Author's Note: Well, the Baba Yaga Arc is about to come to its end in the next chapter. But, don't worry, my fans. The next arc, the Noblesse Oblige Arc, is when it all goes down. Questions about who Aki and Showtarou are and if they will continue to sail with the Capricorns will be answered, a new crew member will join, a new Devil Fruit will come into play, one of the Capricorns will discover a new, powerful ability, and - *Gasp* - love will be found.

Anyway, enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: Eichiiro Oda still owns One Piece.

Ch. 29: "Through the Catacombs."

The next thing Hana knew, was that she was in a very dim room.

"Hello? Is anybody here?" Hana called out into the darkness.

"Kartik, help me!" Karin sobbed. Hana just sighed.

"At least I know that Karin is here with me," Hana commented to herself right before a small light engulfed the room. It turns out, Kaoru was also captured, as the match he lit was where the light came from.

"Kaoru, what are you doing here?" Hana asked Holden as she looked around. She also noticed that Z.G., Drusilla, Hatori, Molly, Sebastian, Aria, Mina, and Aki were with them.

"Z.G., where are we?" Drusilla asked Z.G.

"It looks like we're in a dungeon. All I remember is getting something to drink and then blacking out," Z.G. explained.

"I just remember hearing Z.G. scream and Karin holding me against her massive boobs," Drusilla explained.

"And I remember screaming for Kartik before I got knocked out and Drusilla –" Karin explained before she threw up.

"Karin, are you okay?" Hana asked Karin.

"Oh, me? I'm good. I probably had too much to drink recently, and – Oh, God! My head!" Karin cried.

"We have got to get out of here. It appears that Karin has a concussion and we don't know where we are or where Ageha is. Plus, the Baba Yaga is probably the one who brought us here to our certain deaths," Mina explained.

"No! I'm too young to die! There's so much I haven't done yet!" Aki cried. Hana put her hand on Aki's shoulder.

"It will be okay, Aki. I'm sure Yuki-Rin is thinking of a plan to save us," Hana re-assured Aki. "Just stay strong and fight back if need be."

"Fight… Back?" Aki asked herself. "But… How can I fight back when I can't fight myself?"

Upstairs, the rest of the Capricorns, the rest of Akari's servants, and Thierry were sitting around, thinking of a plan. All of the palace doors and windows were locked, so the Baba Yaga couldn't get in, or out, if she was trapped inside.

"Thierry, where were you when Akari was kidnapped?" Matsu asked Thierry.

"I… I was actually drinking in the wine cellar, a few feet from where the Baba Yaga took her. I know it was wrong of me, which is one of the reasons why I want to be a key player in taking down the Baba Yaga," Thierry explained.

"Thierry, I've got a question; is the wine cellar near the catacombs?" Yuki-Rin asked Thierry.

"It's on the way to the catacombs and tunnels that lead to the palace on the Island of Eternal Day. Why do you ask?" Thierry asked Yuki-Rin, who got up from the couch she and Kazuma were sitting on.

"I'm going into the catacombs," Yuki-Rin stated. Kazuma got up.

"I will go with her. Due to the current situation, none of us should go ANYWHERE in this palace alone until we kill the Baba Yaga," Kazuma explained.

"Wonderful idea, Kazuma," Thierry stated before turning to the rest of the Capricorns and the servants. "Did you hear that? Absolutely no one is to wander the palace alone until we bring down the Baba Yaga."

Heathcliffe shivered.

"Anything wrong?" Soren asked Heathcliffe.

"No… Not at all," Heathcliffe said, trailing off. "It was probably just Isabella."

"Or was it?" Isabella asked Heathcliffe. Just as Yuki-Rin and Kazuma were leaving the room, Heathcliffe bolted up and ran to them.

"I want to come with you guys. I have a very bad feeling about this," Heathcliffe explained.

"Sure, come along," Yuki-Rin said. "If we are not back in two hours, go through the underground tunnel and go into the Island of Eternal Day to fetch King Akio. We can't afford to lose anymore people to the Baba Yaga."

