(A/N: Thank you so much for the review Le055Li0n! That little 'heh' you wrote made me laugh. xD Thanks to everyone who followed, favorited, and added this story to your alerts also! I was surprised by how many people are enjoying my weird little story, but it means a lot. Toffee and her messed up family are some of my favorite oc's I've created since their all a little crazy in their own ways. But that pretty much sums up all the characters from One Piece, I suppose. :P)
Marching over to the forms of a twitching Luffy and Zoro, Nami easily lifted the two of them up by the back of their shirts. "I can't believe you two! What the hell do you think you're doing?! You're just lucky you managed to keep the girl intact! You almost cost me my one billion, y'know?!"
That's what Nami's worried about Toffee pondered, her pupils having shrank. She was more concerned about the fact that Luffy and Zoro were glaring and appearing to want to still beat the crap out of one another.
"Um, you people...What are you talking about? Why did you save me?" Vivi asked meekly, gripping tightly onto the reins of the harness she had attached to her pet where she currently sat.
"Oh, that's right. We need to talk about that. Would you mind negotiating a contract with me?" Nami asked with a wink and smile after she had pummeled Zoro and Luffy for childishly punching and pulling at each others faces; their forms now letting off steam while they no longer moved.
A look of disbelief arose on the princesses face, and she hesitantly followed after the small band of pirates, making sure to keep her distance. Though she could hear Toffee explain to Luffy, who was currently being drug painfully across the ground alongside Zoro by Nami, about why Zoro had attacked the townspeople.
"Man, Zoro! Why didn't you just say so? I thought you got mad and killed 'em all...just because they didn't have your favorite food!" Luffy laughed out once perching upon a nearby barrel when they stopped in a secluded backstreet.
"YOU JERK! THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD DO!" Zoro bellowed, his temper only causing Luffy to laugh louder.
"YOU TWO, SHUT UP!" Nami yelled considering she had been trying to explain everything to a wide eyed Vivi. A smile returned to her face when Nami was facing the blue haired female once more. "So, that's our offer. We want 1,000,000,000 beli to escort you there safely. You saw how strong these guys are, right. Quite a bargain, don't you think?"
"Impossible!" Vivi cried out, surprising Nami and the others. "You do have my gratitude for saving my life. Thank you."
"Why not?! You're a princess, aren't you?" Nami exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips and leaning forward. "It's just a measly billion..."
"Do you know of a country named Alabasta?" Vivi asked, lowering her head when Nami said she didn't. "It was a great pillar of civilization. A land of peace. Long ago, that is...Now, it's on the verge of a civil war. In recent years, a call for revolution has emerged. The citizens began committing acts of insurrection...causing the land to fall into chaos. But one day I heard the name of a secret organization...Baroque Works! I discovered that they were responsible for inciting the rebellion. Aside from this, however, I was unable to procure any further information. So I went to Igaram, who had looked after me since I was a little girl."
"Oh! That rolled fish cake haired old man!" Luffy chirped out while motioning to his own hair.
"Fish ca-yes, that's him. I decided to infiltrate Baroque Works. I thought that if I did, I could find out who was pulling the strings, and find out what his plans were..."
"Pretty gutsy for a princess," Zoro brought up with an amused grin. "So? Did you find out his intentions?"
"Was it the establishment of an ideal nation that Igaram mentioned?" Toffee spoke when Vivi simply gave a silent nod to Zoro's question.
"Y-yes...He claims that establishing this 'ideal nation' is their purpose. But that is a complete lie. His true intention is to seize the throne of Alabasta! I must return to my country to tell the people the truth! If this continues...!"
Nami let out a sigh when Vivi started to badly tremble, looking on the brink of tears. "I see. So that's what's going on. It finally makes sense now...If you're on the verge of civil war...money must be scarce."
"Oi? So who's the mastermind?" Luffy asked with a casual smile.
