blow!" He shouted, his hand extending from his arm, leaving a cloud of smoke behind it.

Just as the powerful punch was about to hit Luffy, what looked to be an inferno jumped in the line of fire. "Heat Haze!" A person seemed to be the cause of the strange source of fire, but he couldn't be made out yet. "What the hell…" Kya muttered, watching the scene strangely. "What do you want?" Smoker growled at the new person. "Cut it out." Her eyes widened slightly at the voice. "No…." As the smoke and fire began to clear away a little, it revealed a young topless man in a pair of cargo shorts and boots. He had an orange hat on top of his head, a beaded necklace, and a small pistol attached to his belt. On his bare back was an extravagant and large tattoo; a cross made of bones with a memorable Jolly Roger in the middle. Fire extended from his fingers and other parts of his body, indicating he was a Devil Fruit user. "You may be smoke but I am fire. Your powers don't stand a chance against mine."

"Who is that?!" Nami and Usopp cried out fearfully behind Luffy. The young captain's mouth was open and his eyes were wide at the sight of the man in front of him. "Ace…?!" He nearly shouted, sweating coming down his face from his previous run. "Ace…." Kya repeated, her voice wavering from shock. The man turned slightly, a smile spread over his face. "You haven't changed a bit Luffy." He chuckled lightly at the name. She froze at the sight of the freckles and dark hair that hung around his face; she never expected to see him again, especially not here. When his eyes locked with hers, an even bigger smile exploded from his lips. "Kya-chan, long time no see." He chuckled at her pink cheeks before turning back to the problem at hand. "Well, we can't talk like this. You guys run, I'll catch up to you later. I need to stay here and stop these guys for you."

The Straw Hats didn't even begin to question the order, as they were already taking off. Luffy was laughing loudly, earning strange looks from everyone, but still they waited to ask questions. Kya's mind, however, was reeling with questions. She had been pretty sure he was dead, and had been dead, for a while as he had not answered her letters in the past few years. 'That dumbass.' She growled mentally as they reached the ship in record time. She let go of Chopper, letting him climb back onto the Merry, leaving Luffy, Vivi and Carue on the ground. "Luffy! Get on already!" Sanji shouted, obviously annoyed by his captain's antics, from the deck. "Okay."

"Wait, Carue!"

Vivi pulled her duck aside as Luffy boarded his ship. "I have an extremely important job that only you can do!" She informed her pet, who quacked in response. "Go north to Alubarna and give this letter to my father! This is Crocodile and Baroque Works' conspiracy." She tucked a wad of papers into a safe place on the large duck. "Igaram and I researched it all. Everything's spelled out plain and clear. And tell him I'm alive and in Alabasta with a group of strong willed friends. Can you do that? You have to cross the desert alone." A loud quack answered her. "Okay? Conserve your water in the desert. Now go! Tell my father we can save this country!" Carue took off, stopping about a mile away to drink some of his water. "Conserve your water!"

"You too!" Sanji had nearly kicked Luffy's head in as he gulped down a barrel of water. "You idiot! Our precious water." Usopp was on his knees in tears at the sight, making the rest of the crew sigh. Kya spied the swordsman leaning against the railing, his arms folded across his chest, and made her way over to him. "You owe me an apple." She said in a low, yet serious tone. He smirked again, trying his hardest to laugh. "It's hard to take you seriously in that outfit princess." He noted, looking her up and down. "One of these days, I'm going to kill you."

"Hey, Luffy, how did you know that guy?" Nami asked as they set sail for Yuba. "He's my brother." Luffy answered, sitting on top of the railing. Everyone's jaw dropped to the ground, looking between each other. "Brother?!" Even Kya had no idea the two were related, and she knew both boys. "That guy back there, was your brother?!" Luffy just nodded simply. "Yup. He's my brother."

"Well I'm not surprised you have a brother, but why is he here in the Grand Line?" Zoro asked him, his arms still crossed over his chest. "He's a pirate. He's looking for One Piece. Ace is three years older than me, so he left the island three years before me!" Luffy smiled at his memories. "What are the odds of the both of you eating a Devil Fruit?" Sanji asked from his seat on a barrel. "I know! I was surprised too. He hadn't eaten one before; even then I couldn't beat him in a fight. Ace is really strong!"

