Chapter 39
Mr. Prince
Walking casually through the streets of Rainbase, Eli's attention was soon caught by a noisy ruckus. Speeding up her pace, she found Sanji surrounded by half a dozen marines. However, before Eli could join the fun, the cook had already taken care of them with a swift circular kick and was now standing in the middle of the street surrounded by a dozen knocked-out marines with a smirk on his face.
"Hey," Eli called out, waving cheerfully.
Sanji's cool face instantly changed upon seeing Eli walking over to him. "Elisabeth~" He rapidly looked around questioningly. "Where is the shitty cowboy ?" he asked, a dark frown on his face. "Don't tell me he left you all alone !"
"He did..." Eli said, faking sadness playfully. "But you are here now !" She beamed at the happy cook.
"Of course, my lovely Elisabeth~" Sanji replied lovingly, his hands clasped together.
On their way to the casino, they met up with Chopper and a few belligerent marines who ended up knocked out just as easily as the first ones. However, upon seeing the flashy establishment, they also found about four dozen Baroque Works lackeys stationed there, obviously to guard the entrance.
"Don't worry, my dear, I'll protect you," Sanji said, standing in front of Eli.
"Thank you, but..." Eli took off her cloak, jumped up gracefully and took a fighting stance in front of their enemies. "I'd like to have some fun, too, for once." She gave Sanji a mischievous wink before wiping out her opponents one after the other, jumping around and placing perfectly swift kicks and punches. However, most them, disoriented by the girl's speed, ended up hitting and shooting each other under Eli's playful laugh while Sanji and Chopper took care of their share effectively.
It had been a long time since Eli had a fight like that, and she was glad to see that she wasn't too rusty.
After less than five minutes, the place was wiped clean.
"Where are the others ?" Chopper asked.
"Maybe they went in," Eli guessed, her hands resting on her hips.
"Well, let's find out," Sanji said, pointing to a small denden mushi on the floor next to one of the Baroque Works lackeys who still seemed conscious. The cook grabbed it as well as the man and ordered him threateningly to call his boss.
After a few seconds, someone on the other side of the line picked up.
"What ?" a female voice asked. Eli recognized it as Miss All Sunday's.
"Hello ? Hello ?" Sanji looked questioningly at the small denden mushi. "Can you hear me ?"
"Yes, I can," Miss All Sunday replied calmly.
"Hey, is this getting through ?" Sanji asked, talking really close to the denden mushi. "I ain't never used one of these baby denden mushi... Hello ?"
Eli put her hands over her mouth to keep her laughs inside as she watched Sanji turning the snail phone in all directions.
"Hey !" a man barked angrily. "Spit it out already !"
Ah, if it isn't our dear Mr. Zero...
"Oh, that voice... I've heard that voice before..." Sanji smiled at Eli; the scene looked just like that time in Little Garden. "Welcome, Sir... this is the Shitty Restaurant."
"Shitty restaurant...?" Crocodile said coldly.
"Nice... you remember," Sanji said. "I'm so happy."
Chopper just looked confused, so Eli told him rapidly what had happened in Little Garden when Sanji and her had impersonated Mr. Three and Miss Goldenweek.
"Who the hell are you ?" Crocodile asked angrily.
"Me ? I'm Mr. Prince."
"I see, Mr. Prince, and where are you ?"
"Can't tell ya !" Sanji grinned. "If I do, you'll come to kill me, won't you ? And you see, I'm not an idiot like you, Mr. Zero."
Hohoho, he's not gonna like that, Eli chuckled lightly.
"PRINCE ! SAVE US !" they heard Vivi yell. "We've been captured !"
So their crewmates were there, and apparently not in a good position... Sanji put the denden mushi away and rapidly whispered a plan to Eli and Chopper; he had to lure Crocodile over here, then one of the other two would have to get him away from the casino while Sanji would take care of freeing their captive crewmates.
"Well, it sounds like you got my crew," Sanji said. He grabbed the Baroque Works lackey by the collar. "Very well, I'll just-" He interrupted himself by hitting the man violently, making him utter a loud scream of pain.
"What ? What happened ?" Crocodile barked.
Sanji gave the denden mushi to the barely conscious man and whispered him his lines.
"Haah... what should we do with this weirdo ?" the man said, frightened by the threatening cook.
"Where are you ?" Crocodile asked coldly.
"Yes, Sir... at the front gate of the casino... Sir."
Crocodile laughed loudly; apparently, he had taken the bait quite easily. "I'm coming, don't move !" And he hung up.
"Okay !" Eli put her hands on her hips proudly. "I'll be the bait !"
"No, Elisabeth, this is too dangerous, let Chopper do it," Sanji said resting his hand on the reindeer's shoulder.
"I.. I..." Chopper stammered.
"No way !" Eli whined. "I'm the fastest, I won't get hurt, I promise !"
"With your lovely face, there's no way he'll believe you're me," the love-cook said flirtily.
Eli smirked. "Give me ten seconds !"
