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The Sand Crab sped across the dessert at high speeds carrying some unusual but desperate passengers; there was a very serious atmosphere around them. At the speed they were going it was likely that they would reach the capital city in no time. Usopp was trying to lighten the mood by telling everyone why crabs walk sideways, it was because of him. Only Chopper was paying attention, Ace walked over to Zoro and the swordsman looked up at him.
"Worried about your brother?" Zoro asked.
"Always," Ace answered.
"You're not the only one,"
"Yeah I know…Hey do you still have that baby Den-Den Mushi?" Ace asked.
Zoro reached into his pocket and fond the Snail phone, it was wet and soggy; he handed it to Ace. Ace looked at it and sighed, the snail was dead.
"What did you want t for?" he asked.
"I wanted to call that Mentor back, ask him to help Luffy and how you got this," Ace claimed.
Connor shifted nervously, thankfully no one noticed. The Frye twins were having a whispered discussion and making hand gestures towards Vivi; it looked like they were arguing about somthing.
"What's up with them?" Sanji asked.
"Who knows," Nami muttered.
"Jacob, Evie. Is something wrong?" Vivi asked.
The twins stopped whispering and looked at them "We were just debating on how to tell you," Evie answered.
"Tell us what?"
"That Connor was the one who planted that snail on Zoro and that he's being spying on you this whole time," Jacob said casually.
All eyes immediately fell on Connor, most were filled with confusion, surprise and disbelief; Ace's eyes however said 'I knew it'.
"JACOB!" Connor yelled out, he looked over at Zoro.
"Kid, is this true?" Zoro asked in shock hoping that it wasn't.
Connor looked down in shame and nodded "it's true, I was spying on you all,"
The straw hats stared at Connor, hurt and betrayal was written all over their faces. The one person who they thought could never betray them had.
"HA I KNEW IT. I TOLD YOU SO!" Ace yelled out.
"Now don't get angry at him, he was just following our Mentors' orders," Jacob claimed "It really isn't as bad as you think,"
"What do you mean? He was spying on us, how can we ever trust him again?" Usopp asked. Connor winced at that comment.
"He technically wasn't spying on you. Just the princess here," Jacob claimed and pointed at Vivi.
"What why me?" Vivi asked in surprise.
"We have some explaining to do, but understand that we can only tell you certain things," Evie said.
"First off have any of you heard of an order called the Brotherhood?" Jacob asked.
The Straw hats shook their heads, Ace and Vivi on the other hand recognised the name.
"I have," Ace said "you're a secret organisation of Assassins right?"
"Ding-Ding-Ding. Give the man a prize," Jacob joked. "Our order has been monitoring Baroque works activity here in Alabasta for the last three years,"
"So are you two Assassins then?" Sanji asked.
"That's right. You see when a warlord decides to settle down some where bad things usually follow; like a civil war for instance," Evie claimed "Our order knows what he's after but we could not make any connection between Crocodile the Shichibukai and Mr 0. Until we met you lot that is,"
"Us? What's so special about us?" Nami asked.
"Nothing, except you had the missing princess of Alabasta with you. Our Mentor has always suspected that Crocodile and Mr 0 were the same but didn't have the evidence to back it up. Our order had a plan in place to prevent Crocodile from ever getting what he wanted from this country,"
"And what dose Crocodile want with my country?" Vivi demanded.
"He wants the weapon that's buried here. A weapon so powerful it could destroy the world," Evie answered gravely.
"There's nothing like that in my Country," Vivi argued.
"Your right, it's hidden away somewhere in the world. But a map leading to its exact location is buried in this country and it's the only one in the world,"
Vivi could not believe what she was hearing, did her father know about this?
"So if you had a plan to prevent Crocodile from achieving his goal why didn't you use it?" Zoro asked.
"Because of me, I stopped it," Connor admitted.
Again all attention turned to Connor.
"Yep a three year plan gone down the drain because of one little boy," Jacob agreed.
"So just how did you find out about this plan of theirs?" Ace asked.
"Because they told me and I demanded they change it," Connor explained "Remember when Jacob stabbed me? He offered to do me a favour as an apology,"
"Right you wanted to learn that counter move," Usopp said, remembering the misunderstanding.
"That's not the only thing I asked for, I asked them to help us bring down Crocodile and stop the war," Connor revealed.
Flashback
Evie and Jacob stared at Connor; they had never believed that he would ask such a thing. Learning a counter move is one thing, but bringing down a Shichibukai that was difficult.
"Ah that might not be possible," Jacob said.
"Why? You said you'd do anything I asked," Connor claimed.
"I need to make a call," Evie said and pulled out a white baby snail phone; she left the room.
"I don't understand why won't you help us?"
"Let's just wait till Evie comes back," Jacob said
They waited in silence for Evie to return and she did a few minutes later, Evie handed the phone to Connor.
"Our boss wants a word with you," She said and sat down.
"Boss?" Connor asked "hello?" he spoke into the speaker.
