One Piece: Strawhat Theater
"Our Mrs. Monkey"
Disclaimer: This is a non-profit fan-based work of prose. One Piece is the property of Toei Animation, Funimation, and Eiichiro Oda. Please support the official release.
Somewhere in the New World - Two weeks ago
It was nice that the Whitebeard Pirates had picked a beautiful summer island for the gravesite. The white monuments gleamed in the warm sunshine, the wind waved gently through the grass, and the sweet scent of flowers filled Sabo's nostrils as he approached the smaller of the two marble graves.
He sat down cross-legged in front of Ace's tombstone and rummaged in his messenger bag. He pulled out an old, beaten-up sake bottle and three cups. He set the cups down in a row on the grave, just under the name, and expertly poured the liquor into each one. He doffed his hat and set it aside with a sad, nostalgia-filled smile.
"Hey Bro. It's been a while. I know... I know you thought I was dead. I'm sorry about that. I... I didn't remember myself. It's pretty unforgivable, but Koala told me that there's no sense in blaming yourself for things out of your control."
He searched through his messenger bag again and pulled out a newspaper, and a wanted poster. He pinned them to the tombstone and took one of the cups of sake. He breathed in the hard aroma, savoring it.
"We just got married. Kind of a long time coming, I think," Sabo admitted with a chuckle, "We just... We click, you know? She can be a little rough on me. She worries too much, honestly. But I love her for it. I honestly am happy, working with her. We've had some close scrapes but..."
Sabo smiled warmly and sipped his drink.
"I think it's fitting that I got my memories back when I asked her to marry me. I still wasn't complete. Not without her."
Sabo chuckled.
"You'd have laughed at me. I just barged into the room when she was having a meeting and said, 'Hey, Koala, I'm in love with you. Wanna get married?'"
Sabo shook his head, sipping more sake as the wind gently whipped his hair.
"She said yes. I think my heart exploded. The whole meeting kind of fell apart then. Dragon, of course," Sabo snorted, "He's always so damn serious. Told us it could be dangerous to get involved like that..."
Sabo snickered.
"But he gave us his blessing anyway. I caught him smiling-Just for a moment. It was like a trick of the light. Kind of hard to believe he's Luffy's dad in some ways. But when you get a look at him in battle, at how much he cares... Yeah. Yeah, you see it."
Sabo drank some more. He looked fondly upon the wanted poster of Monkey D. Acenath.
"Geez though, on that subject! How did Luffy get married and have a kid before us?" Sabo laughed, "He was such a crybaby. I thought he still believed that lie you told him, that women were an alien species here to eat men."
Sabo chuckled again, shaking his head at those youthful memories.
"You should have seen Dragon's face when the news came. Nico Robin broke it to him."
Sabo threw his head back and laughed.
"Ha! His jaw actually dropped! God I wish I had a camera for that. I miss Robin. She somehow knew how to keep everyone on their toes! It was uncanny and hilarious."
Sabo scowled a little, sending a playful wink at the gravestone.
"Yeah yeah, she got me plenty. Don't be so smug."
Sabo snickered.
"She actually pushed me and Koala into going on an actual date. I... We wouldn't be together without her. I'm going to have to thank her when I see her next."
Sabo drank down some more sake.
"But yeah... From the looks of things, Ace-chan is doing great. I bet she's a handful. Any child of Luffy would be. Already got a bounty, how about that? She's going to be a hellion. I can't wait to meet her. I..."
He bowed his head.
"You, and Luffy... You were my family. You are my family. Now it's gotten... It's gotten so much bigger. I wish you were still around to appreciate it. One day... One day, we'll all be able to be together. To just cook food, to laugh, to cry, all together. One day."
Sabo sucked in a deep breath.
"I'm going after your Devil Fruit, Ace. I hope you'll be all right with that. I want you by my side when we finish this fight. When we free the world."
He hummed.
"I kind of wish there was time to let your niece have it. I think you'd like that. Let her continue your legacy. Lord knows she needs you to look over her... But there just isn't time. She's too young."
He finished his drink, and set the empty cup beside the full ones. He took up his hat as he stood up, and set it upon his head. He then reached out and patted the tombstone.
"Thank you, Big Bro. I'm going to do you proud, I promise."
The present
Dressrosa
Corrida Colosseum
Luffy grumbled a bit. Some jerk named Spartan had tried to jump him, but he'd knocked him out with one hit. He'd almost gotten disqualified, but some nice people had vouched for him in the waiting room. That was nice, but still... Luffy kind of wanted to just go through the fights and win Ace's Fruit.
The fact this was all probably some kind of trap also irritated Luffy a lot. He'd have been fine fighting for the Flame Flame Fruit fairly! If he lost... Well, it would be to someone who beat him fair and square. And that kind of person couldn't be all bad. Maybe Ace would be fine with that, as long as a good person inherited his Fruit.
But Mingo making it some kind of a trap? That stunk. It made him suspicious of everything. He was on edge. It made him feel like he was fighting in a rigged game, and he hated that.
"Hello, Sir Lucy?"
Luffy looked over. A tall pink haired girl in a golden helmet, bikini, and cape greeted him kindly.
"Eh?"
