Chapter 26: Tribunal

Disclaimer: I figured I was a bit too ambitious trying to become Oda's arch-nemesis. Instead, I'm now aiming for more minor villain/annoyance. From now on, I'm going to criticise every element of Oda's story, spam message boards, forums and reviews with insensitive remarks, and just generally try to make life a bit worse for One Piece fans. That's right, I've now devolved into a troll.

Hey, if you can't beat them, join them.

Previously:

The Marines, led by Smoker and Hina, suffered a huge loss as their ship dropped out of Skypiea to fates unknown. Tashigi was on-board, and is due for a tribunal to defend her actions in Alabasta.

Meanwhile, the pirates docked at Jaya Island, and Luffy 's and Robin's relationship is becoming more intimate quickly.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

"You ready?" Smoker asked curiously, hesitating slightly at the gangway of the battleship. There was just a hint of caution in his voice.

Tashigi smiled softly and nodded. The last three days had been the most hectic, confused and nerve-wracking of her whole life. "Yeah," Tashigi replied quietly, forcing the hesitation out of her voice. "Let's go."

The captain nodded. Smoker's clothes had been soaked and ruined after their days at sea, but he had borrowed a pair of trousers and a white shirt that was several sizes too big. As a sign of his rank, he had also been given an officer's jacket, but Tashigi couldn't help notice how all of the marines around them hesitated slightly before saluting.

The battleship was tall and imposing, a mammoth of a vessel that made their old one look like a dingy boat. Everything was sharper, metallic and dangerous. This was a ship straight from Marineford itself, while Smoker and Tashigi were two officers from a backwater outpost in the East Blue. Tashigi couldn't help feel incredibly self-conscious as she realised that just about everyone on deck had a much higher rank than her.

Two commodores flanked them from either side; both large man with sharp eyes and aura of experience, watched closely by a rear admiral looking over the procession. It had been made very clear that neither Smoker nor Tashigi were actually under arrest, on the condition that that neither of them tried to protest or run away.

At the corner of the ship, Tashigi glimpsed Captain Hina. The strawberry blond was quietly being escorted towards them; solemn and with heavy bags under her eyes. Hina was on trial too, now. It wasn't every day that a captain lost a whole battleship and crew dropping out of the sky, while escorting two potential traitors to their tribunal. Of all the circumstances that Tashigi would have wanted this tribunal to happen, this was probably worse than anything Tashigi could have imagined.

They had lost the entirety of their crew in the ten-thousand meter plummet from the sky. It could have been so much worse if Smoker hadn't been there. Smoker couldn't actually fly, per se, but he could hover in the air for prolonged periods of time by using his smoke to lift him upwards. The captain was able to carry Tashigi and Hina upwards, just as the raft crashed into the ocean and broke into splinters.

After that, Smoker lowered them gently into the sea, and thankfully there had been enough flotsam from the crash for the three of them to avoid drowning. Then there were two days of starvation, drifting helplessly about at sea before Hina finally made contact on her transponder snail and a ship tracked them down. All three of them were still raw, weak and hungry from the experience.

Hina took it hard. They had been her men, her comrades, and her responsibility. Smoker took it worse; it had been his mistake and his failure in judgement that cost them their lives. Tashigi had never seen the captain so distraught and doubtful before. He hadn't smoked a cigar in days, and somehow that was the worst possible sign of grief. Trying to explain the circumstances to the commodore who rescued them was the most horribly painful and humiliating memories Tashigi had ever had.

Still, now it was out of that commodore's hands. As soon as the extent of their fuck-up became apparent, it was all pushed further up the chain of command. They were in the Vice Admiral's custody now.

Isn't military hierarchy just brilliant? Tashigi thought with bitter sarcasm, watching the metal doors on the deck open slowly.

Everything was quiet on deck as a three deckhands saluted like perfect clockwork. Tashigi squirmed as she debated hesitantly if she should salute too, but neither Hina nor Smoker twitched. Quiet, calm footsteps echoed over the deck as a small figure strolled towards the three of them.

A thin, elderly woman with grey hair, dark eyes and a craned neck peered curiously between Smoker, Hina and then lingering on Tashigi. Her skin was so wrinkly it looked like a dried grape, while her formal clothes were worn with casual disregard; shirt untucked, sleeves rolled up, collar opened and tie loose around her neck. Still the jacket of a Vice Admiral draped across her shoulders, and her eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. Vice Admiral Tsuru inspected her charges critically, peering down through a crooked nose.

"Hmph," Tsuru muttered finally, arms folded behind her back. "This is a right mess you've gotten yourself into this time, Smoker."