"Not even once? Against a regular human?" Nami's mouth was agape at what she just heard. "The monster's brother must be one hell of a monster." Usopp muttered, his legs beginning to shake lightly. "But I could beat him now!" Luffy laughed loudly, making everyone deadpan. "That's a groundless statement." Zoro shook his head. Just as he spoke, a figure jumped up behind Luffy. "Just who…" He landed on the railing, knocking Luffy off. "Can you beat?" Ace was squatting, his hand on his hat (which had two beads on the front; one smiling and the other frowning). "Speak of the devil and he will come." Kya muttered, a small frown adorning her lips. "Ace!" Luffy cried, getting back up to his feet. "Yo." The older boy nodded at him, then bowed to the rest of the crew. "Hey everyone, thanks for taking care of my brother." The crew lowered their heads in return. "No kidding."

"So why are you here Ace?"

"Huh? You didn't get my message in Drum?"

"Drum?"

"Ah, never mind. No biggie." Ace shook his head lightly at his brother, flashing a small smile at the pink hair girl. "Anyways, I'm glad I saw you. I'm here for a silly little task so I figured I'd try and meet up with you here. Luffy, will you come join the Whitebeard Pirates, with your friends too of course." He had an extremely serious look on his face. "No way." Luffy said, a confused tone in his voice, making Ace laugh. "Just thought I'd ask!"

"Whitebeard? So the mark on your back is real?" Usopp gulped lightly. "Yes, it's my pride and joy. Whitebeard is the greatest pirate I've ever known. I want to make him the Pirate King, not you Luffy." Ace said blatantly. "That's okay! I'll just fight him!" Luffy answered, a smile spreading on his brother's face. "I thought you wanted to be the head of your own crew?" Kya asked, folding her arms across her chest. "Things have changed since we last spoke!" He said defensively, rubbing the back of his head nervously. She pursed her lips at him, ignoring the stares she was getting from the rest of the crew.

"Why don't you come inside if you want to talk? I'll make some tea." Sanji offered, being polite to a man for once. "Oh, no. Don't worry about me, this will only take a minute." Ace waved him off awkwardly. "Those Marines haven't come after us at all." Nami finally spoke, grasping the fact Luffy had a brother who seemed to be the complete opposite of him. "Yeah, I threw them off track with my Mera Mera powers." Just as he spoke, his stomach grumbled loudly, causing a dark shade of red to spread over his cheeks. "I might have to take you up on that offer from earlier."

Lunch was going its regular way and everyone was enjoying their meal until Ace suddenly fell asleep in his food. "What the hell?!" Nami and Vivi practically flew from their seats and into the wall. "We've killed him!" Usopp was practically in tears while Chopper ran around, screaming 'Doctor!' over and over again. "I thought you'd grow out of this." Kya muttered from the hatted pirate's side, poking his shoulder with her fork. "Neh, Kya-chan." Luffy started to grab food off his brother's plate. "How do you know Ace?" The rest of the crew heavily agreed with the question, making her sigh. "I've known him for a while, actually. When I first got to East Blue, I was running from some people and he helped me get away. Although, that might actually be counted as kidnapping." She smiled lightly at the sleeping man. "We sailed together for a while until we came to Loguetown. I wasn't ready to go to Grand Line, but that was his dream and we parted ways there."

"You wouldn't call it kidnapping. Admit it, you liked sailing with me." Ace sat up suddenly, giving the others a heart attack. She snorted, handing him a napkin to wipe the food off his face. "Whatever. At least I don't pass out every ten minutes." He flashed her a smile. "Can't help it dear."

"Dishes." Sanji threw towels at Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and Zoro; ignoring their grumbles of protest. "Why doesn't Ace have to do it too?!" Luffy whined, practically throwing himself on the ground. "Ace is our guest, that's why." Sanji kicked him in the head, gathering the dishes off the table. "Oh, it's really no trouble. I can help." Ace smiled, shoving the rest of the food in his mouth. "Don't worry about anything. Kya-chwan, Nami-swan, Vivi-chan~! After the boneheads do the dishes I'll make you something sweet!" The chef twirled his way over to the sink, yelling at the boys to do a better job.