"I'm Rebecca. Thank you for dealing with Spartan," she said softly, as they sat away from the other fighters in the waiting room, "He is a bully and shouldn't get away with picking on others weaker than him."
Luffy nodded.
"No big. I hate guys like that..."
Purupurupuru... Purupurupuru...
Luffy paused and pulled out his Den-Den Mushi. His Observation Haki let him know everyone else was looking away, and this woman seemed nice enough. He'd tucked the snail into his helmet, so he could hear it. He thought that was pretty clever if he did say so himself.
"Hello? Nami?"
"No! It's me, Chopper!" Chopper said quickly. "Luffy! Things are bad! Really bad!"
Luffy sat up, his attention locked fully on the tiny snail by his ear.
"What? What happened?" Luffy asked.
"We got attacked by one of DoFlamingo's goons! She just showed up and attacked-Nami managed to use Haki to stop her, and Brook took her down, but Nami's out cold!"
"Is she okay? Are you all okay?" Luffy whispered urgently.
"Yeah... But Ace-chan... We don't know where she is!"
It felt like his lower body was frozen solid by that afro-wearing admiral again. Luffy's jaw dropped.
"Wha-?"
"We think she's in the city, but we don't know where!"
His daughter. His daughter was in this city. A city that was a trap for them all. He didn't know where she was, she was in a city that was a trap he didn't know where she was she wasn't safewhereisshewhere-?
"Luffy! LUFFY!" Chopper wailed.
"I'll... I'll find her," Luffy mumbled, "I swear."
"LUFFY-!"
Luffy hung up. His head was buzzing. His Haki was surging, begging to be unleashed. Roaring like a great beast.
"Ser Lucy?" Rebecca asked, "What's wrong? Are you all right?"
"I..."
His brother's Fruit. He couldn't just let it... But his daughter... His own daughter! Nami had named her Ace-wherewassheshe'sinatraphehastoprotectherno-!
The worst feeling in the world to Luffy was being helpless. There was nothing worse. Already his mind was flashing through images of his daughter hurt, lost, scared, confused, crying, and he couldn't help her where was she he had to protect her-!
He got up. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know where to start. He felt like just going all out and tearing this entire city apart. To hell with Mingo, if he had her he'd just wreck the place until he gave her back. He had to find her, he had to find her-!
"Ah, Mister... Lucy, sir?"
Luffy's eyes locked onto a man who spoke to him. He had long, poofy blond hair that stood up off his head, held up with blue goggles. He had a cross tattoo on his bare chest, and wore a pink sleeveless shirt over that. His pants were yellow with black stripes, with tall brown boots.
"I'm Gambia, with the Barto Pirates," he said, "My captain wanted me to tell you that we have your daughter, and she's safe for now."
Luffy fist shot out around Gambia's throat, and he lifted him off the ground. Ignoring the gasps of the other fighters, Luffy carried the man into another section and slammed him against the stone wall, hard enough to dent it. His eyes were wide and his Conqueror's Haki was begging to be released.
"Ser Lucy!" Rebecca gasped, following them out with her hands on her cheeks.
"Talk. NOW," Luffy growled, his eyes practically glowing.
Gambia made a strangled sound. Luffy blinked, and loosened his grip.
"Right... Can't talk like that," Luffy muttered, "Now TALK!"
"S-Sorry! That came out wrong!" Gambia said quickly, holding onto Luffy's arm, "W-We're not kidnapping her, honest! We found her wandering the streets! She was crying! But our captain, Bart-He's a huge fan of yours! The biggest! We found her and got her food! She's okay! Really! She's in the stands! We're just keeping her safe, HONEST!"
Luffy let the man go. He grinned and hugged the man. He coughed and awkwardly patted him on the back.
"Really?! That's great!" Luffy cried happily. "Wow! You and your captain must be great guys! You fed her and everything?"
"Y-Yeah!" Gambia said. He rubbed his throat with a wince. "I'm really sorry, that was a stupid way to explain things-"
"No, no, I should have listened," Luffy said, laughing, "Sorry about your throat!"
"No, no big deal," Gambia said.
Luffy frowned.
"Yeah... I mean, I'm glad Bart is watching her. But this is still pretty dangerous. This whole place is a trap for me."
"It is?!" Gambia gasped.
"Yeah," Luffy said with a nod, "Mingo knows we're here. We have this big plan to defeat him and Tra-Guy is working to take him down-"
"Wait."
Rebecca grabbed Luffy's shoulders and hissed under her breath.
"You're Strawhat Luffy?! The infamous pirate?!" She cried.
"Yeah," Luffy said, "I'm here to beat up Mingo. You got a problem with that?"
"No. No, not at all," Rebecca stated. "In fact... I'd like to help you."
"Eh? You don't like Mingo either?"
"No," Rebecca growled, "No... I was hoping to get the Flame Flame Fruit to hunt him down and kill him... For everything he's done to me and my family. My country...!"
She looked into his eyes.
"Will you help me?"
Luffy nodded.
"Yeah... To do that though... We need to be as big a distraction as possible."
Rebecca blinked.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"It's a trap. Mingo has to think it's working," Luffy explained. He grinned. "I'm not good with the planning stuff! But if you need a big distraction? That's me!"