Smoker looked surprised. "Tsuru," he greeted stiffly, staring at the oldest marine still on active duty. 'Great Staff' Tsuru was a legend among the Marines. "They sent you to collect us?"

The old woman scoffed, already turning around and hobbling away. "I volunteered," she explained simply. "It was a favour for Kuzan. Come on now then, the tribunal is waiting."

With a flicker of hesitation, Tashigi looked towards Smoker and clenched her fists. Smoker paused just for a second, before walking forward. Tashigi followed. "The tribunal is here?" Tashigi asked worriedly, straightening her glasses. Her hair was unwashed and filthy, and her clothes were several sizes too big.

"Yep," Tsuru nodded disinterestedly, while the other marines filed in behind them. "Course, they're not here in person - Admirals and Vice Admirals are far too busy for that, but they've all got transponder snails set up. Don't be nervous, dear, nobody expects this to last long."

Smoker's eyes darkened as Tsuru led them down the corridor. This was feeling more and more like a formality before the execution.

"Admiral Akainu will be presiding over the tribunal," Tsuru explained, stressing the name. "Ever since Crocodile's death, your case has gotten quite a bit of attention, so Sakazuki wants to make an example. You've got a jury of Vice Admirals and Admirals, and I hear that even Sengoku will be listening in."

"That's a lot of attention just for two Captains and a Master Chief Petty Officer," Smoker muttered under his breath, barely audible. Tashigi's stomach clenched.

Tsuru heard it anyways, and shrugged. "Eh, Sakazuki's trying to go for Fleet Admiral," she explained. "He wants to show his supporters that pirate sympathisers won't be tolerated."

The Vice Admiral stopped by a door, and paused. Tsuru stared at them quietly and suddenly Tashigi realised the reason she was talking so much. She was preparing them. "You should know…" Tsuru muttered, lowering her voice, and Tashigi recognised a flash of empathy hidden behind a façade of indifference. "… That Akainu wouldn't have put himself forward without making preparations."

The unspoken meaning caused the three of them to freeze. Tsuru was here as a favour for Kuzan. Tashigi wondered just what that favour actually was. This was what I chose, Tashigi thought darkly and her whole body tensed as Tsuru opened the door. I chose to be here.

Inside, there was a small, windowless room. The door was flanked by two marines holding swords, and Tsuru bolted the door behind them. Tashigi would bet money that this room was reinforced with Seastone. The far wall was covered in rows and rows of transponder snails of all different sizes and colours. Dozens of beady eyes stared down at Tashigi as she took one of the three seats in front of the monitors. Scattered all over the Grand Line, visual and sound was being transmitted to the Marine Command.

"Defendants sit down. This tribunal is now in session," The sharp voice blared from a large, red transponder snail in the middle of the shelves. It was sharp, harsh and demanding. Tashigi felt like she was on display as she stared at the transponder snail belonging to Admiral Akainu. "The defendants will now state their name and rank for the record."

It was not a question. Smoker paused, looking over the snails with sharp eyes as he tried to guess which one belonged to whom. "Captain Smoker, of the East Blue Loguetown Division."

"Captain Hina, of Section 3 Black Cage Corps."

"Master Chief Petty Officer Tashigi," Tashigi intoned carefully. "Of the East Blue Loguetown Division."

There was the sound of a pen scratching on paper, like a man ticking off a list. Akainu's voice was relentless, in complete control of the proceedings. "You are all here accused of a gross misconduct, blatant incompetency, and suspected treason," Akainu said harshly, his snail frowning. Hs voice dominated the room. "Over the course of this proceeding, your offenses will be made public and a suitable punishment will be chosen, in line with the principle on which Marine Corps were founded. This is not a hearing or an inquiry, there will be no deliberation. Your transgressions have been well-documented; there is nothing to be debated. The defendants will not speak unless spoken to. Is that understood? Nod, do not speak."

The sound of Smoker's teeth grinding together filled the room, but he still nodded quietly. His whole body was stiff.

"Good," Akainu said without pause. "Allow me to summarise the events that led us here. Captain Smoker, for reasons unknown, made a mockery of the chain of command and abandoned his post in Loguetown to chase a group of pirates into the Grand Line, failing at every turn to capture them. During the rebellion in Alabasta, Captain Smoker failed to keep order and justice in the country, and instead spent his time chasing after some 'shadow organisation' conspiracy theory."