"Kind of chauvinistic, eh?" Ace chuckled as Vivi and Nami went outside, talking about Alabasta. "Yes, sometimes a bit in your face, but he isn't a bad guy." Kya answered, running her finger along the rim of her tea cup. "I'm sorry." He said suddenly. "I should have written you. I got caught up in things over here." He removed his hat, placing it on the table. "I understand. You probably wouldn't have been able to find me anyways. I kept moving from island to island. I didn't expect to be a pirate."

"Why did you join my brother's crew?"

She laughed at the question. "It's hard to say no to Luffy. I guess you could say he saved me too." He laughed loudly, leaning back in his chair. "Saved by brothers; that can't be a coincidence." She shook her head, noting the tattoo on his arm. "I don't remember that. Did they spell your name wrong or something?" She poked his bicep lightly. "Ah, kind of. The guy messed up the C, and I told him to just make an S and cross it out; for Sabo." He informed, flexing and flashing his trademark smile. "You're a strange man." He chuckled, drinking his water before getting serious. "Have they been after you?" His voice was low; it was obvious he knew that the Straw Hats had no idea about the people in her past.

"They've found me. I'll have to leave before anyone gets hurt though." She admitted, looking down at the table. "You'll figure a way out of this, shortstack." He placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair. "Oh! That reminds me. I got you something a while back!" She raised an eyebrow as he dug in his pockets. 'Oh god, it's going to be something stupid like always.' She thought, biting her lip in anticipation. "I promise you it's not too stupid." He practically read her mind as he pulled the gift out of his pocket. "Here you go!"

She couldn't help but chuckle as he placed the small beaded necklace in her hand. "Really?" The necklace looked it exactly like his, except the beads were smaller. "You don't like it?" He pouted and she shook her head. "Of course I do! It was unexpected. I haven't received a gift in a long time." She admitted quietly, putting the item around her neck. "Well no need to thank me shortstack. It's about time for me to go. We'll see each other soon, alright?" He stood up, putting his hat back on. "Do you really have to leave so soon?" She followed him out, suddenly saddened by his quick visit. "I'm on a mission shortstack. I need to find the guy I'm looking for." He held the door open for her. "Who are you looking for exactly?"

"A man. He committed the worst crime; killing a nakama. It's my duty to find him. The last place he was spotted was here in Alabasta." He turned around to face her. "I'm sorry." She frowned and he laughed. "You always worry too much shortstack." He suddenly pulled her in for a hug. "Take care of yourself, shortstack. And watch out for Luffy too."

The rest of the crew meandered their way to where Ac had first entered the ship. He stood on the railing and tossed something to his brother. "Here. I wanted to give this to you. Always keep that with you!" He said simply, and Luffy looked at the item with a confused face. "It's a piece of paper…" He muttered, trying to figure out its secret. "Yup. That paper will let us meet again."

"Wow…"

"Don't want it?" Luffy quickly changed his expression to one of excitement. "No..I do!" Ace just chuckled. "Having a dumb little brother makes an older brother worry. He probably gives you guys lots of trouble too. Take care of him for me." He jumped down onto his little boat. "What?! You're leaving already?! You can chill out her a little longer! I haven't seen you in so long!" Luffy was leaning over the edge, watching his brother untie the one person boat. "I told you I only came to do that. I'm chasing a major criminal right now. He's been calling himself Blackbeard lately but he used to be a part of the Whitebeard Second Division; my subordinate. I'm the commander so I have to finish him off. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't be back here in this part of the sea." He threw the ropes on his boat. "The next time we meet will be at the Pirates' Summit!"

With a step of his foot, Ace was off, a blaze of fire in his wake. "How could someone that sensible be Luffy's brother?!" Nami was still in shock. "I was sure he would be as irresponsible as Luffy." Usopp muttered quietly. "Brotherhood is a wonderful thing." Chopper cried into Kya's leg. "What a great guy, cares about his brother…" Zoro struggled to actually say something nice for once. "The sea's a mysterious place." Sanji added, putting out his cigarette. "Please, everyone…." Vivi tried to end the shock as Luffy waved goodbye to Ace. "See you later!"

