Greetings! The waiting time is now over at last dear readers! So now, we can proceed with the next chapter. Let us see just what surprises await us this time! Onwards!
Once again, I'd like to apologize in advance if anyone in this story is out of character…just remember creating stories and fanfics are a LEARNING experience for everyone after all. Also, I'm going to try and be fair and use the Japanese/English names for things like Devil Fruits etc.
(By the way…all flames and flamers will be ignored thank-you. I will make an exception for CONSTRUCTIVE reviews on what needs an adjustment or suggestions for other chapters/stories, for they are most welcome. Remember if you don't like my work then don't read or review it! NO-ONE is forcing you to! It's like when you watch a TV program, if you don't like it switch off or change the channel. After all, you don't HAVE stay and watch a program you don't like, now do you?)
Disclaimer: I sadly DON'T own anything from One Piece, not the people OR the places (except my OWN characters, places and so on) they all belong to Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonen Jump Manga and that genius Odo Eiichiro.
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PART FOURTEEN:
"Get up," Luffy said to the downed Crocodile. "I figured something out from our fight yesterday outside of Rainbase. I noticed that some of the water I got from Yuba dropped on your hand. Once you touch water," he said using the water in the barrel on his back to hose himself down from head to toe. "You can't turn into sand anymore! That's why you took all the rain away from this country, you're afraid of water aren't you? So, I know how to beat you now Crocodile! Our real fight starts now!"
"My congratulations to you Luffy!" PEW said cheerfully clapping his hands while Miss All Sunday and Cobra looked on in amazement. "You do actually have brains after all, at this rate you may yet make King of the Pirates."
"Get up Crocodile," Luffy snapped at the still downed Warlord choosing to ignore PEW for the time being. "It's time for us to fight, now!"
For a moment Crocodile continued to lay where he had fallen, then he slowly started chuckling to himself before he began to get back up again. As the Warlord got to his knees, his chuckling became a loud mocking laugh. "Oh, come on!" he said laughing hysterically at what he had just heard. "You REALLY think you can defeat me?"
"Sure do," Luffy said taking off his Straw Hat and putting it safely down on the ground so it wouldn't get damaged. "Now that I've figured out how to stop you turning into sand."
"Like PEW, I'm impressed you managed to figure my weakness out. Especially when you were so close to dying yesterday. But I hope you realize getting yourself wet like that isn't nearly enough to make this an even fight. For I am one of the Seven Warlord's of the Sea," Crocodile reminded him.
"So, what if you're one of the seven dumb Warlords?" Luffy said carelessly. "I guess that makes me…the EIGHTH Warlord!"
The ridiculousness of this announcement caused Crocodile, Miss All Sunday AND PEW to deadpan at Luffy in sheer exasperation.
"Is he kidding?" Miss All Sunday asked PEW in disbelief.
"Sadly, my dear he is not," PEW replied shaking his head in despair.
"Look PEW," Cobra said slowly to the hooded information dealer as he continued to watch what was happening in front of him in amazement. "I heard what you said to me before. But you must have been lying to me, just who IS this guy? You can be truthful to me you know; I'll believe what you say."
"Oh God," PEW said wearily pinching the bridge of his nose as if in pain at hearing such a stupid question.
"Relax," Miss All Sunday said gently to PEW. "I'll explain this for you."
"Thank you," PEW nodded in relief as he started searching through his robes for his aspirins.
"That Straw Hat boy you see before us is a Pirate," Miss All Sunday said patently to Cobra. "I'm surprised you haven't heard about him yet. He's helped your darling Princess Vivi escape from death several times now."
"So he," Cobra said in slow disbelief. "Is the one responsible for bringing Vivi back home?"
"Oh, you are so on the money today aren't you, Cobra?" PEW said sarcastically as he continued to look for his aspirins while Luffy and Crocodile began fighting again.