A vein bulged on Smoker's forehead, but not even he dared to interrupt Akainu's speech. Tashigi's fingernails dug into her palms. "Captain Smoker left his lieutenant, Master Chief Petty Officer Tashigi, in command over the events in Alaburna, where she allowed and maybe even participated in causing the country to fall to the brink of collapse, for pirates to murder the government official, Sir Crocodile, and then let those same pirates walk free," Akainu's voice was smoulderingly harsh. "After these events, Captain Hina later joined this growing insurgency by investing her men in an unsanctioned pursuit that has shamed the honour and professional conduct of loyal marines."

"And now…" Akainu continued coldly. "… the only thing left is a huge financial cost, loss of resources, and these three marines - all claiming wild and farfetched stories as their command lies in ruins."

Tashigi winced with the tone of his voice. She wondered if they would actually get the chance to defend themselves, but it probably wouldn't do any good. If Admiral Akainu wanted you guilty, you would be guilty.

"Firstly, in the sight of this spectacular failure," Akainu drawled. "I hereby revoke the ranks of the defendants and place them on indefinite suspension. I will not allow any guilty party to shirk responsibility for their actions. For the remainder of this tribunal, all military privileges and the rights of the defendants have been rendered null and they will judged for their actions as civilians."

The proclamation sent tremors of dread down Tashigi's spine. No military privileges meant no right of attorney, or representation. It meant they couldn't claim circumstantial lenience or indict responsibility on their superiors. It meant that a whole load of punishments that would otherwise be inapplicable were suddenly back on the table.

Behind her, Vice Admiral Tsuru pursed her lips. He's actually going to do it, Tashigi thought with cold dread; he's going to send us either to Impel Down or to the gallows.

"As far as I'm concerned, the only two explanations for these offences is either gross incompetency or outright betrayal," Akainu announced to the quiet, tense room. "… Both of them are capital crimes. Now then, what excuses do the defendants claim for these events? Speak in turn."

Hina's body was as tense as a spring. "Unfortunate circumstances," she muttered quietly, dark eyes glaring at the transponder snails.

Smoker's nostrils flared. "Miscommunication," he snarled.

Tashigi took a deep breath. It was now or never. She felt her head spin and her heart flutter. "Outright betrayal."

Akainu snorted. "It is clear that the Marine Command cannot allow—" He stopped suddenly, his ears finally processing Tashigi's statement. There was a moment's of stunned silence. "Wait - what?! "

Tashigi felt almost giddy with adrenaline as she shrugged nonchalantly. Smoker and Hina were staring at her incredulously. "Didn't I mention that?" Tashigi said with a forced smile. Everything suddenly felt so serene that she couldn't help but grin with the absurdness of the situation. It was either laugh or curl up in a ball in fear. "For the past five years, I have been secretly working for the Straw Hat Pirates. I infiltrated the Marines since the academy, and since then I have been passing information over to the pirates while disrupting any efforts to catch them. I am solely responsible for all the crimes that you listed."

Oh god, I really just said that out loud, didn't I? Tashigi thought in near delirium. She had planning it since Skypiea, but it was a completely surreal experience to suddenly hear yourself announcing that you were guilty of piracy to the most powerful men on the planet. Her heart was fluttering like a mad. She couldn't blink because she felt like she would collapse if she closed her eyes.

Ok, just breathe. Breathe, breathe, breathe, Tashigi thought desperately as she felt herself start to hyperventilate. Come on, you've gone too far, just a bit further. Say it. Say it. Say those four words…

"I am a pirate."

A stunned, frozen silence met the statement. Smoker's mouth dropped open as he stared at her, tongue flapping uselessly. Somehow, Tashigi remained completely still and upright in her chair while it felt like the whole world was crumbling around her. The silence stretched out uncomfortably.

And then, the sound of hysterical laughter split the room apart. Tashigi stared at the transponder snail on the lower shelves that was laughing furiously. It was a snail that could only belong to Vice Admiral Garp.

"Tashigi, what are you doing?!" Smoker hissed, clutching her shoulder tightly. Tashigi just smiled softly, despite her trembling hands.

"I'm saving your career," Tashigi whispered, so softly that no one else could hear her.

The transponder snails burst into frenzy of activity, as dozens of people started to talk at the same time. Admiral Akainu's voice cut through them all. "You are a pirate?!" He bellowed furiously.

Gone too far to back down now. "Yep!" Tashigi shouted with delirious cheerfulness. She had to shout to be heard. "I've been helping the Straw Hats for years. I let them escape in Loguetown, and then I was the one that forged the order telling Smoker to pursue them so I could help them in the Grand Line. I helped them murder Crocodile, I gave them medical attention, and then I let them go! I distracted Smoker so he wouldn't interfere! Later, I convinced Hina to pursue the Straw Hats with us, while I plotted an ambush with the pirates as a way for me to maintain my cover! I have been a spy in the marines for years!"