"Greetings, I take it you are the one that Jacob stabbed?" a light and cherry voice spoke.
"Yes, he said he'd do me a favour,"
"I heard; I am sorry that you got hurt. You wish to bring down Crocodile, si?
"Yes, he started a civil war in Alabasta and is the leader of a criminal organisation called Baroque works"
"Tell me where did you get this information?" the bosses voice asked seriously.
"Why should I tell you that?"
"Because the fate of the world may depend on it,"
"From Princess Vivi,"
"So Vivi is still alive then… please tell me everything you know,"
Connor explained everything that Vivi had told the crew.
"This makes things easier for us. I am sorry to inform you that my organisation has a plan in place to prevent that war and thanks to you we can implement it right away,"
"So Crocodile will be stopped? What's the plan?"
"I cannot tell you that,"
"Hey I just gave you the information you needed to get your plan moving Right? At least tell me what it is,"
"Sir, if I can't fulfil his request then he has a right to know why and he will not be able to stop us. Is there really any harm?" Jacob asked.
"Very well, our plan is the complete Assassination of the Nefertari line," the voice said.
End Flash back
The straw hats stared at the twins in horror, and Vivi could not believe what she had just heard. If these twins were serious then Vivi was their target.
"You were going to kill me and my father?" Vivi asked terrified.
"Not just you two but any other extended family. Cousins, uncles, grandparents we were fully prepared to kill them all," Jacob claimed.
"Our order did extensive research on the Nefertari family tree. Turns out you have some very distant relatives. A few of your predecessors had more than one child; while the eldest continued the royal line those other siblings had families of their own. They were on our list too,"
"So basically any one that had Nefertari in their ancestry would have been killed," Vivi stated in shock.
"That was the plan yes, but Connor demanded that we not go through with it. He managed to convince our Mentor to let you try and end the war, without wiping your family off the face of the earth," Jacob confirmed.
"Why would you do that? Why would you kill all those families?" Vivi asked.
"Because that map I mentioned can only be accessed by someone of the Nefertari line," Evie claimed.
"Their boss agreed to spare everyone in your family tree. If I could provide proof that Mr 0 and Crocodile were the same person and this war was a massive sham. I had until the final battle began," Connor explained.
"If he failed then we would've through with our plan," Evie explained "Part of the deal was that we needed to know Vivis whereabouts at all times hence Connor spying on you,"
"When Ace saw me reporting in Yuba, I feared that the I'd failed but no one believed him, on the way to Rainbase I was informed they knew Ace suspected me," Connor explained "That's when the Mentor said if I didn't place the blame on someone else then our deal was off and they would kill you all and make me watch."
"So you pretended to have a nightmare and planted their phone on me," Zoro realised.
"I didn't want too, but it was either that or they'd killed you all,"
"If he hadn't we would have never gotten a confession from Crocodile himself," Evie said "Connor had provided the very information that our order had spent three years trying to find, so the attack on Vivis family was called off,"
"So that was your business in Rainbase," Chopper realised "you were getting into position to kill Vivi,"
"Yes but thankfully Connor fulfilled his end of the bargain and there was no need to end her life, if he hadn't we would not be having this conversation,"
"When were you originally planning to kill me and my father?" Vivi asked she needed to know if the last 9 days had been borrowed time or not.
"The moment you set foot on Alabastain soil," Jacob said "Then we could pin your death on Baroque Works,"
"So the whole reason that I'm still alive is because of Connor? Is my father alive as well?"
"Don't worry no one related to your family tree was harmed. We may be killers but we always keep our promises," Jacob proclaimed.
"So why are you still here then?" Ace asked suspiciously "If your mission to kill Vivi was called off, why are you coming with us?"
"I just said that we always keep our promises. Connors original request still stands," Jacob claimed "bring down Crocodile and help stop the war,"
"But I thought his request was to stop Vivis death," Nami added.
"Weren't you listing? Connor never asked us specifically to stop that plan, he asked our boss. Now that that plan is no longer in effect I am free to fulfil his original request,"
"That's some twisted logic," Nami commented.
Outskirts of Rainbase
A man in a white hood stood in front of a large sink hole, he peered in to the sink hole looking for something.
He was wearing a long white hooded desert robe, around his waist a belt with a silver sword sheathed over a red sash. The hood covered the top part of his face. He had and several pouches attached to it. On his wrists were leather guards, his left hand was missing its ring finger.
The man raised his right arm and flicked his index and middle finger upwards, instantly the sand shot out Luffys body. Luffy levitated in the air held up by some unseen force; the man moved his arm to the side and the body followed the man's command. Once over solid ground the Luffy dropped as whatever had been holding it up disappeared.
The man stood above Luffys unmoving body, he pulled out a water canteen and poured some of the water onto Luffys face. Luffys eyes snapped open and he gasped for air, Luffy looked up at the man and gripped his boot.
"Meat!" Luffy raspy demanded, this throat was bone dry.