"But... If this is a trap for you," Gambia said, gulping, "And DoFlamingo is working with the Marines, cause he's a Warlord-"
"Then we're all in a big trap together!" Luffy chuckled. "But hey-That just means we need to work together, right?"
"Right!" Rebecca said firmly, nodding.
Gambia groaned.
"Why did I let my captain talk me into this...?"
"Too late to back out now!" Luffy grinned. "Besides... I wanna impress my daughter! She's out in the stands cheering me on, after all!"
"Luffy? Luffy! Luffy if you can hear me, please answer! LUFFY!"
Luffy pulled out the transponder snail out from his helmet as Chopper's voice kept screaming at him.
"Hey, Chopper! Good news, I found Ace-chan!"
"YOU DID?! Oh, that's such a relief!"
"I know! Well, actually someone else found her for me." Luffy said, shooting a smile at Gambia which the man returned. "She's actually in the colosseum right now. She's gonna watch me fight from the audience!"
"Who's with her?"
"Some guy named Bartolomeo. Apparently he's a big fan of us. He bought Ace-chan food and everything! Sounds like a pretty nice guy!"
"Oh, that's… that's good! I'm really happy to hear that! Hopefully Nami will feel just as relieved when she wakes up."
"Yeah, you take care of her while she's sleeping, okay?"
"Of course! Brook and me will also keep an eye on the woman who attacked us. She had some really weird Devil Fruit powers, but we-"
"Well, well, look who it is!"
Luffy immediately put the call on hold and quickly hid the snail back in his helmet. He, Rebecca and Gambia all glanced up so see a tall man blonde man cackling as he sauntered over to where they'd gathered away from the rest of the gladiators. The man shot Luffy a sharp grin as he looked down at them.
"If you're gonna try disguising yourself, you gotta put more effort into it than that, Strawhat."
"Hm?" Luffy tilted his head as the man got closer. "Do I know you?"
"Heh, I'm not surprised you don't remember me. It has been two years, and we've both changed quite a bit in that time." The man smirked as he removed his sunglasses. "Maybe this'll jog your memory?"
The man held out his arm and Luffy's eyebrows shot up when the limb suddenly transformed into a spring.
"AH!" Luffy gasped. "You're that spring guy from Jaya! Belldandy!"
"Bellamy." The blonde corrected.
"Bellamy!" Luffy accused. "What're you doing here?"
"Competing in the tournament like the rest of you. Why else would I be here?" Bellamy chuckled.
"But… you've already got Devil Fruit powers." Gambia pointed out, gesturing to the spring that Bellamy's limb had transformed into. "Why try and fight for the Flame Flame fruit?"
"Yeah, what he said!" Luffy nodded.
"I got my reasons." Bellamy said. "The most important of which being that I've got my hero's eyes on me today. By winning this tournament I'll get him to recognize my strength and have him accept me as a genuine member of his crew."
"…I thought you already had a crew though?" Luffy asked, confused. "Did you guys disband?"
"Heh, you could say that." Bellamy grinned. "You were right after all… Sky Island was real all along, and more dangerous than any of us could have imagined. I'm all that remains of the Bellamy Pirates!"
"You went to Sky Island?!"
"Sure did. Really opened my eyes to how big the world is, I'll tell ya. Taught me how dangerous parts of the world is too, and if I'm gonna make it big, I gotta be part of a strong crew with a stronger captain! And today's the day I accomplish that goal."
"…You're talking about Doflamingo and his crew, aren't you?" Rebecca asked, glaring at Belamy. "I thought I recognized that tattoo on your chest… that's the symbol of the Donquixote family!"
"Bingo! Got it in one, babe!"
"You think of him as a hero?!" Rebecca hissed. "That man is a monster and so are the people who work for him! How can you admire someone so vile?! After all the things he's done to this country…!"
"…I'd watch what you say about Doflamingo. He's the man I respect more than any other." Bellamy replied, smile dropping from his face as he moved toward the pink haired woman but was stopped when Luffy stepped in front of her.
"So you're one of Mingo's guys now, Belamy?"
"Not quite yet. Much as I hate to say it, right now I'm little more than an underling. But once I win the tournament, my prize will be him making me one of his officers officially."
"You really want to join that jerk Mingo's crew? There are WAY better crews out there you could join instead."
"Name one."
"Mine!" Luffy grinned. "You should MY crew instead!"
Bellamy stared at the shorter man for a few moments before snorting a laugh. "Heh, I think I'll pass. You're strong, Strawhat. And I respect you to a degree, but Doflamingo's got strength you don't. He's gonna take the entire world by storm one day, just wait and see. And I'm gonna be there by his side when he does."
"The only thing he'll do is lead the world to ruin." Rebecca snarled, earning another glare from Bellamy for the comment.
"Tch, like you're not biased at all." Bellamy scoffed. "You think I don't know who you are? Everyone who watches these gladiator fights always roots for you to lose. You're just a deadbeat former princess lashing out because you blame Doflamingo for your family's shame."
"Eh? Princess?" Luffy blinked, looking to Rebecca who shook angrily at Bellamy's words.