"Eh?! The B-Boss' true identity?!" Vivi cried out in horror, waving her hands rapidly in a dismissive manner. "You can't ask me that! If I told you that, they would hunt you down, too!"
Nami laughed awkwardly while looking from Luffy to Zoro. "Well we don't want that! And of course, trying to take over a whole nation...He must be an incredibly strong guy, right?"
"Yes, he is...No matter how strong you may be, there's no way you could even hope to touch him...One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea...Crocodile!"
"Who's that?" Luffy asked with a confused look, innocently tilting his head. He didn't seem to realize Vivi had just said what she was trying to avoid, this causing the color to fade from not only her face, but Nami's, too.
"You just said it..." Zoro mumbled. The group only now noticed that their conversation was being eavesdropped on by two animals oddly enough. One appearing to be a vulture and the other an otter, both of the creatures wearing sunglasses more than likely to make them appear intimidating.
"HEY! WHAT'S WITH THE OTTER AND VULTURE?!" Nami screeched out after they had flown off, madly shaking a now teary eyed Vivi who was profusely apologizing to the angered red-head for saying the bosses name. "ONE OF THE SEVEN WARLORDS IS GOING TO BE AFTER US NOW?!"
"C-calm down, Nami! Your going to make Vivi pass out shaking her like that!" Toffee gulped out, only for her hair to bristle up like a frightened cat's fur when a snarling Nami turned to her. "I-I'm sure everything will work out in the end..."
"H-how can you say that?! We just made it into the Grand Line and I'm marked for death by one of the Warlords...Why me?" Nami dramatically whined out, her angered countenance flipping to one of sadness where she began to loudly sob on Toffee's shoulder.
Poor thing...I'm starting to wonder if Nami isn't bipolar Toffee wondered sheepishly while gently rubbing at the crying teens back.
"We're pretty lucky we get to fight one so soon," Zoro mused, not fazed at all by the danger they had found themselves in.
"Wonder what he's like?" Luffy added with an excited grin.
"SHUT UP YOU TWO!" Nami shrieked out, marching away from Zoro and Luffy while Toffee went to check on Vivi considering the princesses spirit seemed to be trying to escape from her mouth. "Though it wasn't for long, it's been nice knowing you all!"
"Where are you going?" Luffy cried out in shock.
"They don't know my face yet, so I'm outta here!" Nami huffed out, only to freeze when noticing the otter from before holding a sketchbook where it not only displayed Nami's face, but Zoro, Luffy, and Toffee's as well. "Hahah! You're good! Wait...NO! NOW I CAN'T EVEN RUN AWAY?!"
"I'm so sorry..." Vivi once again apologized, bowing while Nami threw a small tantrum after the vulture flew off once more with the otter upon it's back.
"Where were you going to run away to any way?" Zoro muttered with a shake of his head since Nami had fallen to her knees where she was heavily crying, soon smirking. "In any case, the four of us have been added to the Baroque Works Death List! Guess that means your stuck with us too, Toffee. 'Less you think you can handle a group of hit-man on your own?"
"Eh heh! I-I'd rather not try...If anything, I'm glad I told Heartless to rest so they didn't get his portrait, too..." Toffee murmured, rubbing at her arm with a nervous expression while peering back at her normal shadow.
"Do not worry! Mah mah maah~! Fear not, for I have a plan!" Igaram sung out, having suddenly appeared garbed in similar attire that the princess wore.
"Igaram! What are those clothes for?" Vivi asked startled, ceasing in her consoling of Nami to rush over to the large and tall male.
"Old man! You'll fool anyone wearing that!" Luffy said tickled, circling around the male while Nami grumbled out how she was surrounded by nothing but idiots.
"Vivi-sama, please listen carefully. Baroque Works' information network will soon receive that report. Once they learn we are the ones who know the Boss' true identity. You understand what will happen, don't you?"
"As many as a thousand hunters could soon be coming after us." Vivi said with surprising calmness, yet her words caused Nami to let out a frightened squeak.