In two seconds, Eli ran to a men's clothing store, it took her five seconds to pick a few suits to try them on and choose one dark three-piece, one second to pick a felt hat and leave the money on the counter, and at last two seconds to dash back to her crewmates.
"See ?" Eli swirled around proudly under their amazed gazes. "I'm Mr. Prince."
"You.. you..." Sanji stammered gaping at the girl.
Eli looked like a really attractive young man, and apparently, this sight was highly disturbing for the love-cook.
"Okay, now go." Eli smiled pushing the very dazed love-cook toward the casino.
Sanji looked at her over his shoulder and sighed walking on the bridge that spanned over the lake surrounding the casino.
"And Chopper, go and find us a means of transport."
Eli gave her bag to Chopper and took position right in front of the entrance to wait for Crocodile. Her heart was pounding fast due to excitement and a dash of fear. After all, Crocodile was no ordinary man; he was a Shichibukai, but Eli had confidence in her speed. No one could catch her.
However, she gulped involuntary seeing Miss All Sunday and grabbed the brim of her hat to partially hide her face while hoping that the woman wouldn't recognize her. She was accompanied by a man, and from the look of it, he was Crocodile. He was huge, and for Eli to find someone huge meant he really was. He had a long stitch above his nose, stretching all across his face. The girl felt a shiver running down her spine when her eyes fell on a large and sharp golden hook replacing his left hand, and to finish his badass look, he sported a long, black fur coat worn on his broad shoulders.
"Where is that Mr. Prince ?" Crocodile snarled, grabbing the collar of one of his unconscious lackeys.
"Well, if it isn't my dear Mr. Zero," Eli said smugly using a really low tone of voice. "Or should I call you Crocodile..."
Eli's eyebrows went up questioningly seeing Miss All Sunday chuckling. Apparently, she was amused at the girl's smug behavior toward her boss.
"YOU !" Crocodile's eyes widened in rage as he looked at Eli. "PIECE OF SHIT !"
"Oh, you're not really nice, Crocky," Eli said playfully.
With a loud cry of fury, Crocodile dove toward her transforming the lower part of his body into sand.
Eli started running away, but not too fast so that he wouldn't give up the chase right away.
So he's a logia, too... It wasn't so surprising, though; the man was a Shichibukai after all, but it meant that Luffy would have find it difficult to 'beat the crap out of him' like he had said. However, it wasn't the time to bother with these considerations; he was chasing her now and she couldn't let herself get distracted.
"Don't think you can get away from me !" Crocodile yelled, launching his sand-arm toward Eli.
The girl sped up and flung one of his lackeys that stood in her way behind her, making the Shichibukai growl angrily.
Despite all of his multiple failed attempts to catch her, Crocodile kept trying over and over, his face distorted with rage.
After ten minutes of pursuit, Eli decided he was far enough from the casino and disappeared in a flash.
Hehe... From the top of a building, Eli chuckled watching Crocodile standing in the middle of the street, looking around wrathfully. Even though the spectacle was highly enjoyable, she had to go back to her crewmates, and she dashed with all haste to the casino.
Running around the building, Eli soon found her friends emerging from the lake with... Smoker.
What the hell ?
"Jeez, these devil fruit users sure are a pain in the ass," Sanji said while he was hitting Luffy's chest, making him spit out a tall stream of water.
"Where is Ace ?" Eli asked, her eyes widened in fear as she couldn't see her friend among the dripping wet pirates.
"Usopp... took care... of... him..." Nami said wearily, between pants.
"USOPP ?" Eli yelled and crouched next to the lake to scan the waters. "Usopp fishing up ACE ?"
Was there any worse choice than the frail long-nosed boy to take care of the very heavy flame user ? Fear grabbed her insides for she couldn't see them in the lake. With a growl, Zoro and Sanji dove back in the lake and came back a few seconds later with Usopp and Ace. Eli helped Zoro drag the unconscious flame user out of the water and knelt next to him to give him a violent cardiac massage.
Usopp crawled out of the lake, panting heavily. "You... should.. give... him... a... mou-"
Of course, Sanji flung the marksman back into the water before he could finish his sentence.
"DAMN ACE !" Eli punched his chest forcibly, and at last, Ace coughed up the water that was in his lungs.
That was close... She let out a sigh of relief sitting on her feet shakily. "You scared me there..."
"Yeah..." Ace sat up slowly, and as he looked at Eli, his eyes widened in surprise. "What are you wearing ?"
"What ?" Eli blinked in shock at the young man's reaction as well as his odd priorities. "I'm disguised, duh !"
"Disguised as what ?"
"Mr. Prince..."
"Guys..." Usopp called quietly.
"What the hell ?" Ace barked.
"What are you so angry about ?" Eli's eyebrows went up questioningly as she looked at the flared young man. Is he... blushing ?
She had no idea why he was so angry at her; after all, she was the one who had worried about him, and she was the one had given him a cardiac massage.
"You.. look like a GUY !" Ace's voice rose into a shout.
"That was the point, idiot..." Eli rolled her eyes, annoyed. After all, this disguise suited her way better that the dancer outfit, and his reaction wasn't so heated then.