"Yeah. Let me enlighten you." Bellamy grinned. "This woman here is the granddaughter of Dressrosa's former king. Her grandfather was a terrible king who burn his city and slaughtered his own citizens until Doflamingo came and kicked him off his throne. She's from a family of monsters so she's pretty much hated by everyone in Dressrosa."
"Has she killed anyone?" Luffy asked, making both Bellamy and Rebecca blink.
"…Not that I'm aware of." Bellamy said.
"I-I haven't." Rebecca answered.
"Then everyone hating her is stupid!" Luffy said angrily. "So what if her grandpa did bad things? It's not like she did anything like that! She doesn't deserve to have a whole kingdom hate her when she didn't do anything wrong!"
"L-Luffy…!" Rebecca whispered, touched that he had actually stood up for her. Only one other person had done that…
"Yeah, I'm with Strawhat on this one!" Gambia put in. "Hating on someone just because of something their ancestor did isn't cool!"
"…Well, that's all I'll say about it then." Bellamy shrugged, giving the trio another grin. "I'll see you all in the area."
Bellamy shoved past them, shoulder checking Rebecca a bit harder than either Luffy or Gambia as he moved on.
"…Oh yeah." Bellamy stopped and looked back toward Luffy. "I heard you had a kid with some chick in your crew. That true?"
"Yeah." Luffy nodded. "What of it?"
"Nothing. Just figured I'd give you my congrats on that." Bellamy smiled before his expression became challenging. "But that right there tells me how soft you've gotten, Strawhat. Sure, you're tough enough to make it all the way here, but how far do you think you'll get in the New World when you've got a kid dragging you down?"
"My daughter doesn't drag me down." Luffy replied, glaring at the other pirate. "She's one of the biggest reasons I've gotten so strong."
"Heh, guess I'll see how true that is for myself when we have our rematch. I promise you, this time the fight won't end in one punch."
Letting out one last cackling laugh, Bellamy made his way back out into the hall and disappeared into the crowd of fighters.
"…Thank you for what you said. Both of you." Rebecca spoke up, nodding gratefully to Luffy and Gambia. "You didn't have to do that."
"'Course I did! You shouldn't be badmouthed over whatever your grandpa did. People should be mad at him and not you!" Luffy frowned, crossing his arms. "It'd be like if someone I never met got mad at me for something my grandpa did to them or something. That'd be so annoying!"
"Haha, well, it was nice to have someone stick up for me for a change." Rebecca smiled before her expression became melancholy. "Only the Soldier has ever done that before."
"Who?"
"Just… someone who's taken care of me for a long time."
"Your dad?" Luffy guessed, making Rebecca chuckle.
"I never had a father actually. But he actually might be the closest I ever had to one now that I think of it."
"Really? He sounds like a pretty good guy!"
"He is…"
"So, er… Mister Luffy," Gambia interjected. "What's your plan for taking out Doflamingo anyway? I mean, you said you know this tournament is a trap for you, and you're gonna make a big distraction to make Doflamingo think you've fallen for it… but what are the next steps to this plan of yours?"
"Hehe, well you see-"
"Pardon me."
Once again, the trio turned to find another person had stepped up to them. It was a Fish-man dressed in a martial arts gi this time, though it wasn't a fish-man Luffy recognized.
"You are Luffy of the Strawhat Pirates, yes?"
"That's me." Luffy confirmed.
"Um, should you really have just up and told him that?" Gambia asked. "I thought you were hiding your identity…"
"Oh. Right." Luffy cleared his throat. "I'm not Luffy! My name is Lucy! See the sign on my back?"
Gambia sighed while Rebecca giggled.
"You've nothing to fear. I am not your enemy." The Fish-man chuckled. "My name is Hack. I've been asked by a colleague of mine to deliver something to you."
Hack reached out into his gi and pulled out a transponder snail that was already ringing. Luffy, Rebecca and Gambia huddled around the snail.
Purupurupuru... Purupurupuru...
"Who're you calling?" Rebecca asked.
"Someone I think Luffy will be wanting to talk to." Hack answered.
"Hello?"
Luffy's eyes widened at the voice he heard.
"Daddy, are you there?"
"ACE-CHAN!" Luffy cheered, swiping the snail from Hack's hand and brining it close to his face. "Are you okay? Are you safe?"
"Daddy!" Acenath's voice cheered out from the snail. "I'm okay! I'm gonna watch you fight!"
Just hearing his daughter's voice made it feel like a tons of weights had been lifted off of his chest.
"Chopper called me a few minutes ago saying you were missing." Luffy whispered. "You… you really gave me a big scare."
"…Are you mad at me?"
"…A little bit." Luffy admitted. "But I'm really, really happy that you're okay. When we go back to the ship later you, me and your mom are gonna have to talk about what you did, okay?"
"Okay… I'm really, really sorry. I didn't mean to make you scared…"
"We'll talk more about that later. For now, you just have fun. I'm gonna show you a super amazing fight!"
"Yay!"
Luffy glanced at Gambia. "Hey, is there a guy named Bartolomeo with you?"
"Yeah! He's my new friend!" Acenath answered. "He bought me lots of tasty snacks and he's got special powers like you, Aunt Robin, Kitty and Uncle Law!"