Although Luffy had taken Crocodile completely off guard with his first few attacks, the Warlord was now more prepared as Luffy launched his Gum-Gum Pistol attack at him
"That attack of yours is no good if I can dodge it," Crocodile said calmly as he jerked his head to the left while still kneeling. "Also," he added sinisterly as he grabbed Luffy's arm with his good hand. "My hand can still absorb any fluid ON you as well as in your body!"
"Aw crap!" Luffy groaned as his arm began shrivelling up like a dying flower. "I forgot about that trick!" He ran forward and gave Crocodile a vicious kick to the face, but now that he was dry, again the Warlord simply dissolved into harmless sand. But as Crocodile was reforming, Luffy quickly took some huge gulps of water from the tube connected to the water barrel on his back. Almost at once, the rubber boy's arm returned to normal at being so promptly rehydrated.
"Alright not bad," Luffy said admittedly to Crocodile. "But," he went on using his water barrel to soak himself from head to toe. "Remember how you told me Devil Fruit powers get stronger? Gum-Gum Pistol…" he said throwing his arm forward again. "Shotgun!" he added 'twanging' his arm causing it to vibrate and produce multiple fists.
"I can see how Luffy worked out Crocodile's weakness," PEW said to Miss All Sunday as he paused in his efforts to locate his aspirins, just in time to see the Warlord only just miss his opponent's unexpected attack. "It was his childish desire to gloat while battling Luffy yesterday; he just HAD to boast at how clever he was to his enemy."
"You impertinent brat!" Crocodile roared furiously jumping out of the way. "Desert Spada!" he yelled forming his right hand into a loose blade of fast-moving sand. He then stabbed his hand into the ground extending it along the ground towards Luffy like a torpedo, splitting the ground itself in half, through the extreme and focused erosion created by his attack.
"Uh-oh!" Luffy yelled narrowly avoiding the vicious attack by mere inches. "I barely missed that one! Now then Gum-Gum…" he said using his Pistol Attack while running head on at Crocodile."
"You just keep using the same attack against me," Crocodile sneered in annoyance at Luffy's persistence. "Don't you want to win?"
"Hell yeah!" Luffy said suddenly coming in close to Crocodile before elbowing him in the face. "And I'm going to!" he added as Crocodile hit the ground face first. "That was my plan from the start!" Luffy said grabbing his water barrel and throwing it at the downed Warlord. "Time for you to get wet!"
"Oh of course!" Crocodile said suddenly opening his hand before creating a sudden sandstorm with it. "Your plan was obvious to me right from the start! Sables!" he yelled releasing his attack into the air.
The sudden deadly sandstorm attack sent Luffy and his water barrel up high into the air. "Oh no, my barrel!" Luffy cried in alarm quickly grabbing it before it got too far away from him.
"You're struggling so hard Straw Hat Luffy," Crocodile laughed despite his injuries. "You can't do anything at all without that water barrel of yours now can you? This isn't any different than my first fight with you after all."
"Yeah, you're right Crocodile," Luffy said determinedly to the Warlord as he came to a sudden decision. "It isn't any different like this."
Then to everyone's astonishment, Luffy took his water barrel and drank down the entire contents, turning himself into a huge water balloon like person. "How about this?" he said once he finished drinking. "Now I'm not the same!"
"What…the…bloody…hell…are…you…DOING?!" Crocodile thundered to his enemy in slow, angry, disbelief at what he was seeing. "You've got to be KIDDING ME?!"
"I'm water Luffy! Oh no!" the bloated pirate cried in alarm as water started leaking out of his body from his back and stomach like a fountain. "A leak from my first fight with you!"
"Is this idiot actually being serious?!" Crocodile demanded to know.
"I'm afraid that despite his ridiculousness Crocodile," PEW spoke up finally locating his lost aspirins in his robes at last. "Luffy is indeed taking you seriously. Which is making my headache even worse than before," he added before swallowing some aspirins and taking a sip from his hydration pack.
"I guess I shouldn't have drunk that much water," Luffy mumbled to himself as he finally got his body to stop leaking
"Fu, fu, fu, fu," Miss All Sunday chuckled lightly at the silliness happening before her.