The frenzy became even more chaotic. In the room, the marines clutched their weapons tightly, looking at Tashigi and wondering what to do. Smoker and Hina were looking at her with absolute shock.

"YOU DARE?!" Akainu bellowed, louder than everyone else in the room. Whatever preparations he made had just been blown out of the window. "YOU THINK YOU CAN ASSOCIATE WITH PIRACY AND—"

Tashigi felt something snap in her head. All of that doubt and fear just overloaded her brain and suddenly she couldn't feel anything anymore. Oh well. If you were going to jump of a cliff, you might as well make a splash.

If I'm going to commit high treason, I might as well make it worthwhile.

"Oh, lava boy, I'm doing way more than just 'associating'!" Tashigi shouted, cutting Akainu off, as she leaned back in her chair. "Let's see… the Alabasta rebellion? I staged that. The whole Drum Kingdom affair? Me." She hesitated slightly, but then she just figured 'why the hell not?'. "That pirate raid a few days ago? I caused that! That gold theft from Vira? Those missing supply ships from Water 7? All me!"

"How about those ambushes near Twin Capes?" Tsuru suggested sarcastically, a hint of mischievousness in the old woman's eyes.

Tashigi shrugged. "Sure," she grinned brightly, before turning back to the transponder snails. "Hell, how about you just save us time and blame every crime and tragedy in the last five years on me?"

She had to shout loudly just to be heard of the ruckus. Her head was spinning madly as she focused on Akainu's snail. "Every tragedy except your haircut, of course, that's one's all on you." There was a sound a lot like a bunch of papers suddenly catching fire from Akainu's snail. Tashigi grinned, but at this point she had nothing to fear by going further. "And by the way, only gays and big fat party animals wear Hawaiian shirts, sparkles."

She could practically hear Akainu's vein throbbing from here. She half expected the transponder snail to burst into flames. "Excuse me?!" Akainu growled murderously.

Tashigi laughed, clutching the snail. She had probably gone insane, but she was too high to care. "Oh, Maurice, you wear a pink floral shirt and a bright red suit," Tashigi teased. She was mocking one of the most powerful men in the world, and it was brilliant. "You dress like you spent your time trawling karaoke bars, drinking piña coladas and asking big men to call you 'Shirley'." Tashigi thought about it for a moment. "Although, honestly, that might explain why you keep that metal rod rammed up so far up your ass!"

Vice Admiral Garp was laughing so hard that he might actually be dying. There was a thud from his transponder snail as the man must have dropped to the floor clutching his stomach. In the room, even Tsuru had to cough to hide a smirk. Smoker's jaw was still on the floor as he stared at Tashigi disbelievingly.

"… You… you… !" Akainu stammered, so angry that he couldn't actually force the words out. The transponder snail transformed as red as beetroot. He was hyperventilating with pure rage. "… YOU! Arrest her!" The snail bellowed. "Arrest her and execute her immediately!"

Nobody in the room moved. Smoker and Hina looked at each other, their minds spinning quickly. "Well, I would…" Smoker said carefully. "But I've been suspended, so I'm not allowed to interfere…"

There was a murderous snarl. Tashigi was so, so very relieved that Akainu was a thousand miles away. It was much easier to be mean to someone when they weren't nearby.

"Vice Admiral Tsuru!" Akainu snapped loudly, voice echoing in the room. "I order you to arrest this trait—"

There was a sudden click and everything went quiet. Tsuru was standing by the transponder snails, calmly pressing down on the button as they all disconnected. Tashigi stared at her in surprise.

"Oh dear, look at the time," the old woman said coolly, looking at her watch with exaggerated movements. "It's time for my lunch break. I guess we'll have to resume this later."

Tashigi was quiet for a minute, before catching Tsuru's meaningful gaze and nodding dumbly. "Right," Tashigi muttered. "Lunch break. You can't be expected to arrest anyone when you're on your lunch break."

Tsuru hobbled away slowly. "Why, I have no idea what you mean, Tashigi," Tsuru said with mock confusion. "I can't remember receiving any order. Anyways, this tribunal will reconvene in… say… seven minutes. I expect to see you all then." She glared at Tashigi meaningfully. "It would be strictly forbidden for you to leave during that time."

Tashigi blinked. Smoker nodded slowly. "Ok then," the captain murmured quietly, before hesitating. "Will you get in trouble for this?"

Tsuru snorted. "Oh, I'm sure magma brat will try, but I'm a thousand years too old to care about anything he could do to me." She paused, motioning at the guards standing at the door. "You two - off to lunch."