"Could you put him on for a sec?"
"Okay!"
Shuffling noises echoed from the snail.
"H-Hello?"
"Hey! Bartolomeo, right?" Luffy grinned. "I was told you helped out my daughter and that you're watching her right now? I just wanted to say how awesome you are for doing that! Seriously, thanks a lot! You're a really swell guy for rescuing her when she was lost!"
There was no immediate reply to Luffy's gratitude. A full minute passed and there was still no response, which made Luffy tilt his head curiously.
"Is there something wrong with this snail?" Luffy asked, turning to Hack.
"No, it should work just fine…" Hack frowned.
Luffy turned back to the snail. "Hey, can you still hear-"
"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
The four of them recoiled from snail when it suddenly screamed and burst into tears.
"I-I'M SHOOO HAPPIII! MY HEROU THANGED MEH! SENPAI THANGED MEH! HE LIKESH ME! SENPAI ANDS HISH DAUGHGTER LIKESH ME! I'VE NEBER VELT SUSH HAPPENESS! I CAN'T STOPH THAH TEARSH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
"I-Is he crying?" Rebecca asked, completely bewildered.
"C-Captain…!" Gambia blubbered, tearing up a little over how happy his captain sounded.
"Quite a reaction." Hack commented, folding his arms.
"Haha, this guy sounds fun!" Luffy grinned. "Hey, you're in the stands watching the fights, right?"
"Y-Yesh! Yes! We're sitting in the audience, Luffy-senpai! You're daughter's right here with me! Don't you worry! Absolutely NOBODY is gonna touch Ace-chan so long as I'm around! I promise and promise again on that! Double promise! Triple promise! INFINITE PROMISE!"
"Great!" Luffy grinned. "You think you can keep watching her until this tournament ends and I can pick her up?"
"A-ABSOLUTELY! I'D BE HONORED!"
"Cool! Just so you know, this whole tournament is a big trap for me and my crew, so if something crazy happens make sure you keep Ace-chan safe.
"OF COURSE!"
"And would you and your crew mind helping us out with our plan to take down Mingo?"
"I-It'd be an HONOR to work with you, senpai! No, it'd be a dream! Ask me for anything and I'll make sure me and my boys get it done!"
"Awesome! You're a really great guy!"
"N-Not as much as you, Luffy-senpai! T-Thank you for giving me this opportunity! I won't let you down!"
"Thanks! Could you put Ace-chan back on for me now?"
"S-Sure! T-T-Talk to you later!"
More shuffling noises echoed from the snail.
"Hi daddy! You weren't being mean to Bart, were you? He's crying a whole bunch!"
"THESE ARE HAPPY TEARS ACE-CHAN!"
"Never mind. He says he's happy."
Luffy laughed. "Ace-chan, you stay with Bart until the tournament's over, okay? I'll also maybe see if I can ask one of the others to meet up with you guys, so be on the look out for Zoro, Franky, or anyone else, got it? And make sure you answer if we call you again!"
"Okay!"
"Alright! You stay safe and listen to Bart, alright?"
"I will! Good luck with the fights, daddy! Love you!"
"I love you too, Ace-chan! See you soon!"
The snail fell asleep as the call ended. Luffy let out a big sigh, glad that at least one issue had been resolved.
"Thank a lot." Luffy grinned up at Hack, offering the fish-man his transponder snail back.
"Please, keep that for the time being. You'll need to be able to call your daughter in case there's an emergency." Hack said. "I have other ways of keeping in contact with my own colleagues."
"Really? Thanks!" Luffy grinned. "Say, you wanna help us take down Mingo too?"
"That's actually why I'm here." Hack informed the three of them. "My associates and I have already done quite a bit of investigating in the city. Our goal is to disrupt the weapons trade Doflamingo manages… though is seems like your plans reach much further than that."
"Yep! Tra-Guy and I have a plan to take down Mingo's whole operation!" Luffy smiled.
"Then by all means. I'd be glad to collaborate with you all." Hack nodded.
"W-Wow… I thought I was the only one who wanted to take down Doflamingo. Yet here all of you are willing to fight him as well…" Rebecca whispered, expression one of awe.
"Nah, trust me. A guy as bad as him? I bet tons of people wanna punch him." Luffy laughed, making Rebecca giggle.
"About that… during our investigation, we've determined that there's something quite strange going on in this city." Hack said. "Regarding Doflamingo's control, we have suspicions that-"
Purupurupuru... Purupurupuru...
"Oops, sorry, that's me! Hold on a sec." Luffy chuckled, pulling out his original transponder snail back out again. "Hey Chopper, sorry I put you on hold. There was this guy-"
"Luffy, it's me! I just found out something crazy about the talking toys running around everywhere!"
"Franky? What'd you find out?"
"Yeah, you remember that toy soldier you and I ran into when we came to the colosseum? The one that was missing a leg? I'm with him right now and he just told me something incredible! He's an actual person! Like a real, actual human being who got turned into a toy by some kind of Devil Fruit power!"
"Whoa, really?! Who was-"
"Toy soldier? Missing leg?" Rebecca gasped, snatching the snail from Luffy. "You! Whoever you are! Are you with the Thunder Soldier right now?!"