The man knelt down and offered Luffy the Canteen, Luffy snatched it and began to drink its contents, and he showed no sign of stopping. When he was he coughed a bit, he looked at the man again and handed him back the Canteen.
"Novice, are you done giving away all of our water?" a voice asked from behind.
"He needs it more than we do, besides there's a city right behind us," the man claimed in a deep and serious voice.
"And while you were busy giving away our water you failed to notice that we have compony,"
"I noticed Malik. I just didn't care," the man answered, he turned around to face the other man.
It was the owner of the bookshop in Nanohanna. Standing behind him was Miss All-Sunday, she was staring at the two men; her body looked calm but her eyes were filled with fear.
"Can we help you miss?" Malik asked.
Miss All-Sundays eyes darted between the two, she had come to save Luffy but she had not expected these two men to beat her too it.
"I just wanted to ask Straw hat a question," Miss All-Sunday answered, it would be a very bad idea to lie to these two.
"Ask away," the man in white said and began to walk east "I'm going on ahead. Make sure he lives,"
The wind suddenly picked up and the man in white was gone.
"Make sure he lives, stupid novice," Malik muttered, he bent down to Luffy to assess the damage.
Miss All-Sunday watched as Malik bandaged Luffy up when he was done he walked back towards her. She froze expecting an attack but Malik just walked past her towards Rainbase. Miss All-Sunday let a breath of relief out; she approached Luffy.
Luffy was very weak, he had drunk the water that the man in white had offered and another man had bandaged the wound that Crocodile had given him. He didn't know these men but he was grateful for their help, then all of a sudden they'd both left him there lying on the dessert sand in front of Crocodiles partner.
And the worse part was he didn't have his hat.
The Alibastion desert
The straw hats were on the far side of the Sandora River. It turns out that Sand crabs could not swim, it was thanks to the arrival of the Kung Fu Dugongs that Luffy had befriended earlier they were able to cross the river. Once on the other side they now faced a new problem Getting Vivi to the Capital before dawn.
"So are we just going to run the whole way there? We'll never make it," Usopp claimed.
"We don't have a choice," Vivi said.
"Hey something's coming this way," Sanji said.
The straw looked towards the horizon and saw a massive dust cloud headed their way.
"It's too small for a sandstorm," Vivi commented.
Usopp looked through his binoculars, "It's Carue," He cried "and he's brought friends,"
Sure enough Carue stopped in front of Vivi, he was accompanied by six other ducks; they gave a salute to Vivi.
"Caure," Vivi cried happily "You brought the Spot-Billed Duck squad,"
"The what now?" Jacob asked.
"These are the fasted over land birds in Alabasta," Vivi explained "with them we should get to Alubana in no time,"
"Great so we have a ride. Now we need a plan," Evie said.
"We have a plan: get Vivi home and stop the rebels," Zoro said.
Evie looked at Zoro in the eye "And how do you expect to get her past the war preparations or the numbered agents waiting for her?"
"Hold on Baroque works is already here?" Vivi asked in surprise.
"Oh boy," Evie sighed "Look if I was an evil person…"
"Which you are," Jacob interrupted. Evie punched him in the gut and flipped him on his back.
"As I was saying, if I were a criminal master mind and knew where the one person could stop me was going to be; I'd put my best guys on the job to take them out. I guarantee that the remaining pairs are waiting for us,"
"So how do we get past them?" Connor asked.
"We don't, we just lure them away. Here's how I see the city this circle represents the City of Alubana," Evie started and drew a circle in the sand.
"Now there are five entrances one north south east west and south east," Evie marked them on the map "The rebels are coming from Kotrea to the south so that means that the numbered agents will be waiting close to the south and south east entrances,"
"So we how do we sneak Vivi in the city?" Ace asked.
"Simple the entire Straw hat crew will ride the six spot –billed duck squad disguised as Vivi and when they near the entrance spilt up into three groups of two,"
"And if we look like Vivi they'll follow us," Nami realised.
"Once the coast is clear Jacob and I will escort Vivi and Carue to the palace where she can order both armies to stand down," Evie finished.
"Good plan but how are we going to disguise ourselves as Vivi?" Usopp asked.
Carue suddenly quacked and walked over to the group. He reached into his pouch and pulled out a white hooded dessert robe and dropped it at Vivis feet. The rest of the squad did the same; all together there was seven of them.
"That'll work," Jacob commented.
"Hold on theses are adult sizes, I won't fit in one," Connor pointed out.
"Vivi can any of these ducks hold two people without losing speed?" Ace asked.
"Yes anyone of them could do it," Vivi claimed.
"All right I'll ride with Connor then," Ace proclaimed.
"Huh?" Connor asked.
"If Connor hides under someone cloak it'll look like only one person is riding, but if he does it on his own then the numbered agents will know something's up," Ace explained.
"That's not a bad Idea. Connor you ride with Ace," Zoro ordered.
"But…Okay," Connor resigned.
"All right everyone get those robes on and let's go," Evie said "and Jacob stop playing in the sand,"