The marines frowned and hesitated, glancing at Tashigi uncertainly. "But, ma'am—"

Tsuru's eyes flashed dangerously. "Lunchtime, boys," she ordered in a voice that left no room for argument. "Run along now."

The two men looked at each other for a brief second, and then turned to walk away quickly. Tsuru's face was as impassive as ever as she hobbled through the door, glancing back to Tashigi. "Good luck, Tashigi," the Vice Admiral muttered quietly.

The door slammed shut behind her. Instantly, Smoker and Hina were alone in the room. Tashigi let out a deep breath that she hadn't realised she was holding. I really did that, didn't I? She thought with near panic, blinking repeatedly. Her knees nearly buckled.

She looked between Smoker and Hina nervously. She didn't know what to say. It was so much easier when you were just running in recklessly. "… Um…" Tashigi stammered, clutching her sword tightly. "I suppose I better run away now…"

Smoker blinked. Tashigi had never seen him look so lost. "Right," he nodded, before frowning. "What would you have done if Tsuru never let you go?"

"Fought my way out," Tashigi replied sheepishly. There had, however, been an agreement with Zoro that he would wait four days before coming after her. Smoker just scoffed. Tashigi smiled softly.

She hesitated for a second, but then she figured that he wasn't her captain anymore. Her heart was pounding as she jumped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Smoker's chest. He stiffened at the sudden hug, but then he relaxed and wrapped his arms around her too.

"The next time we meet," Smoker whispered quietly in her ear. "I'm going to have to arrest you."

Tashigi smirked. "You're going to try," she replied softly, before pulling away.

She paused to hug Hina next. The tall blond was much less tense with the intimate contact. Tashigi smiled, but she had to blink repeatedly to hold back the tears as she walked to the door. Her entire childhood, she dreamt of being a marine. As of today, that dream was officially over.

"Do you need a lift?" Hina asked curiously.

Tashigi pulled the door open slowly, and her grin widened. I suppose the dream has to change a bit. "No," Tashigi replied brightly. "I've got that sorted."

With a sigh, Tashiigi walked through the newly established 'Cricket Town', slowly strolling through the 'streets' as she made her way for the docks on the far side of the island. Jaya Island was hectic with activity, but it was especially concentrated here, and she was all too aware of how she was surrounded on all sides by pirates bustling through the new settlement. Tashigi felt self-conscious and vulnerable at first, but nobody paid her any attention, and after a few minutes, she relaxed when she realized how silly she was being. She wasn't a marine anymore - she wasn't anybody, now. Just another young woman, walking on an open street. It was… amazing how freeing that felt. How liberating.

She had never expected how good it would feel.

All it had taken was a stolen lifeboat, half a day at sea, one kangaroo court, and now Tashigi was completely finished with the Marines. She had been restlessly pacing in that small boat with Smoker and Hina, being eaten alive with stress and anxiety and doubts, and now—she felt as serene as a pool of clear water.

But, as Tashigi slowly walked across Jaya Island, a whole new set of doubts slowly crept into the edges of her thoughts. By the time she made it to the far docks, her entire body was tense.

All of her belongings had easily fit into a small knapsack with space to spare. She had all three of her swords on her belt, and her jacket was slung over her shoulder. Nobody on the pirate's ship noticed her arrival. For a few hesitant seconds, she stared up at the admittedly rather cheery figurehead and wondered what to do.

"Hey!" Tashigi shouted loudly up at the smiling sheep figurehead of the Going Merry. "Have you guys got room for one more?"

The next day…

The Going Merry crunched slowly through the water in the light wind, because it was impossible for all that gold to move quickly. Still, the sun was shining, the clouds were drifting idly through the sky and a peaceful buzz of activity settled on the deck.

"Well, allow me to give you the tour," Nami said with a friendly smile, walking next to Tashigi across the busy deck. The orange haired navigator was dressed in a tight-fitting sports top and shorts, carrying her large cloud sword over her shoulder. She was still sweating slightly from her morning exercise. "You're going to enjoy it here."

Both women had to jump as Usopp hopped by, trying to precariously balance both Carue and Chopper on his toad head. Nami glared at them, before turning to smile apologetically at Tashigi. "Even if it is getting a bit crowded now…"

Tashigi glanced around the deck. Luffy was on his favourite seat, concentrating as he practiced channelling lightning. Wiper was cross-legged on the ground making modifications to his bazooka, while Zoro stood nearby polishing his swords. Robin and Aisa were drinking tea together, and Usopp, Carue and Chopper were bustling across the deck. It wasn't a big ship.