With those directions, Yuki-Rin, Kazuma, and Heathcliffe set off to find and kill the Baba Yaga.

Upstairs, Holden was finishing up a shower he was taking.

"Man, this mansion is fucking creepy," Holden commented to himself as he dried himself off and put on black sweatpants, a black pajama top, and a dark red bathrobe. The door creaked open as Holden was tying his robe.

"Who is it?" Holden asked the newcomer, who didn't answer. Holden turned around and gasped.

"Oh crap," Holden commented as he backed up into the corner. As he ran a hand through his hair, Holden used his other hand to grab one of his guns. "They're not here?"

Holden screamed, but, nobody heard him.

Back downstairs, Yuki-Rin, Kazuma, and Heathcliffe were trying to find the entrance to the basement and the catacombs.

"Akari's house is way too big. Are we ever going to find the catacombs?" Heathcliffe asked the two lovers.

"I'm sure we'll find it," Yuki-Rin said as she approached a door. She opened it, revealing a library. Kazuma sighed.

"Another wrong turn," Kazuma commented as he shook his head.

"It's going to take forever to find this room. Why did we even take this job anyway?" Yuki-Rin asked Heathcliffe and Kazuma. Just then, a cloaked figure carrying Holden over their shoulder ran past.

"Bro, help me!" Holden cried.

"Holden! No! Not you!" Heathcliffe cried. Yuki-Rin hit Heathcliffe on the back of the head.

"Now's not the time to be angsty! We've got to go follow Holden and his kidnapper!" Yuki-Rin said before taking Heathcliffe's hand and running off, with Kazuma following behind them.

"I think we found the Baba Yaga! If we follow her, maybe we can confront her, kill her, and get everyone back!" Yuki-Rin explained as they followed the Baba Yaga to a door at the end of the hallway. The Baba Yaga tore off the door and headed downstairs.

"Well, what do you know? We found the catacombs!" Heathcliffe said before the three ran down the stairs, skipping every other stair.

"Aw, man, I feel so pumped up! This is going to be a crazy fight!" Kazuma shouted with all of his manly might. "Dad… If only you could see me now, full of manly energy and ready for a fight."

"Anything wrong, Kazuma?" Yuki-Rin asked Kazuma, noting his sudden seriousness.

"I miss my manly dad, but, other than that, I am ready to go!" Kazuma yelled.

"That's the spirit!" Yuki-Rin yelled as the Baba Yaga turned a corner away from the underground tunnel leading to the other palace.

"Where are we going?" Heathcliffe asked Yuki-Rin.

"I don't know. It looks like we're going to the Baba Yaga's chamber," Yuki-Rin answered.

"That's it!" Heathcliffe said as he ran ahead of Yuki-Rin and Kazuma and toward the Baba Yaga and Holden.

"Holden, grab my hand!" Heathcliffe cried as he reached out for Holden. Without a moment's hesitation, Holden grabbed Heathcliffe's hand, resulting in Heathcliffe being dragged behind the Baba Yaga.

"Bro!" Holden cried.

"Throw me up! Yuki-Rin, Kazuma, and I are going to save everyone!" Heathcliffe shouted. But, by the time Holden was about to throw Heathcliffe over the Baba Yaga's shoulder, the Baba Yaga stopped running and entered a stone-walled, stone-floored room where Aki was unconscious on the ground, Akari was sitting on a chair with her back to a furnace, and Shikari was standing over Akari.

"Heathcliffe, what are you doing here?" Akari asked Heathcliffe as Yuki-Rin and Kazuma entered. "Yuki-Rin, Kazuma!"

"We've come to rescue you, rescue our nakama, rescue your servants, and, to rescue the kingdom! Baba Yaga, show your face!" Yuki-Rin demanded.

"Very well, then. If you must know, then you will. You will not be able to tell others of what I truly look like, since you will be killed right here right now."

The Baba Yaga threw Holden to the ground before she removed her cloak. Everyone's jaws dropped.

"M-mother…" Akari commented in shock and terror.

Ending Note: What a shocker. Well, not really, but, still...

Review if you want to see the Baba Yaga defeated.