Night had fallen quickly; the crew was almost to their destination. Kya was on watch, practically smothered in blankets. "It's too damn cold." She muttered through chattering teeth. Her hand brushed against her new necklace, making her sigh. She had a terrible feeling about Ace leaving so soon; she hoped that it wouldn't be the last time she saw him. She shook her head, frowning at the thought.

"Which way is the port?"

A 15 year old Kya turned the corner on a street she knew nothing about. They ship had just crossed the Calm Belt and was now in East Blue. She figured while the guys were eating would be the perfect chance to slip away, but one of them had spotted her. "Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit." She kept turning corners until she finally reached the bustling square. "I could get lost in here."

Managing to grab about a dozen wallets, she figured it was best to actually find a way off this island. "It was by a bunch of fish markets." She ducked under a silver street performer, spotting a group of World Government officers a few feet away. "It's probably that way too." She bite her lip in thought before turning around and running straight into what felt like a brick wall.

"I think you have something I want."

Rubbing her head, she looked up at the annoyed voice. It was a boy around her age, most likely a little bit older. He had black shaggy hair, dark eyes, freckles and he wore an open yellow shirt with shorts and boots. He had a strange hat on his head and at the end of the strings was a small skull of some animal. "You have my wallet. I would like it back." He helped her up, chuckling a bit when she only stopped at his chest. "You have to do something in return for me." He raised an eyebrow at her deal. "Oh? And what's that?" She looked back at the men in uniforms getting closer every second. "Get me off the island. Right now." Looking back at him, it seemed he noticed the World Government uniforms also. "Follow me."

He was surprised when she ran just as fast as him, almost faster. "My ship is sort of small, but so are you so you'll manage." She didn't crack a smile at his joke, only stared straight ahead. "We just need to leave as soon as possible without being noticed." Her voice was low and dark.

When they arrived at the port, she just stared at his ship blankly. "This is…your ship?" She asked incredulously. He nodded, untying the ropes. "More of a boat I guess. But hurry and climb on, we don't have all day." She muttered something incoherent and climbed aboard. "It's more of a shoebox really."

"So what are you running from?" He asked her right after they set sail. She curled up in the blankets, trying to stay out of view from any other ships. "I just got caught up in some things…" She had no emotion in her voice making him laugh. "If you're going to sail with me, you'll have to talk more." He sat down across from her, slapping his fists on his knees. "I'm guessing your troubles have something to do with the World Government, am I correct?" She nodded lightly. "I like you kid. I'm a pirate, looking for One Piece so we'll be running together. Name's Ace." He held his hand out for her to shake. She looked at him strangely. "Pirates are stupid. One Piece doesn't exist, and you're not even in the Grand Line yet." He still flashed a big smile under his freckles, making her sigh. She grabbed his muscular hand with her delicate one, squeezing lightly. "Kya."

The sound of footsteps brought her out of her memories, and she looked over to see Zoro reaching the top of the crow's nest. "It's my turn." He grunted, pulling himself over the edge. "But it's cold." She complained, pulling the blankets closer to her. Sighing, he sat down next to her, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's warmer in the room." She buried her face into the fabric. "I know."

"Then why don't you just go?"

"Because it's cold."

He rubbed his forehead with his fingers. "You really are quite annoying." He muttered, making her snort. "You're one to talk." She answered haughtily, pulling the blanket down. "Wasn't that Luffy's brother's necklace?" He placed his hands in his pockets, staring at the new piece of jewelry around her neck. "Ah, no. It just looks like it." She said quietly, grabbing it. "He really means a lot to you, doesn't he?" He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ya. Without him, I wouldn't have been here today."

"So, you mean you would have been dead?" His voice was a lot softer than usual, but he tried to hide it with an emotionless tone, making her smile. "I honestly have no idea where I would be today." She stood up quickly, tossing him the blankets, hitting him in the face. "Goodnite Zoro." He grunted in reply, making her laugh as she went down the ladder. "Have a fun watch!"

Well I just got over the flu. (not fun). Here is a long-ish chapter. I really like Ace. This chapter made me really sad because I wish he wasn't dead. :(