"How many rooms are there?" Tashigi asked curiously.

Nami shifted sheepishly. "Five."

Tashigi's eyebrows rose. "And there are… what? Thirteen people on-board? Thirteen people and a giant duck?"

"Ok, so it might be getting a little cramped," Nami conceded reluctantly.

"Well, maybe if you got rid of all this gold…" Zoro interjected loudly.

"No one is touching my gold! "

Nami glared at the swordsman and dragged Tashigi away, but his eyes lingered on Tashigi for a moment. Tashigi smiled softly at him, even as Nami pulled her towards the door.

"This is the lounge, kitchen, and helm," Nami explained, motioning around the small room. Like every over part of the ship, it was littered with crates and bags with their plunder from Skypiea. Conis was inside, sitting at the table as she tinkered with her Dials. "It's… um… a bit filthy right now, but it's a nice place to get together. Also, if you flirt with Sanji you get an easy meal."

Nami hesitated as she glanced towards one of the bottom cupboards; the door of which was chained up and secured with a heavy padlock. "Just stay out of there," Nami warned. "That's where we keep the kettle."

Tashigi's mouth dropped open as she looked around the room. She had seen warzones that were more organised. There were bags full of gold bars and gems that were littered across the floor, while crate were stacked precariously in the corners. Everything had just been shoved to one side until the walls were barely visible. Whenever a pile toppled, more items had been stacked on top of the mess. The kitchen side of the room, however, was surprisingly organised.

Tashigi hesitated, trying to think of what to say. "… Oh," Tashigi muttered, as Nami led her outside back on to deck. "Um… who's the quartermaster exactly?"

Nami winced. "We don't really have one."

"Um… Boatswain? First Mate? Who keeps every organised?"

"It's… It's…" Nami shifted uncomfortably, before becoming defensive. "We're still getting around to things, ok? I'm the one who has to keep everyone tidy and I've been busy plotting the route."

Tashigi nodded slowly. "Well, I'm happy to help tidy things up," she offered, hesitantly adjusting her glasses. "And if you're the navigator, you should know that there's the G5 Marine Base nearby here. You might want to adjust the course north-northeast a bit to avoid trouble."

The navigator stopped, turning to stare at Tashigi incredulously. "Help tidy? Avoid trouble?" Nami repeated as if she couldn't believe her ears. Both concepts were completely alien among the others. Slowly, Nami started to grin brightly, wrapping her arm around Tashigi happily. "Oh, I'm so happy we finally got someone like you aboard!"

They laughed, walking side by side as they chattered friendly. Tashigi had been so afraid she would be a stranger on the crew, but they had all welcomed her with open arms. Nami in particular had clung to Tashigi instantly, obviously over the moon at the prospect of finally get a better sparring partner.

The sound of a bird crowing cried over the ocean. Tashigi jumped upwards as she glimpsed a black shape flying towards the ship. "Ah! That's for me!"

Nami frowned, looking at the incoming bird. "A News Coo?" She asked quizzically. "It's too early for the morning newspaper, isn't it?"

Tashigi shut her head, just as a large black raven wearing a hat and carrying a duffel bag of papers dropped onto the deck. "No, this is an Alert Raven," Tashigi explained, flashing a badge towards the raven as it dropped a file of papers. "The Marines use them as a private newsletter, and I'm still signed up on their delivery list. I figured it would be a good idea to keep track of Marine movements."

Nami's face brightened up. Around them, the rest of the crew moved to watch Tashigi ruffle through the papers. "So we get inside information…" Nami sighed gleefully. "For free? "

She paused, and then the navigator turned to Zoro and elbowed him in the chest. "Well done," Nami praised the swordsman. "You've picked a good one."

Zoro rolled his eyes but didn't reply. He couldn't help feel slightly uncomfortable about how quickly Nami had bonded with Tashigi.

Tashigi grinned as she leafing through the papers curiously. Pre-release bounty posters dropped to the ground as she suddenly saw a name, highlighted in red as a new high-priority target. Tashigi froze, slowly picking out several pieces of paper and letting the others drop.

"Oh," she muttered dumbly, passing the posters to Nami slowly.

Nami's eyes widened. "Oh." She flickered through the bounty posters quickly, and looked up towards Tashigi. "You've got one too? So soon?"

"I guess questioning the Admiral's sexuality puts you on the fast-track for death," Tashigi muttered sheepishly.

Nami was still staring at the front poster in shock. The rest of the crew tried to crowd around to see. "But… such an increase!" Nami exclaimed, glancing at Luffy. "What exactly did he do deserve that?"