"That is why I have dressed in the manner of the princess. I will depart with these four dummies...and travel on a straight course for Alabasta,"
"Eh? These are us?" Luffy asked in mild disbelief, poking at the swirly eyed and squishy models.
"Decoys. Once they begin pursuing me...Vivi-sama and yourselves can depart safely for Alabasta," Igaram explained.
"Now wait just a minute! Who said we would take the princess anywhere?!" Nami shouted, glaring at Igaram. "We still don't have a contract."
"Take the princess? What's that about?" Luffy asked, glancing over at Zoro for clarification.
"Weren't you listening to them? The old man here wants us to take her home."
"Oh, is that what they're on about? Okay," Luffy said nonchalantly.
Luffy really is one of the most carefree guys I've ever met Toffee thought with a small smile, resting her hand on her cheek since he had just allowed her to come along with his crew in a similar manner. Even though she could have ended up causing his friends and him trouble herself.
"This Crocodile, is he really that strong?" Luffy asked curiously while peering up at Igaram.
"He is currently one of the Seven Warlords. Though as a government sanctioned pirate, he is no longer on their wanted list. But before his sanction, his bounty was 80,000,000 beli." Igaram replied, causing Nami to freak out even more since it was apparently higher than some man named Arlong's. "Will you accept?"
Luffy agreed to the request, not showing an ounce of fear much to Toffee's amazement. That amount might have been lower than Altair's, but it was still a hefty bounty...Her family hadn't told her much about the Seven Warlords of the Sea, only that Toffee should avoid them at all costs. And she could almost picture her brothers' horrified expressions if they ever learned their little sister was possibly heading into the territory of such a dangerous former criminal.
"Well then I, Vivi, shall be leaving now," Igaram voiced after leading the five of them to the vessel he would be using for his ruse. "Now then, princess, please hand me the Eternal Pose."
While Vivi seemed to waver in handing Igaram the device, Nami blinked confused and questioned, "Eternal Pose?"
"You haven't heard of it? I'll try to explain. It is an eternally preserved version of the Log Pose. A Log Pose guides you from one island to the next, but an Eternal Pose never forgets the magnetic location of the one island it is set to. It shall 'eternally' point towards that island. And this one points the way to Alabasta," Igaram clarified before gazing down at Vivi firmly. "Vivi-sama, after making a few stops...please hurry to Alabasta. I have never done it myself, but I'm sure you can follow the Log two or three times to get there." Turning to Luffy, Igaram nodded at the straw hat wearing male. "And with that, I leave the princess within your care."
"Igaram..."
"I think the journey will be dangerous. Please be careful along the way." Igaram told Vivi with a gentle smile similar to one a parent might give their child before departing from the blue haired woman out onto the tranquil seas.
"Well, he's gone. He was a cool old man, wasn't he?" Luffy mused with a grin, placing his arms behind his head.
"Yes. We can count on him." Vivi answered with a soft smile. However, that smile left the princesses face when a massive explosion went off directly where Igaram's ship had been, the light having faded from Vivi's brown eyes. There was no way he could have survived a direct hit like that.
"I-it can't be! They've already come?" Nami gasped, her own eyes wide from the startling scene.
Luffy moved to pick up his hat that had been knocked askew from the intensity of the blast, screaming at the top of his lungs, "HE WAS A GREAT MAN!" before stomping off.
"Nami! The log!" Zoro exclaimed, understanding they needed to leave the island immediately. Before who ever had destroyed Igaram's ship discovered they had killed the wrong person.
"Oh! It's okay! It's already set!" Nami answered back breathlessly, turning her attention on Vivi when Zoro said to grab her before he was taking off after Luffy. "Vivi! Hurry! If they see us here, everything will be in vain, right?!" However when noticing Vivi was biting at her bottom lip hard enough to make it bleed, Nami hugged the woman who was struggling not to break down. "It'll be alright! We'll get you home! These guys...they might not look like much...but they saved all of East Blue! Just the four of them! What's Baroque Works to them?! What's Crocodile?! The Seven Warlords don't stand a chance!"
