Chapter 13: Reality Zero: Part 4
Apollo Island: Reality Zero
As everyone follows Harley Quinn into the deep woods of Apollo Island, Igaram's memories are focused on two things: Arabasta and Princess Nefertari Vivi.
Every second that counted, Arabasta was slowly descending to absolute destruction. Due to a series of droughts, civil unrest, and talks of rebellion happening within the Arabasta Kingdom, the King, Nefertari Cobra, was unfairly blamed for the kingdom's problems, due to using Dance Powder that drain the rain. Between Crocodile, the Mastermind of Baroque Works and Orochimaru, the sinister captain of the Hydra Pirates, the two men secretly engineered a crisis within Arabasta that escalated into a Civil War.
And his second thought was of Vivi. Igaram takes very good care of Vivi to the point that he is like a second father to her. He tends to worry over Vivi's antics since the incident with the Desert Robbers many years ago when she was a kid. He kept wondering why the two left Arabasta in the first place to infiltrate Baroque Works. It was because of Vivi.
Igaram knew that Vivi was showing great promise to her duty as a Princess of Arabasta. Vivi wanted to investigate what was going on, which was creating so much tension that was tearing their country apart to prove her father's innocence and save the kingdom. As the Captain of the Royal Guard, Igaram decided to help her with this investigation and protect her. He and Princess Vivi infiltrated Baroque Works and managed to become Frontier Agents to learn the Baroque Works' true boss and objectives.
However, he did not know of Crocodile's secret alliance with Orochimaru, the captain of the Hydra Pirates. This happens after he barely survived his ship was blown up when he tries pretending to be Vivi which would cause their pursuers to follow him instead. He would have gladly escorted Vivi back to their homeland himself, but to his shame he was not strong enough to protect her. His only chance was the Straw Hat Pirates—through he was forced to bargain 100,000,000,000 berries for Vivi's protection by that orange-haired pirate navigator.
It was a miracle that he ran into Shikamaru Nara and Chōji Akimichi who are officers in the Marines. Their commanding officer, Rear Admiral Kakashi Hatake decided escort Igaram back to Arabasta with a company of marines, under the command of Lieutenant Naruto Namikaze. Their orders were to meet with legendary Marine Vice Admiral Jiraiya who was supposed to investigate the crisis within Arabasta, and the secret connection between Crocodile and Orochimaru.
Igaram was very joyful about the situation—until they ran into that Rift that leads to another dimension. Not to mention they had the unluckiest moment of running into that absolute madwoman from another universe—Harley Quinn.
From Igaram's point of view, Harley Quinn was an unpredictable psychopath no better or worse—scratch that part— better or worse than any pirate he knows. Igaram couldn't help but feel a deep anger towards the madwoman as she was the reason why they're all trapped in an inescapable metaphysical dimension.
He recalls dying in the Loop thousands of times before finally reaching Apollo Island. He can't remember how long he has been stranded here in Reality Zero. But he guesses he must have been trapped here for a long, long time. He was worried he was too late to get back home to his world, to save Arabasta, most importantly, Princess Vivi and her father.
He can't think about that. He had no choice. No choice but to trust this madwoman, Harley Quinn, to take them back to their world. Whatever he likes it or not.
"Are you sure you know your way?" Shikamaru demanded, honestly to him it seemed like they were going in circles.
"Why Shadow Boy, you don't trust me?" Harley mocked Shikamaru.
"We all don't trust you, but it's not like we don't have a choice!" Shino told her.
"Of course, you all don't have a choice," Harley assumed. "You got to be crazy enough to choose a crazy woman as your guide. But we're all stuck in another dimension that is nexus to every world, universe, multiverse, etc. in existence. And you all need to get back to your world. What choice do we had?"
Igaram could not help but agree with Harley's words. What sane person would have reason to trust an insane person to escape this dimension. Perhaps he is doing this for Arabasta, For Vivi. And for King Cobra.
"I got a question I need to ask you Miss—!" Nojiko began to asked her.
"Quinn! Call me Harley Quinn! Everybody Calls me that sweetie!" Harley interrupted her.
"Ok Harley Quinn—This Portal Device—will it be able to take us back to our world?" Nojiko mentions.
Harley Quinn turn around and reply "Maybe! That Portal Device does not look perfect as looks. The wrong will take you to another world!"
"Like what?" Kiba asked.
"Who knows Dog Kid!" Harley replied. "You might end up on another world which was destroyed by nuclear war. Or been overwhelm a vast army of zombies. Or—"
"We get what you mean," Tsunade interrupted Harley. "What I do care is meeting the man who you say might help us escape Reality Zero! So, are we there yet?"
"Harley, who the hell are these people you brought with you?" a new voice speaks from out of nowhere.
Igaram was alert upon hearing the voice. The others were alert too, as they were suspecting danger from the corner. It was when they spot four people from behind the trees.
The first one was a young man with white-colored hair fashion in a faux-hawk like style. His outfit seems to be a more casual punkish attire, consisting of a dark blue hooded jacket, a tattered dark crimson shirt, a small necklace made of two folding feathered wings surrounding a red stone and black pants with military-style combat boots. He also uses a cybernetic arm in place of his Devil Bringer. He was armed with a great sword and pistol in hand.