"He ate a Logia Devil fruit," Tashigi explained simply. "The Marines really don't like there being any pirates with Logia abilities, so they put out high bounties to try and get rid of them quick. They've also assigned new epithets - I guess they want to make sure everyone sees you as a threat. Pirates get menacing nicknames to cut down any public sympathy and increase awareness."

"What's going on?" Luffy asked eagerly, pushing through Wiper and Usopp to see. "Let me have a look."

Silently, Nami handed the posters to Zoro to pass over. The swordsman grunted as he looked at the top sheet. A new photograph of Monkey D. Luffy was on the front page.

"I guess it is kind of fitting," Zoro said dryly, musing over the new name as he showed the captain. "I mean, what else would you call the guy that killed a god?"

MONKEY D. LUFFY - 'THE DEVIL'

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE

350,000,000 BELI

RORONOA ZORO - 'THE DEMON HUNTER'

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE

120,000,000 BELI

NEFERTARI VIVI - 'DESERT PRINCESS'

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE

100,000,000 BELI

NICO ROBIN - HELL CHILD'

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE

90,000,000 BELI

'RENEGADE' TASHIGI

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE

75,000,000 BELI

'BLACK LEG' SANJI

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE

55,000,000 BELI

'WEATHER WITCH' NAMI

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE

30,000,000 BELI

'MONSTER' USOPP

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE

20,000,000 BELI

…

Later…

"This is brilliant!" Luffy squealed excitedly, holding up the bounty poster. "They've got a new picture and everything!"

The photo at the front of the poster had apparently been taken in Skypiea by one of the Marine scouting parties. It showed Luffy standing in front of a black sky, lightning flashing around him, his body covered in burns and blood as he glared off into the distance. It was slightly blurry and out of focus, but it was still a cool photo.

The Going Merry creaked slowly through sea, while the sound of the Dials hummed in the background. The rest of the crew had retired their rooms, but Luffy and Robin retreated to a quiet corner behind the tangerine trees for some alone time. The whole day was filled with frenzied excitement over the new bounty posters.

Only Robin seemed strangely distant. Her posture was stiff, but she had spent a long time looking through the posters one by one.

Luffy's smile wavered a bit when he saw how distant she was. "Come on," he muttered softly. "It is a bit cool. We're famous now."

"You're infamous," she corrected simply. "There's a reason they hand out bounties; it draws attention. The higher your bounty becomes, the stronger the men coming after you will become."

The atmosphere died with Robin's sober tone. Luffy looked at her firmly. "They won't catch me."

She shook her head lightly. "They're not coming after just you," she said in a quiet voice. She was composed, but she worried about something. Luffy could sense her worry streaming off her body. Robin motioned to the pile of bounties. "Why do you think they spread the bounties across the crew? It is meaningless to target solely the captain, so instead they attack the pirate ship from all directions. They will target the crew."

Luffy's fists clenched. "I won't let them hurt my friends," he promised firmly.

"I know," Robin whispered so silently it was barely audible. She was disturbed about something. Luffy moved closer to her, before quietly wrapping his arm around her shoulders and sitting next to her affectionately.

"What's wrong, Robin?" He asked quietly, eyes shining with concern. "… You've been… something's been bothering you since Jaya… You don't have to tell me anything, but I just want…"

His voice trailed off. He just wanted to help. Robin gently snuggled into his shoulders, still staring at her new bounty poster. Somehow, she missed her old childhood wanted photo. Everything had been so overwhelming lately that Robin honestly couldn't pick out one reason why. Seeing those new bounty posters just brought all of her dread up to the surface, like a pit of tar rising in her chest.

If she was really honest with herself, then her whole foreboding came down to one simple reason; she was happy now. She was happier with Luffy than she had been in a long time, and Robin just wasn't very good at letting herself be happy.

Happiness doesn't last very long with me, Robin thought miserably.

It was a while before she spoke. "The Government is building you up to be a big threat," Robin said quietly. "They know you have a Logia power and they know you have the potential to use haki, so they're dishing out the big bounties almost pre-emptively. That means that the big names of the sea are going to move after you now."

Luffy looked at her with faint surprise, before slowly drawing her in for a reassuring hug. "It doesn't matter," he said simply, squeezing her shoulders softly. "It doesn't matter how strong they are, I'll be stronger. I won't let anyone hurt you."

There was such resolve in his voice that Robin felt her muscles tense. She really, really wanted to believe him, but a lifetime's worth of betrayal and disappointment didn't go away so easily. Instead, Robin just sat perfectly still, enjoying the feel of Luffy's arms around her.