"That voice?! Rebecca, is that you?!"
Rebecca teared up when she recognized the other voice that spoke up. "It IS you! You're working with Luffy's allies?"
"That's… that's none of your concern!"
"That man you're with now… I'm with his captain! I'm… I'm going to work together with him to defeat Doflamingo! I can help!"
"Foolish girl! I told you already, you shouldn't be fighting! This has nothing to do with you!"
"Hey, don't talk to her like that we she just wants to help, jerk!" Luffy shouted into the snail as he took it back. "If she wants to help us, she gonna and that's that!"
"Y-You…!"
"Hey, give that back!" Franky's voice shouted before a struggle was heard over the line. "Gotcha! Anyway, like I was saying, the toys here are people! Only everyone here has somehow forgotten that they were ever people!"
"…That confirms our suspicions then." Hack said in a grave tone.
"What are you talking about?" Gambia asked.
"While investigating this place, my associates found several discrepancies with Dressrosa's recent history. Specifically within the last ten years since Doflamingo took control and became king." Hack explained. "For whatever reason the residents of this town seemed… ignorant of certain individuals we'd found records off. If what your friend is saying is true, then it is a conspiracy that Doflamingo kept hidden in order to cement his control over Dressrosa for the past decade."
"T-That's… it… it can't be…!" Rebecca stammered, almost collapsing as the sheer scale of what was being implied slammed into her. "T-Then all the toys in this city…!"
"Real, living, breathing people that got transformed by a Devil Fruit user." Franky's voice answered.
"T-That's a pretty scary power." Gambia mumbled.
"The toy soldier that revealed this to you… can you hear me?" Hack asked.
"…I can."
"Answer me this question then. Does being turned into toy affect someone's memory in any way? Or the memories of other people?"
"…They do." The soldier confirmed over the line with a sigh. "Anyone who is turned into a toy will forget their own identity, and everyone else will have their memories of the transformed person erased. In their minds, it will be as if the transformed person never existed. Parents forget their children. Husbands and wives are separated. Lifelong friends become strangers. That is the curse that has plagued Dressrosa for ten years."
"…A very, VERY scary power!" Gambia shivered.
"There are exceptions. Some toys do retain their identities even in their transformed state," The toy's voice went on. "But they're few and far between. I've gathered a group of rebels together who've also suffered under Doflamingo's heel. We were going to take the fight to him very soon. We just need a little more time to prepare…"
"…Then it sounds like we're all in on this plan!" Luffy grinned. "If we all help each other out, we can take down Mingo and his crew together!"
"…It won't be easy. And you're all foreigners to this land. Are you really prepared to throw your lot in with us?"
"We've already done it, soldier guy! We were already planning to fight Mingo… now we just got a lot more help! Tra-Guy is gonna be super happy that we got so many more people in this alliance now!"
"I… I thank you. What did you say your name was?"
"Luffy! Future King of the Pirates!" Luffy laughed. "Franky, you help out that soldier guy with whatever he needs!"
"You got it, Captain!"
"Me, Rebecca, Gambia and Hack will take care of things at the colosseum. I'll also see if I can call up the others and tell them about all this!"
"Sounds good! Make sure to stay in touch in case something happens!"
"You too!"
An announcement rang out just as Luffy ended the call.
"WILL THE BLOCK B FIGHTERS PLEASE REPORT TO THE ARENA! I REPEAT, ALL BLOCK B FIGHTERS REPORT TO THE ARENA!"
"Hm… I suppose that's my cue." Hack muttered. "I'm in B Block, so this is where we part ways for now. We will reconvene once the match is concluded."
"Ah, wait up! I'm also in B Block! I'll come with you!" Gambia yelped, rushing after Hack. "I-It was an honor to meet you, Mister Luffy! Please introduce yourself to my captain in person later if we have time! I know he'd love to talk to you in person!"
"Sure thing! I'd be glad too!" Luffy grinned, waving as the two men left.
"I… I can't believe it." Rebecca muttered once they were gone. Her eyes were wide as she stared down at her hands. "T-The toys in Dressrosa acted just like humans did, b-but I never thought that they were actually…!"
"If it's really a Devil Fruit power at works, it explains a lot." Luffy mused. "There are some CRAZY Devil Fruit powers out there. I wonder how we can fix everyone in town. Maybe punching whoever the Devil Fruit user is will work?"
"I-I'd be nice if it were that simple."
Luffy stared at Rebecca for a few moments. "Something wrong?"
"E-Everything is wrong! More than I ever thought!" Rebecca said harshly. "If people turning into toys makes everyone forget then… then who have I forgotten? How can I trust my memories? Even the Thunder Soldier… who actually is he? He… he took care of me for almost ten years ever since my mother died!"
"Really? So that's how you know the one-legged toy?"
"Yes. I hated him at first, because he wasn't able to save my mother, but I grew to love him. He was the only one who stayed with me. He taught me how to fight! He was… he was like the father I never had, until he disappeared one day. And now I find out what he's been up to… that he's been trying to fight Doflamingo all this time…!"
Rebecca stomped her foot on the ground in frustration.