Nami...Toffee couldn't help but think with a faint smile. Considering she was panicking only a few moments ago, that had been a really impressive and heartfelt speech. It showed how much she believed in her friends. And when Nami was nodding at her, Toffee simply nodded back, taking off with the two girls as they made their way for the Going Merry.
"I can't find Carue!" Vivi cried out once they reached the docks, peering around frantically for her companion.
"You mean that duck you were with? I hadn't even realized he ran off...If Heartless and I scour the town, we might be able to find him," Toffee suggested.
"I know your quick, but there's no time to search for him!" Nami said in exasperation, even if she could tell the animal meant a lot to the princess.
"Oi! What are you three talking about? He's already on board," Zoro muttered, jerking his thumb over at the spot-billed duck who seemed to smile at the three while lifting his wing up in a wave.
"YOU WERE HERE THE WHOLE TIME?!" Nami and Vivi screamed out together while Toffee's eyes had turned small and white from the random sight.
"A-anyways...if we sail up the river, it'll branch off into the sea," Vivi brought up, climbing up the rope ladder and onto the ship first. "We'll be able to get on course faster."
"Alright! Let's go!" Luffy cheered once the sails had been set, pumping an excited fist into the air.
Even though Vivi probably needed some time to herself in order to grieve, Zoro approached the blue haired woman to ask, "Just how many hunters are we talking about?"
"I-I don't know. Baroque Works has about 2000 employees. And I've heard there are other towns like this one in the area..."
Toffee would admit what Vivi mentioned was concerning, but she was currently more worried about a badly bruised Usopp and Sanji, wondering how they had gained such nasty looking injuries? Having no clue it was in fact due to their own captain dragging them all the way here...So when Usopp was abruptly sitting up, Toffee couldn't help but jump while the sniper cried out, "Hey...why is the ship moving?"
"WAIT! Let's stay another night!" Sanji exclaimed frantically after jolting up himself. "The town was so much fun, and the girls were so cute!"
"When will we find another awesome place like this?!" Usopp agreed loudly, Sanji and him comically pressing their faces close together as they tried to out voice the other.
"Ah, so neither of you realized everything on that island was a set up..." Toffee hummed out while placing a finger against her lip. Since Nami and Zoro had figured it out, she assumed Usopp and Sanji would themselves.
"Course' they didn't. They're both a couple of idiots," Zoro snorted out, rolling his eyes at Usopp and Sanji who now sported dumbfounded expressions from the grey haired female's odd statement.
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLIN' AN IDIOT!" the two men screamed out in unison, only to immediately lose consciousness once again when Nami decided to hit them upside their heads instead of trying to explain the situation to either.
A thick fog had surrounded the area as the sun began to rise, thankfully concealing the boat just in case anyone happened to be watching for them. It truly seemed like they were in the clear. That was, until an unfamiliar voice spoke up that they should watch the shallows so they didn't strike the hull.
"Nice ship," a woman garbed in purple attire similar to a cowgirl's with shiny black hair that went just a little past her shoulders said with an easygoing smile, sitting upon the upper decks railing.
She's good. I didn't even hear or sense her boarding the ship Toffee couldn't help but think, mildly impressed. Even if the terrified look that had formed on Vivi's face said this person was an obvious threat.
"I saw Mr. 8 not too long ago, Miss Wednesday," the woman voiced, tilting her head almost innocently.
"You killed Igaram!" Vivi cried out, immense anger flashing within her dark brown irises.
"Even if you did, why the hell are you on my ship?!" Luffy exclaimed angrily in annoyance, holding up a fist to emphasize his vexation. "Who are you?!"
"What are you doing here, Miss All Sunday?" Vivi shouted out, not giving the female a chance to answer Luffy.