He kissed her lightly on the shoulder, massaging her reassuringly. "Come on. It's not that bad," Luffy said with a smile. "I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"

Meanwhile…

"ZEHAHAHAHA!" The man bellowed furiously, the blood pouring from his body as he staggered upwards. He was wheezing for breath. "ZEHAHAHAHA! Oh, you are strong!"

Banaro Island was in ruins. Even as Blackbeard limped forward, the huge banana rocks crashed to the ground around him. Hundreds of tons of stone were still toppling around him, causing the ground to shudder. The power of the Dark Dark fruit had destroyed just about every trace of the town, leaving the island completely barren. The earth was scarred by huge cracks cutting across the island, while the land shifted uncertainly. It was like the whole island was about to collapse.

Everyone who hadn't fled was dead. As dusk slowly fell, the island was consumed by the shadows and explosions. Even Blackbeard's own crew had to take refuge by their raft, in fear of getting caught up in the monstrous duel that pulverized the island.

"Damn," Jesus Burgess muttered with an awed whistle. "That kid is a warrior!"

Next to him, Doc Q coughed out blood as they hesitantly approached the battlefield again. "To be expected," the frail man said darkly. "I mean, he is the No. 2…"

Van Augur cocked his rifle as keen eyes surveyed the ground. Only Blackbeard was still standing. "It was not our captain's fate to lose today."

Blackbeard was still laughing furiously as he limped towards the crater in the ground. It had been a terrifyingly close fight. Marshal D. Teach had been caught completely by surprise, and he had only just managed to pull out a victory. His opponent had been incredibly strong, fast and powerful. The Dark Dark fruit hadn't even helped as much as Blackbeard would have liked; after all, its powers were ideal against Devil fruit users, particularly Logia, but his opponent had been neither.

A victorious smile flashed across the captain's face as he glared down at his defeated foe. He had won, and he now had everything he needed for his plan. It might have been the blood loss, but Blackbeard was feeling almost euphoric with delight.

"Got to admit, I never expected to meet you here," Blackbeard admitted, while the man tried to squirm weakly. "I was planning on capturing some super rookie and handing their head to the Government. I even thought about capturing my old commander, Ace, if he showed up. But you… well… I just didn't see that one coming."

A black top hat drifted across the ground like tumbleweed. Blackbeard stomped on the hat as he past, splitting the fabric with an idly footstep. "Still…" Blackbeard continued smugly. "You'll do. The Government will make me a Warlord for sure when I hand them you."

With a grunt, Blackbeard grabbed the man by the scruff of the neck and heaved him off the floor. If looks could kill, the man would have vaporised Blackbeard into ashes as he glared murderously.

The Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army was barely able to breathe with his shattered ribcage. His long, black jacket had been torn off, his blue shirt was bloodied, and his frilled cravat was tattered. He could barely see straight through, but somehow Sabo's eyes were defiant to the end. His fingers on both hands were broken and mangled.

Half of his metal staff was still stabbing out of Blackbeard's back. The other half was lost somewhere in the ruins of the town. Blackbeard just didn't stop laughing as his hands tightened around Sabo's throat and started to squeeze.

Blood swelled in Sabo's throat as he gasped helplessly for air. Sabo had been so excited when he received the order to return to Paradise to supervise his subordinates in Jaya. It had seemed such an easy and relaxing job; parading around as historians to protect the golden bell. Sabo had been so carefree, right up until the moment he had stopped at a bar on Banaro Island and overheard Blackbeard talking about Ace. The more Sabo listened, the angrier he became. For some reason, every word out of Blackbeard's mouth caused his body to tremble and tense in rage.

The fight had started and escalated quickly. Sabo didn't even know why the man's comments had made him so enraged. He couldn't remember. Sabo just knew that he couldn't forgive it.

Sabo's vision began to blur. His mind spun madly as he fell out of consciousness, desperate for oxygen. Weird flashes of confused and forgotten memories sparked across his brain. The last thing Sabo saw before he blacked out was Teach's face; bloated, maniacal and bloodied, his mouth twisted in an insane grin as he laughed.

Strangely, Sabo's last thought was of three brothers, closer than blood, laughing as they shared alcohol together and proclaimed their dreams.

I'm so sorry, Sabo thought weakly, just before everything went black.

Author Notes

Quick note about the timescale; at this point the crew is working over a month behind what they were in canon. All the ripples have an effect, and things are going to change more and more.

Yeah, I've been looking forward to this chapter for a long time now. This one rounds off Tashigi's storyline, and everything is all set for the upcoming arcs. Thanks so much for all the advice, and from now on, everything is heading straight for Water 7.