"Damn it!" Crocodile roared furiously now deeply infuriated with Luffy's antics. "Will you quit messing around?!"
Turning the lower part of his body into sand, Crocodile flew forward at Luffy with the intent of impaling him on his hook.
"Uh-oh!" Luffy exclaimed using his arms like a water pump before he spat out a huge ball of water, which hit the advancing Crocodile head on soaking him to the skin.
"Dammed brat!" Crocodile cursed under his breath for being so careless. "My body is wet and solid!"
"Who said I was messing around?" Luffy yelled as he got another attack ready. "You heard what PEW said I'm always serious, so let me show you! Gum-Gum Bazooka!"
Luffy shouted as he stretched back both his arms before smashing them right into Crocodile's chest, the result was extraordinary. With blood flying out of his mouth from the impact of Luffy's attack, Crocodile was flung back into a small turret of the palace, which collapsed down on top of him.
"How was that Sand Croc?" Luffy called to the downed and buried Warlord.
"That's amazing!" Cobra said in awe at what he had just witnessed. "He beat Crocodile…that boy is weird, but incredible!"
"Crocodile may be down," PEW said putting away his aspirins. "But he's hardly out for the count…at least not yet. So, this fight is most likely to continue, but I'm not hanging around to watch it."
"I agree," Miss All Sunday nodded. "There's no time for all this admiration," she said to Cobra. "We have other things to do."
"Quite right," PEW said reaching into his robes and pulled out his can of Perma-paste Solvent. He then sprayed all the white gunk on the wall behind the trapped King, immediately the Perma-paste melted away like snow in the hot sun. Once free of his sticky restraint Cobra suddenly slid down the wall and fell to the ground at last.
"Now that you're free Cobra," PEW said putting away his spray can. "I suggest you get up and get a move on."
"You're going to show us the way to the Poneglyph," Miss All Sunday instructed him.
"I can't…" Cobra groaned as he pulled himself up on his hands and knees. "I've got pins and needles from being stuck to that wall all that time. PEW knows where it is…at least I'm willing to bet he knows. Leave me here…and let him take you…"
"What? And have you slip away to go get help while you're unsupervised?" PEW said shaking his head. "Not very likely."
"What are you planning to do?" Cobra demanded to know. "How can looking at the Poneglyph possibly help you?"
"That would be telling," PEW, said mysteriously as Miss All Sunday use her Devil Fruit abilities to make an arm appear out of Cobra's back. The king gave a cry of painful agony as both his hands were twisted behind his back.
"Look," Miss All Sunday said impatiently. "Will you stop asking questions and get moving?"
"Come on," PEW said to Cobra heaving him up to his feet. "Let's go."
"As for you Straw Hat," Miss All Sunday said addressing Luffy who was silently watching her and PEW. "Your luck is beginning to run out…you certainly did try I'll give you that. But there's not much time left for you."
Just then, a VERY angry Crocodile pulled himself up out of the rubble he'd been buried in, glaring furiously at Luffy. "Nico Robin," he said trembling in restrained anger. "You and PEW had better get going unless you plan to be dried up along with this brat. So, leave the pair of you…I'm done playing games!"
"I have no doubt you are," PEW said to Crocodile before pushing Cobra off on his way.
"She's Nico Robin?!" Cobra said looking at Miss All Sunday in terrified amazement.
"Have you got a problem with that?" PEW asked Cobra angrily as they headed off on their way.
"No…" Cobra hurriedly replied nervously. "Of course, not…"
"Good! Because you SHOULDN'T!"
"Fu, fu, fu, fu. It's so nice knowing someone that doesn't care about who I am and what I've done," Miss All Sunday said happily, as they left the palace via the rear exit.
For the next few minutes there was silence as the trio walked through the now deserted streets of Alubarna, as the fighting between the rebel and royal armies had now moved to the town square.
"Your name," Cobra said quietly to Miss All Sunday. "Crocodile called you Nico Robin, is that really your name?"
"What does it matter if it is? You have more important things to worry about."
"Nico Robin," Cobra went on slowly choosing his words carefully. "That name was known throughout the world twenty years ago…tell me what did you come here for?"