"Why did he waste so much time on me?! I don't understand! What if he had his own family? Was I just a replacement, or did he-"
"He's probably your dad."
Rebecca's head snapped in Luffy's direction.
"W-Wha…!"
"I'm just thinking… if I were turned into a toy and Nami or Ace-chan forgot all about me, it wouldn't stop me from trying to take care of them. I'd still wanna protect them." Luffy told her. "You said this toy took care of you for almost ten years and that he was like a father to you. Sounds like he also remembers some stuff. I'll bet he's your dad. That's the only explanation I can think of for why he'd stay with you. I'd probably do the same if it were me."
Rebecca stared down at the ground with wide eyes, hands coming up to clutch the sides of her head. She wanted to deny it. She'd never had a father, her mother had raised her by herself until she was killed. Yet… if people really did lose the memories of those who were transformed into toys, and with everything Luffy had said… it sounded…
"Could he actually be my father…?"
"Hey, is there a place where we can watch Hack and Gambia fight?" Luffy asked as he glanced around. "Maybe Bellamy's out there fighting too. I also need to call Chopper back and maybe get Zoro or Sanji to meet Bartolomeo and Ace-chan in the arena so-"
"Excuse me, you there…"
Luffy turned and looked up when he noticed a large old man looming over him.
"Uh…?"
"As I thought… you're Garp's grandson, aren't you?"
"Who're you?"
The old man reared his head back.
"For the wounds that man inflicted upon me… all of Garp's descendants…!"
Luffy's eyes widened when the big guy swung his head down.
"MUST FEEL MY VENGEANCE!"
Luffy managed to tackle Rebecca out of the way before the old man's forehead cracked the floor beneath them.
"What's with guy?" Luffy gasped.
"Do you know him?" Rebecca asked.
"Never seen him!"
"I see… so you're actually Strawhat Luffy, not Lucy…"
Luffy and Rebecca looked up and spotted a pretty looking blonde man in fancy clothes slowly stepping towards them while he drew a sword out from the sheath attached to his side.
"You glory stealing hog… I've finally found you! And now I shall put an end to you!"
Luffy clicked his tongue.
"I guess these guys won't be helping us with fighting Mingo…"
Thousand Sunny
Nami opened her eyes. She groaned, and rubbed her forehead. She was in the sickbay, judging from the smell of antiseptic and cotton candy.
"Nami! Nami, hang on, drink this."
Chopper pushed a bottle with a straw in it to her hands. He held it for her as she sipped down the water.
"Good, good, drink it all down," he said.
"Ha..." Nami finished it. The cloud over her mind lifted. Her eyes widened.
"Chopper? Chopper, what happened? Did you hear anything about Ace? Is the ship okay-?!"
"We're okay for right now," Chopper said calmly, "Brook chained up that Giolla woman. And I got a call from Luffy! Ace-chan is okay! Some friends found her and are keeping her safe!"
Nami let out a sigh of relief. She managed a slow nod, her calm returning.
"Thank... Thank you... That's so good to hear... Everyone else all right?"
"Zoro and Sanji still aren't answering, but I got in contact with Franky and Usopp too," Chopper reported, "Franky's heading to the Factory, and Usopp's team just made it to Green Bit."
"Ugh... We're going to need to keep that woman as a potential hostage," Nami sighed. Chopper gaped.
"Eh?!"
"She was probably supposed to report in once she dealt with us," Nami explained, "Meaning her boss will probably be after us next."
"EH?!"
Nami sighed and rubbed her temples. She got up with a snarl.
"Ugggh... If we had one of our front line fighters here we'd be in a better position but freaking Sanji!" Nami growled. "I bet he's off chasing some woman!"
Meanwhile in Dressrosa...
"ACHOO! ACHOO!"
"Is something wrong, San?" Violet asked kindly.
"Oh, nothing, nothing at all," Sanji said cheerfully, "Though I think I'm forgetting something..."
"Must not be very important," Violet crooned. Sanji's cheeks went bright red through his beard, and he chuckled.
"Y-Yeah...Must not be~!"
Purupururpuru... Purupurupuru...
"Ah, I gotta take this-" Sanji said, but Violet beamed.
"Are you sure~? You didn't take it the last few times," She said, sultry as a summer wind. Sanji trembled.
"Ah... W-Well... Ummm..."
PURUPURUPURU... PURUPURUPURU...!
The snail's ring became distinctively angry. Sanji winked and held up a finger.
"Just one second, my love~," he said, "Very important! Promise!"
"Oh, very well," Violet sighed. "Don't keep me waiting~."
She caressed Sanji's cheek. He giggled pervertedly and nodded.
"Of course! OF COURSE!"
He shot off from the cafe to an alley nearby. He checked around carefully before answering.
"Hello?"
"SANJI WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN YOU LOUSE! YOU JERK! YOU BASTARD!"
Sanji winced, though his blush remained. Nami was truly most beautiful when she was enflamed with passion!
No. Focus!
"Nami, I'm terribly sorry, what is it-?!"
"IT'S ALL A TRAP, IDIOT!"
"What?!"
Nami quickly explained her suspicions and the situation. As Sanji listened to more and more, his eyes narrowed. His heart was filled with Determination.