"So she's a member of Baroque Works? Do you know what number she's listed as...?" Toffee asked softly, considering Mr. 9 had mentioned before that the lower a member was, the stronger that person was.
"She's Mr. 0's partner. The Boss'...She's the only one allowed to know the Boss' true identity...We shadowed her in order to find out who he really was." Vivi spoke through gritted teeth, her words causing Toffee's eyes to widen.
"Or to be more precise...I let you shadow me,"
"I knew that! And then the one who informed the Boss of his exposed identity...was you, wasn't it?!" Vivi demanded, her hands balling into tight fists at her sides when Miss All Sunday said this was correct. "Just what exactly are your intentions?!"
"Who know. But you were so serious about it...I just had to cooperate. A princess who actually thinks she can make enemies of Baroque Works and avenge her country...It's just so ridiculous~"
"YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Vivi roared out. At the princesses fierce cry, Sanji and Usopp appeared on the upper deck where Sanji surprisingly held a pistol to the woman's head while Usopp was shakily directing his slingshot at Miss All Sunday. Even Zoro had unsheathed his blade while Nami wielded a staff, all of them prepared to fight.
"Oi, Sanji. Any idea what's going on?"
"Nope. Not exactly. But it seems the lovely Miss Wednesday is in danger."
Miss All Sunday gave Sanji a bland expression before closing her eyes. "Would you mind not pointing such dangerous things at me?" Before anyone knew it, the Baroque Works agent was suddenly using a Devil's Fruit power to easily disarm everyone, even sending Sanji and Usopp crashing onto the lower deck. When Sanji started to gush on her beauty, Miss All Sunday chuckled before saying, "Really, don't be in such a rush. I'm not under any orders at the moment. So I have no reason to fight with you," Luffy gasped when the agent suddenly grabbed his hat from him, playfully twirling it around. "So you're the famous Straw Hat captain, hm? Monkey D Luffy."
"OI! GIVE BACK HAT!" Luffy growled out childishly, jumping around where he stood with sharper teeth than usual. "YOU WANNA FIGHT?!"
"Didn't she just say she wasn't here to fight, though?" Toffee mentioned sheepishly, scratching at her cheek when Usopp was yelling from behind the mast for the woman to get off their ship. This woman was clearly strong, but it was difficult to tell if she was an actual threat.
"What bad luck...You pirates picking up a princess that Baroque Works wants dead. And that princess being protected by such a small number of pirates," Miss All Sunday hummed out, placing Luffy's hat on her head and making him fume even more. "But your worst luck of all...is the route that Log Pose is leading you on. The name of the next island is...Little Garden." Crossing one leg over the other, Miss All Sunday continued. "My dears, even if we do nothing to stop you, you won't make it to Alabasta. You will be annihilated...Rushing toward a place where you'll die. Doesn't that sound awfully foolish?"
Tossing Luffy's hat back onto his head, Vivi was surprised when the woman also placed an Eternal Pose into her hand.
"With this, you can avoid Little Garden. This needle points to Nanimonai Island just short of Albasta," Miss All Sunday claimed, though the smile on her face was less than trustworthy. "Since none of our members know this route, you will not be followed."
"What? Does this mean she's helping us out...?" Nami whispered out in surprise.
"It's obviously a trap," Zoro mumbled, narrowing his eyes up at the dark haired female.
"I wonder~"
While Vivi was contemplating what to do, Luffy shocked her when he suddenly took the compass from the princess and easily smashed it in his grip. "Who the hell gives a crap?!"
"DUMBASS! ARE YOU A COMPLETE DIMWIT!" Nami screeched out, kicking Luffy directly in his face and making him tumble backwards. "She just told us the best way to go! What if she was trying to help us? What then?!"
Luffy just stared at Nami for a moment before turning to Miss All Sunday with furrowed brows. "You don't decide the route for this ship. She blew up that fish cake haired old man. I hate her."