"Why don't you just shut up and keep walking us to where the Poneglyph is?" PEW snapped irritably glaring at Cobra as he did so. "Otherwise I'll be forced to gag you! Wait a minute," he said coming to a sudden stop causing Cobra and Miss All Sunday to stop as well.
"What is it?"
"Marines," PEW said quietly. "Just around the corner," he added pointing to several shadows on the ground before them.
'Shit!' he thought to himself as he saw that one of the shadow's belonged to Tashigi. 'If Tashigi sees me she'll end up spilling her guts to Cobra and Robin, about what I'm REALLY up to. I'm not ready for that yet!'
"It's only one squad of Marines," Miss All Sunday said casually. "I can handle them."
"Ok then," PEW said coming to a decision. "While you deal with them, I'll go on ahead and make sure the rest of the streets are clear. We'll meet on the edge of the city, near the royal tomb."
With that said PEW used his Geppo and took to the air.
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A few minutes later PEW was standing before the royal tomb of Alabasta, which was a huge temple dating back four thousand years. In his travels to Alabasta, which occasionally took him to its capital Alubarna, the hooded information dealer had seen the tomb from a distance from time to time. He had been tempted to go and look several times, but he felt it wouldn't have been respectful to go without asking official permission of Cobra. But as the Poneglyph was supposed to be located near the tomb, PEW felt that Cobra would have gotten suspicious and refused his permission anyway. Which was something PEW could respectfully understand.
"So, this is the royal tomb…" Miss All Sunday's voice said causing PEW to break out of his thoughts. "Where generations of your kings lay in their tombs hey King Cobra?"
"Ah," PEW said turning to face Miss All Sunday and Cobra. "Here you are, I take it there were no 'dramas' with the Marines?"
"Nothing I haven't handled with them before," Miss All Sunday smirked at him before turning to Cobra. "So, where's the Poneglyph?"
The restrained Alabastian King quietly walked over to a statue located near the steps leading into the tomb, and then carefully pushed it sideways with his shoulder.
With a clatter of hidden gears and chains, a hidden hatchway opened up revealing an underground staircase.
"The Poneglyph is kept down there," Cobra said quietly indicating the stairs. "Deep under the ground."
"Of course," PEW nodded in understanding. "The most obvious hiding place to have, after you your highness."
"Most people aren't even aware of the Poneglyph's existence," Cobra told Miss All Sunday and PEW as he started going down the stairs with them following close behind.
"Apart from ourselves and those in high places," PEW said bitterly. "Like those FOOLS in the World Government. They don't want the regular people knowing too much, they might get upset at being kept in the dark on purpose!"
"How true," Miss All Sunday said in agreement. "Many events occur behind the scenes. But just because a country belongs to the World Government doesn't necessarily mean that its king knows everything that is going on. You should not be blamed Cobra. Like most people you probably had no idea that there was someone else in this world who could decipher them."
"You can actually read Poneglyph's?" Cobra asked in amazement at what he had just heard.
"That's right," Miss All Sunday said nodding in confirmation. "That's why Crocodile and I ended up as a team in the first place. It's also why he can't kill me," she added. "I'm no good to him dead."
"If that's the case," Cobra said stopping on the stairs to turn around and face his captors. "Why are you here PEW?"
"Crocodile needed my skills as an information dealer to find all the individuals he needed for his plans. He knew I knew Miss All Sunday here from my travels. So, he got me to persuade her to take up Crocodile's offer as his partner and Vice President."
"Can you read the Poneglyph too PEW?" Cobra asked the hooded information dealer quietly. "If you can, then why did Crocodile go through all the trouble he's done to my country? Why not have you simply ask me for permission? I know how you operate, you wouldn't have told me your real reason if you were told to conceal them."
"You know I told Crocodile the exact same thing," PEW said to Cobra casually. "But the guy has trust issues. Despite even my honesty, which everyone knows about, Crocodile is simply paranoid when it comes to fully trusting people…period. That is unless he is actually in person with whoever he is dealing with. He'll believe what anyone says if he either threatens them with death, or instant reward for their efforts which get him instant results."