"Oi guys..." Usopp said again.
"But you're a girl !" Ace frowned and looked away. "Wear girls' clothes !"
"GUYS !" Usopp yelled, making the pair look at him at last. "We have to go," he said calmly, pointing to a bunch of marines running toward them.
While the pirates ran away, Eli looked over her shoulder and saw Smoker standing next to the lake. Why wasn't he attacking them ? Was it because Zoro had saved him...?
"Why did Zoro save Smoker ?" Eli asked Ace.
"How the hell should I know ?" Ace replied sharply.
"Oh god... would you please tell me why you are so angry ?" Eli frowned at him while he carefully averted her gaze.
"You wouldn't understand, anyway..."
"Are you calling me DUMB ?"
And the quarrel went on, and on... and on...
"HEY GUYS !" Chopper yelled happily.
What the...
Once they had reached the outskirts of the city of Rainbase, the pirates were welcomed by Chopper riding a giant crab. It was large as a house and had a large patch of moss covering its back. The creature walked sideways at an amazing speed and sported a grin all over its face. The crab was so huge and the fact that the little doctor was riding it was so surprising that his crewmates gaped for a few seconds before yelling in bewilderment.
"CHOPPER !"
"A CRAB ?"
"Damn, that looks tasty !" Luffy said, drooling as he watched the giant crab with wide eyes.
The most amazed, though, was surprisingly Vivi. She explained to the pirates that moving crabs always moved under the sand, and therefore, most of the people of Alabasta didn't believe they even existed. How lucky they were, and that was all thanks to Eyelashes who apparently had many friends in this area including the giant crab.
Without wasting any more time, the pirates climbed onto the crab, and Chopper, who was holding the reins, gave the signal for departure shouting happily.
However, right after the crab started moving, Vivi screamed as she was taken away by a large hook.
Crocodile ! Time went in slow motion as Eli gritted her teeth dashing toward the desperate princess. Their fingers brushed, Eli thought for a split second that he had her... but Vivi kept drifting away inexorably.
"VIVI !" Luffy yelled, stretching his arm to grab the hook.
With a loud gasp from Vivi, he flung the princess back onto the crab. Eli caught her, her eyes widened in fear as she looked at Luffy for she knew what he was going to do...
"LUFFY !" the pirates cried out, watching their captain being taken away from them by Crocodile.
"You guys go ahead !" Luffy said. "Get Vivi to the palace !"
"Luffy, you IDIOT !" Ace yelled angrily, frowning at his little brother and dashing to join him.
"NO ACE !" Luffy interrupted. "I'll be fine by myself !"
Ace clenched his fists staring at his little brother; he was obviously torn between his duty to follow his order and the urge to protect him. However, Luffy was the one who wanted to defeat Crocodile. Ever since the boy had heard of him, he had assigned himself as his opponent, and Ace respected that.
"Head straight to Alubarna, Chopper !" Zoro ordered.
"LUFFY !" Vivi cried out, fear in her wide blue eyes.
"He'll be fine," Eli said quietly, holding the princess tightly. "He's gonna be okay..."
The truth was that Eli was terrified for Luffy. The idea of losing him was so unbearable that she needed to convince herself as much as Vivi. She gritted her teeth seeing that Luffy was just a mere shadow in the horizon.
"I feel more sorry for them," Nami said, and even if she smiled, her anxiousness was obvious. "There isn't one single person who's tried to fight Luffy and gotten away safely !"
Eli vaguely heard words of encouragement coming from the whole crew, even Usopp, who was shivering like a leaf trying to cheer up the princess, telling her not to worry.
"LUFFY !" Vivi yelled her lungs out. "We'll be waiting for you in Alubarna !"
"OKAY !"
You have to be okay, Luffy... If something happens to you, I don't know what I'll do... Even though the princess sounded better now, Eli kept holding her tight. The girl was drowning in uncertainty. She had already lost so much, but she's always managed to get up and live on. Now she had a new family and new friends, and she knew how precious they were... and how fragile life was...
to be continued
Betaed by Iwin Ulose.
Do you have an idea why Ace is mad at Eli ? :)
Edit : Damn ! Totally forgot that I did (rushed) an illustration of Eli in her suit. It's in my profile.
Yokon : Oh come on... Still anonymous ? I won't bite you know... Just e-mail me so that I won't have to wait 2 days to reply (and annoy everyone).
And constructive criticism doesn't hurt (like your first review), I would even say that I'll welcome those reviews.
But clearly implying that my story has bad characters, a bad pacing and is baldly written is hardly constructive and it hurts.
I did take your rating criticism into account and changed into T (too bad there isn't a T+ or something), and I'm trying my best to improve for the rest everyday but those things take time. I think (I hope) that I have improved in the past 3 months but advices would really help because I have absolutely no experience in writing and just saying "this and that" are bad doesn't help me enough... sorry.
Since you're taking your time to write those long reviews, I think you could e-mail me. Right ? I promise I won't reveal your identity publicly.