The second one was a tall, well-built man with spiky black hair, and the iconic sky-blue "strange eyes". He was dresses in black uniform, wearing gloves and boots, and wields a huge Sword from behind. He also has an X-shaped scar on his cheek, a silver stud earring in his left ear, and a single lock of hair hanging down in front of his face.
The third one was a young woman with long, scarlet hair and brown eyes. Her attire consists of custom-made armor, a blue skirt, black boots, and diamond shaped silver earrings.
And the last was a slim and physically weak young man of average height with light green brush-like hair that spikes up, two locks of hair that drape over his face, and sharp red eyes.
"My name is Senku Ishigami," the slim and physically weak young man introduced himself. "Since you met Harley these three are Zack Fair, Nero, and Erza Scarlet."
"I take it you all were kidnapped and brought here to this world against your will?" Shizune guess.
"You had a point," says Senku. "I was working back home on an experiment to help my community when without warning a dimensional rift appeared in my world and took me to this one."
"The same happens to us as well," says Zack. "I was on my way to the city of Midgar when the rift occurred and took me from my world. I need get there as fast as I can!"
"We all need get back to our worlds!" Erza agreed with Zack. "Our friends and everyone we care depend on us!"
"Do each of you had yourselves a Portal Devices?" Nojiko asked. "Harley says it can take us back to our world?"
"Yes, we do," says Nero. "However, according to Senku, to get back home, we need to break into the Imagined Order's headquarters to access the Bridge."
"The Bridge?" Kiba repeated. "What's that?"
"The Bridge," Senku begin to explain the details. "Is located in-between Apollo and Artemis, inside the Cavern and around The Zero Point. Imagined Order use it as a base of operations to access to The Zero Point. With the Portal Devices we can be able to access the Bridge and our universal signatures will allow us to send everyone back to their respective homeworlds."
"Do you think you can create us some Portal Devices?" Tsunade asked the young man.
Senku stares at the new group for a while until he replies "It's a pain in the ass to create more Portal Devices. These things I build are not perfect, yet they get the job done and send us back to our world."
"But can you build us some Portal Devices?" Nojiko repeated the question.
"Yeah, I can build you some more," says Senku. "However, if I do, then I like one thing in return."
"What's that?" Shino asked.
"That we all work together to escape Reality Zero," Senku told them. "The alien invasion was a big chance for us to escape to our world. It will be a while for Doctor Slone to figure out what we're up to. By time she's going to reacted, will be back in our world!"
"However, getting through Bridge will not be easy," Erza told them. "We just found out someone else has already used the Bridge to escape to their world. Slone has it heavily guarded to make sure nobody ever tries to escape this reality again."
"Ordinally we were all going make a break to the Bridge on our own," says Nero. "However, the more we add in our jailbreak, the better!"
"If Slone had the Bridge guarded with her most elite soldiers, then we are going to need all the help we can get!" Zack says.
"Not me!" Harley says out loud. "I'm not going anywhere!"
"What do you mean you're not going anywhere?" Nojiko asked. "Don't you want to go home?"
"Why the hell would I want to go home?" Harley says. "I'm having too much fun here!"
"Fun?" Kiba reacted.
Igaram was dumbstruck upon hearing what Harley said. He saw the light of insanity in the madwoman's eyes and wondered what possessed her with the idea of staying in this world.
"How could you like this place fun?" Shizune asked with a shocked tone in her voice. "Do had any idea what place did to you?"
"So, what Little Mermaid!" Harley confirmed. "This place can be many things to people. It could be Hell to you all, but for me—this place is Disneyland! Why else do you think I try get back into the game? I'm the Queen of Fortnite! Here I can kill and dance until there is no tomorrow!"
Igaram stares at Harley with a recent dumbstruck look. This woman is insane. Insane beyond understanding.
"I can still exercise what I has called "ultraviolence" she explained to the group. "During my reformed days, so it's still within me to enjoy meaningless violence even if she's no longer a bad guy."
"Bad guy?" Naruto repeated. "You mean you were once a criminal?"
"Bad guy, good guy, I don't care where her sad background of history," Tsunade interrupted Naruto's question. "If you want to stay here, that's up to you! But don't try to get in our way for us get back to our world!"
"Fine with me Grandma!" Harley replied as she got ready to leave. "Good luck on your jailbreak!"
"Grandma!" Tsunade says out loud to the world in anger after Harley is long gone. "What the hell does she mean Grandma?"
"You know," Nero says after Harley left. "She kind of reminded of that other guy not so long ago went back to his world. A dumbass with red/black mask and outfit who never shut up, but one hell of fighter!"
"You mean Deadpool?" Erza snorted in disgusted. "Please don't remind me of him! I'm trying very, very hard to completely forget about him!"
AN
To all my readers. Sorry it took so long. It's not easy writing a crossover story. I keep starting over and over, trying to make it perfect. But the reality is. perfection gets you nowhere.
In case you all wondered, those characters that Naruto met comes from the universe of Devil May Cry, Fairy Tails, Final Fantasy 7, and Dr. Stone. Naruto and the others are still in the Fortnite world, trying to escape back to their world.
Also, I plan on writing a side story to this one called Harley Quinn: One Piece Adventures, which will focus on Harley Quinn, getting stranded in the One Piece world.