"Now to get away from the subject of Crocodile for a moment King Cobra," Miss All Sunday spoke up. "Can you tell us…is it correct that the Poneglyph in this country, tells where the Pluton is? Is that really the case?"
"I don't know," Cobra said shaking his head. "Alabasta's royal family has been obligated for generations to protect it. That duty is the only thing we know about it."
"Protect it?" Robin said scornfully. "Don't make me laugh!"
By now the trio had reached the bottom of the stairs and found themselves in a large underground stone chamber filled with statues and walls filled with ancient hieroglyphics.
"This place is quite impressive," Miss All Sunday said looking around the chamber with great interest.
"The Poneglyph is located behinds the doors in the back of the chamber," Cobra told her quietly.
As PEW walked with Cobra and Miss All Sunday he had to supress a huge, terrible, urge to take off his gloves and touch everything around him with his bare hands. It had been a long time since he had felt that terrible, terrible, need, to know. If he wasn't careful he'd have an information overload which would cause him to pass out, or worse.
"There it is," Miss All Sunday said in happy awe as she opened the doors at the rear of the chamber to reveal the Poneglyph in all its glory. Seeing the huge blue stone cube covered in ancient writings in front of them, PEW closed his eyes and clenched his fists breathing deeply. His terrible need to touch the Poneglyph bare handed, that desire, that lust to KNOW was threatening to overpower him.
"Are you alright? Miss All Sunday asked the hooded information dealer as she saw him still standing at the door.
"I'm…fine," PEW said getting out a notebook and pen from his robes with shaking hands. "I'm just…excited at seeing an actual Poneglyph in person."
"Well let's get on translating it then," Miss All Sunday said urging King Cobra onwards as PEW joined her by the Poneglyph.
For the next few minutes there was dead silence as Miss All Sunday examined the Poneglyph, while PEW carefully wrote down the symbols on his notebook. Occasionally the pair would mummer to each other and consult PEW's notebook of the symbols he had written down. Seeing his captors so occupied, Cobra tried to sneak away. But as soon as he moved, the arm restraining his hands tightened its grip so he stood still.
"Well? Did the Poneglyph tell you everything you wanted to know?"
"Quiet," PEW said absently as he continued writing in his notebook. Once he was sure it was safe, PEW leaned over and whispered quietly so that Cobra couldn't hear them. "Robin?"
"Yes?"
"We are in very, very, very great danger."
"From Crocodile you mean?"
"Yes, he's going to be down here in a minute or two, wanting to know if this Poneglyph says where in Alabasta the Pluton is. You are aware that once he knows, he'll try and kill you as well as me once I confirm or deny whatever it is you tell him?"
"Oh, believe me I know," Miss All Sunday replied grimly. "However, I'm prepared for it, but if things don't work out I take it you have something up your sleeve?"
"Of course, I do. So be prepared when the moment comes."
"How will I know the moment?"
"Trust your instincts," PEW said mysteriously then fell silent as the sound of distance footsteps could be heard approaching them.
"Tell me Cobra," Miss All Sunday asked the restrained king as the footsteps got closer. "Are there any other Poneglyphs hidden in this country? Is this all that you're hiding?"
"Aren't you satisfied?" Cobra asked scornfully. "I kept every word of my promise I have made to you."
"Yes," Miss All Sunday sighed quietly as the footsteps were very close now. "You did."
"Just like any other national secret," Crocodile said grandly as he entered the Poneglyph chamber. "No matter how hard you look, you can't find it unless you already know where it is. So," he went on turning his attention to the huge blue stone cube which filled the chamber. "This is the Poneglyph we were looking for huh?"
"You didn't take too much time getting here Crocodile," PEW said calmly to the battered Warlord. "I thought as Luffy had worked out your weakness to water, it would have taken you longer."
"Forget that Straw Hat," Crocodile said waving a dismissive hand. "He's a bug…and I've dealt with him. Now that you two have this odd thing in front of you, were you able to decipher it?"