"Don't worry Nami, I'll get right back to you to protect you! I'm so sorry I didn't! I was uh, waylaid! Occupied-!"
"YOU WERE CHASING SOME WOMAN WEREN'T YOU?!"
"Well... Uhhh... Maybe... A little...?" Sanji coughed. "A man was after her, an assassin! I had to help her, the police were after her-!"
"IS THAT SERIOUSLY MORE IMPORTANT THAN US?! OR MY HELPLESS DAUGHTER?!"
Sanji winced. He had a mental image of little Ace-chan, all alone and scared in the city. Another mental image of Nami (and the others) facing off against monsters all by themselves. He could have kicked himself for that, with how much that hurt. He then straightened up.
Zeff had always said that after you take your licks, you stand right back up again. Because that's what a real man does.
"You're right, Nami. I'm on my way back right now. I'll keep you all safe." he said.
He hung up, turned, and headed back into the cafe. He had to make this look good. Focus, Sanji, focus...
The sinfully beautiful woman smirked at him, raising an eyebrow.
"All done~?"
Sanji's heart pounded as he drooled... But no! He had to focus. He bowed.
"My apologies, dear lady," he said, "You are safe, and there are things I must attend to."
"How gallant you are," she laughed. "But would my savior like a kiss before he goes~?"
"YES PLEASE HOO HOO YES~!" Sanji cheered. He reeled back his energy, clearing his throat, and nodded.
"A kiss from a beautiful woman is all the prize a gentleman needs..."
A beat.
"Though he wouldn't say no to more, of course. That would be rude."
"And so you will have it," Violet said, leaning in. Sanji was huffing like a bull in heat, as her rose petal like lips closed with his...!
And in an instant, her heel was slamming into his face and sending him flying into the wall.
Aw... Crap... Not again, Sanji groaned mentally, as everything went black.
Omake: Buggy Stream
Buggy is on his couch, sitting in front of a very elaborate white wax fresco. He grins.
"Hello Buggy Fans! Great news! The World Government approved Buggy Bets, and it's taking the world by storm!"
Buggy slumped, depressed.
"And the World Government is taking 99 percent of my profits," Buggy sighed. He brightened. "But I'm still filthy stinking rich! HA! I should have gotten into gambling sooner! Suck it, Gild Tesero! I'm the future, baby! Deal with it!"
Buggy grinned at the camera snail.
"And today, we have a very special guest star! She's rising like a rocket, taking the world by storm with her incredible singing! She's young, she's beautiful, she's amazing, give it up for... UTA!"
Canned applause rang out, as Uta walked out and sat down on the opposing couch with a smile. She waved and blew kisses to the camera, as Buggy clapped.
"Thanks for having me, Buggy! Even though you're a filthy pirate," Uta giggled.
"Hey! I showered this morning just for you!" Buggy whined, winking at the camera. "So Uta: Your first album blew up like a Buggy Ball!"
"What's that?" Uta asked, tilting her head. Buggy grinned.
"It's an incredible explosive I myself created! The size of a marble, but able to level a city block! It's incredible! Amazing!"
"Never heard of it," Uta said with a smile. Buggy slumped.
"No one ever does... Ugh... But yeah! Your new album is a banger, if I say so myself! None of that weepy love story stuff like that singer from Burgerland, what's her name-Swift something?"
"Oh, I think she's fine," Uta said with a smile, "But my goal is to be the greatest singer in the world. To touch everyone's heart, and make the world a better place."
"The money you're earning doesn't hurt either, huh?"
Uta scowled at Buggy. He held up his hands.
"Just kidding! Just kidding!"
"Hmph," Uta scoffed. "But no... I made a promise long ago to become the very best singer in the world. And I'm going to fulfill it."
"Ohhh?" Buggy asked, and canned audience "ooohs" echoed. "Who's this guy?"
Uta flushed.
"He's... Very special to me," she admitted softly, "A childhood friend. I hope he's doing well."
"Lucky dog!" Buggy laughed. He took a sip of coffee. "Who is it?"
Uta beamed out at the world.
"Monkey D. Luffy."
"PFFFFFT!" Buggy spewed out his coffee. He gaped in disbelief, coughing.
"WH-WHAT?! You're childhood friends with STRAWHAT?!"
"Uh huh!" Uta smiled.
"HOW MANY IMPORTANT PEOPLE DOES THAT KID KNOW?!" Buggy groaned. He rubbed his forehead. "Er... Not to rain on your parade, Uta, but you do know he's married, right? Has a kid?"
"Oh, that's fine," Uta said, her smile widening as her pupils shrank, "See, when I achieve my goal, everyone's dreams will come true. All of them. And my dream is for my dear Luffy to be my loving husband and give me many children and we're always, always happy. NEVER. UNHAPPY. EVER."
Buggy gulped and leaned back from the ominous aura Uta was now emitting. She blinked, then returned to a more natural smile.
"But I'm sure he'll realize the error of his ways and come back to me. Where he belongs. FOREVER."
"L-Let's go to the ad break!"
Notes:
Well, Nami would be more prepared since becoming a mother and would issue transponder snails to EVERYONE.