"Well I don't hate those with high spirits. If you survive, let's meet again," Miss All Sunday said, just smiling when Luffy instantly dismissed that idea, and she gave a little wave before hopping off the ship and onto her own ride which appeared to be a giant sea turtle.
While everyone was in awe of the huge reptile, Vivi let out a frustrated cry and fell to her knees. "That woman...I can't understand what she's thinking!"
"Then trying to understand is a waste of time," Nami spoke up with a small frown.
"Yeah. We got people on the ship like that already," Zoro added, a big red arrow seeming to appear out of nowhere and point directly at Luffy.
"Hey! Someone please explain all this! I have no idea what's going on!" Usopp exclaimed.
"Oh, Miss Wednesday~Are you one of our nakama now?" Sanji asked cheerfully with a rather goofy grin.
"Will someone explain already...!"
"D-don't worry, Usopp. I'll try going over everything for you..." Toffee said tiredly while patting at a frustrated Usopp's shoulder while Sanji was meanwhile yelling about the ostrich onboard the ship.
After Usopp and Sanji had been informed about everything that had transpired when they slept, Sanji smirked while saying, "I see. I've done something inexcusable, but I still have yet to show my abilities. It's alright now. Your sleeping knight has awakened...and I will make it my duty to ensure your safety. Nami-swan, are you jealous?"
"Not in the least."
"Then I'm sure Toffee-chan is~?"
"Eh? What would I be jealous about?" Toffee mentioned innocently while scratching behind Heartlesses antenna's as the two of them sat on the small steps that led up to the upper deck, the cook's normally flirty attitude causing her shadow to stick it's tongue out at Sanji.
"I wonder...is it really alright for me to be aboard your ship? I don't want to be a burden..." Vivi brought up softly, staring down at the wooden floor.
"What are you talking about? Thanks to you, we're all marked for death," Nami huffed, poking the princess in the middle of her forehead which made Vivi wince. "If you didn't want to be a burden, you shouldn't have done that in the first place! Right, Luffy?"
"Oh! I'm hungry!" Luffy declared, throwing his arms up into the air.
"I don't think he cares..." Vivi mentioned awkwardly, a large bead of sweat trailing down the back of her ponytail.
Toffee hummed, surprising the princess when she actually ran up to take both of her hands in her smaller ones. "But this is exciting! I'm kind of happy I'm not the only stowaway on a pirate ship, now!"
"You don't mean your not already apart of the crew?" Vivi asked surprised. Considering Zoro and her were fighting against the bounty hunters together, she just figured the short grey haired girl was.
"What are you talking about? The fact that you actually did more than those two idiots over there I'd say proves you've already become a part of the crew whether you wanted to or not," Nami said with a roll of her eyes, yet she was smiling.
Toffee just blushed in embarrassment from this, not really sure what to say. Yet when she noticed Heartless seemed to be chasing Vivi's duck around the upper deck, she quickly ran to stop him, only to trip on a loose nail and fall flat on her face.
"A-are you alright?!" Vivi gasped out in concern since that fall had looked and sounded painful.
"I'm actually amazed she didn't do that more often when we were dealing with the bounty hunters to be honest..." Zoro muttered, gazing at the pink eyed girl indifferently while Luffy was laughing at the girls usual clumsy nature.
Nami just pinched between her nose before turning to Vivi with a blank expression of her own. "She'll be fine. I'm pretty sure that happens to her on a daily basis...It's actually hard to believe such a klutz and timid girl like her was ever an assassin, huh?" Though she leaned in closer to whisper to the princess, "Toffee seems scared of blood at the moment, but if she ever gets over it, I bet she has some awesome moves she can use on those scary Baroque Work agents~ The rest of us might not have to even lift a finger~!"
Vivi just bit down on her bottom lip while she looked at the now teary eyed petite female. She wasn't so sure about that. If anything, she felt even more guilty for getting the Straw Hats involved in her mess.