"Of course," Miss All Sunday nodded.
"Very good," Crocodile said in satisfaction. "Then read it aloud. What does this thing say?"
"Let me see…" Miss All Sunday said turning back to the Poneglyph. "Kahira conquered Alabasta…" she read "In Sky Ephemeris Year 239. In year 260, Taymar ruled the Bitein Dynasty. In year 360, the Taph Cathedral was completed in Erumalu. In year 325, the Hero of Oltea, Mamudin…"
'Clever girl,' PEW thought quietly to himself as Miss All Sunday continued her reading. 'You're giving Crocodile the CENSORED version of what's written here on this Poneglyph as he can't read it. But,' he noted glancing at the annoyed look on the Warlord's face as she continued her reading. 'Crocodile isn't going to like this, in fact I know he won't like it!'
"Hey hold it!" Crocodile snapped in annoyance confirming PEW's theory and causing Miss All Sunday to stop her translation. "What is all this? Is that REALLY all the information here?! I don't give a damn about this desert's history! I want to know about the world's most dangerous military power! WHERE its hiding in this country! Where is the Pluton hidden?!"
"That information isn't written here," Miss All Sunday said calmly to Crocodile.
"WHAT?!" Crocodile exclaimed in disbelief.
"History is the only thing that this text contains," she told him with a defeated shrug.
"That's all?!"
"Pluton…" she said going over the text again. "I didn't see it anyway. It isn't mentioned in this Poneglyph at all."
Cobra, who had been listening to what was being said in silent astonishment, was about to say something in regards to this. But a sharp look from PEW, which screamed to him to remain silent, made him obey instantly.
"Pluton is not mentioned at all huh?" Crocodile said suddenly calming down. "I see…" he went on with a heavy sigh. "That's very unfortunate. You've been an excellent partner to me Miss All Sunday, but even so…I think I'll kill you right here."
"What?!"
"You can't do that!" Cobra protested in horror at what he was hearing.
"Yes I can," Crocodile said evenly. "The agreement we had four years ago has been fulfilled. You do remember the terms of that agreement?" he asked his now ex-partner. "I was to bring you to the Poneglyph and in return you would hand over the information on the weapon to me.
Now don't get me wrong," Crocodile went on admiringly. "The work you've done for Baroque Works these past four years was excellent, both in terms of intellect and your ability to command. Your usefulness to the Company has been reason enough to keep you around," the Warlord said his voice and face now hardening in sudden anger. "But in the end you spoiled it all! By betraying me! Nico Robin!" he roared furiously his voice echoing around the stone chamber.
"You say the Poneglyph in this country doesn't say anything at all about the Pluton," Crocodile said advancing furiously on the rapidly retreating Nico Robin. "What that your plan all along? To HIDE the information from me even if you did find something useful?! But even so…I don't feel any anger towards you Nico Robin, and do you know why that is?"
"Because you have me to tell you what the Poneglyph actually says?" PEW spoke up suggestively. "So it's no great loss if she dies?"
"Precisely!" Crocodile said raising his hook ready to strike.
"Unfortunately for you Crocodile," PEW said calmly his hand suddenly flashing out. "I care!"
To Crocodile and Cobra's utter astonishment, but to Nico Robin's huge relief, PEW had GRABBED the Warlord's hooked arm and mid-swing holding it fast.
"Now then," the hooded information dealer said grimly to the flabbergasted Crocodile. "It's time for you and I to have a little chat, which I have to tell you, is something I have been looking forward to for a VERY long time!"
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How's THAT for a Cliff-hanger dear readers? PEW is FINALLY ready to openly DEFY Crocodile and his plans for Alabasta! If you're wondering 'why did he wait till just now to make this move?' and 'what has he got to "chat" to Crocodile about?' You'll find the answers you seek next chapter! So until then don't' forget to read and review! Good Health, Clear Body, Strong Mind!
Also please remember once again, if you don't like my work then don't read or review it! NO-ONE, is forcing you to!