"Nami?" Grace mumbled from her where she sat. The crew had trained a bit the first day, but couldn't find the strength to try after that. Valerie was taking a nap, Sanji was inside trying to find anything to cook, and the rest were outside either fishing or just lazing about with empty stomachs.
"Yeah?" Nami said as she lay down on a lawn chair.
"Have they caught anything yet?" she asked. She was sitting next to the mast with her head down as her stomach grumbled.
"I'll go check." Vivi said as she walked over towards Luffy and Usopp. "Have you guys cau-CARUE?!" she yelled histerically as she saw Carue being dangled over the ocean tied to Luffy and Usopp's fishing lines. While Vivi smacked the both of them, she spotted something ahead of them. Everyone on deck was now looking ahead to see a giant cloud of steam ahead of them.
"What is that?" Usopp asked.
"It's steam from underwater volcanoes." Nami said.
"Volcanoes are underwater too?" Chopper asked.
"Yes. In around 10,000 years, a new island will form here." Nami said.
"Wow. 10,000 years. I wonder what it'll be called?" Johnny said.
"We're about to go over it, so why don't we name?" Yosaku joked.
"YEAH!" Luffy said.
"I wasn't serious!" Yosaku yelled as they sailed through the steam.
"Ugh! I can't see anything!"
"Where are you guys!?"
"It stinks!" Everyone was complaining about it until they sailed through. When they did though, they slowly learned that they picked up a very strange person as well. Luffy and Usopp were both staring at a male ballerina who was hanging off of Carue. Luffy just stared as memories of his old friend came back to him.
"OKAMA!" Luffy yelled before Mr. 2 fell off Carue and into the ocean. While they fished him out, Greg spotted Mr. 2 before grabbing Grace from near the mast before bolting inside the ship.
"What's wrong?" Grace asked in surprise.
"Mr. 2's on the ship!" Greg said with some sweat on his forehead.
"Mr. 2?!" Grace said in loud whisper.
"SHH!" Greg said as he kept an ear on the door to listen.
-Outside the ship-
Mr. 2 was panting as he sat there on the deck soaking wet.
"I really thought I was gonna die!" he said before looking at them all with a big smile. "HEY! Thanks so much for saving me! Never thought complete strangers would come to my rescue. I'm in your debt! By the way, would it be possible to ask for a cup of warm soup?"
"NO!" they all yelled back.
"WE'RE HUNGRY TOO!" Zoro barked as Mr. 2 looked up at Vivi, who was looking down from the upper rails.
"Oh wow! Ain't you a cutie?" he said before blowing her a kiss. Vivi just shuddered before claiming that he was a weirdo.
"So you can't swim?" Usopp asked as Luffy stared at Mr. 2 with a smile. He hadn't seen him since Impel Down.
"Indeed. You see, I've eaten a Devil Fruit and can't swim at all!" Mr. 2 said.
"What kind?" Nojiko asked as Mr. 2 stood up.
"Well I can't leave until my ship arrives, so let's have some fun." Mr. 2 said. "BEHOLD MY POWER!" he exclaimed dramatically before smashing his right palm into Luffy's face, sending him flying a bit until he hit the wall. Everyone around stared in shock before some of them looked ready to attack Mr. 2.
"You bastard!" Zoro said before Mr. 2 held up his hands.
"Hold on you guys!" Mr. 2 said in a familiar voice. "This is all for fun!" he said as they were all now staring in absolute shock. "Well? What do you think?!" he asked as everyone stared at a second Luffy.
"He's me!" Luffy yelled, not growing tired of seeing Mr. 2's power. Mr. 2 just laughed as they all stared.
"And if I touch my face with my left hand," he said before swiping his left hand across his face, returning it to normal. "I turn back to me! Behold the power of the Clone Clone Fruit!"
"The face and voice! They were an exact match!" Usopp gasped as Mr. 2 touched everyone's face with his right hand.
"There. Truth be told, I didn't need to smack you like that." he said. "Now watch," he said as he kept shifting through the crew's faces. "If I touch you -change- with my right hand, -change- I can turn into -change- an exact copy of you." he said as Nami before flashing a few of them. "The body too!" he said as some of them stared in awe before Nami punched him. "OUCH!"
"QUIT THAT!" she yelled as Nojiko snickered. "Stop laughing!"
"You're a very strange man." Alvida said.
"I'm not strange." Mr. 2 mumbled from where he lay on the ground before jumping up and posing. "I'M...AN OKAMA!" he declared. Luffy just laughed while everyone else gave him strange looks. "Sadly, that is all I can show you." he said before Usopp, Chopper, and Luffy cheered for an encore, which he gladly did as he began to change into other faces. As he did, Vivi gasped as he changed into one she recognized. Soon, all four were dancing around like idiots while some of the others either stared on in disbelief or laughed.
"Hey, is that your ship?" Gin asked as he pointed towards an incoming ship.
"IT IS!" Mr. 2 exclaimed happily. "It seems, my friends, that we must part." he said as the three others groaned in sadness. "But fear not everyone! Even though we part ways here...OUR FRIENDSHIP SHALL NEVER DIE!" he said with tears in his eyes before jumping over onto his ship. "Let's go everyone!"
"Yes sir, Mr. 2: Bon Clay!" his men said before sailing off.
"MR. 2!" Usopp shouted as they all looked on in shock.
"That guy was with Baroque Works?!" Nojiko said in shock as they watched the enemy ship sail away.
"That WAS Mr. 2!" Vivi yelled.
"Then why didn't you tell us Big Sis?!" Johnny and Yosaku yelled.
"I've never met Mr. 2 or the Mr. 1 pair before." she said as she lowered her head in apology. "All I heard were rumors that he speaks, wears, and lives like an okama."
"How could you not notice?" most of them said in disbelief.
"One of those faces he showered earlier," she said while trembling. "Was my father's face. What kind of horrors will he commit with my father's face?"
"If he can imitate a king, he can cause some serious problems." Zoro said.
"I can't believe we let a bad guy get away." Usopp said as he crossed his arms.
"He was our enemy?" Chopper asked.
"And he has almost all of our faces." Nami said.
"Which means it'll be quiet troublesome if he finds out we're the enemy." Alvida said as the door to the inside of the ship opened up.
"Is he gone?" Greg asked.
"Where have you two been?" Gin asked as Greg and Grace walked out onto the deck.
"We're traitors, remember?" Greg said. "If he had seen us, there may have been a good chance he'd kill us."
"He can get scary when he's mad." Grace said with some sweat on her forehead.
"Actually, it's a good thing we met him." Zoro said with a grin. "Now we can plan some counter measures."
-Some time later-
"MR. 2 WAS HERE?!" Valerie shrieked. After she had woken up, Greg and Grace informed her of their encounter with him.
"Yeah. He didn't see us though." Grace said.
"That's good." Valerie sighed in relief before a giant sea cat surfaced next to them.
"AAAHHHHHH! SEA MONSTER!" Usopp and Chopper cried out. Everyone stopped and looked at it.
"A SEA CAT!" Vivi yelled before Luffy, Gin, Zoro, Sanji, and looked at it with extreme hunger in their eyes.
"ALRIGHT! FOOD!" Luffy yelled.
"ABOUT TIME WE CAUGHT SOMETHING!" Gin said.
"OUR FIRST MEAL IN FOUR DAYS!" Zoro said as he went for his swords while the sea cat slowly backed away in fear.
"Don't let it get away!" Sanji yelled.
"STOP!" Vivi shrieked as she smashed all their heads against the rails while the sea cat swam away. "Sea Cats are sacred animals in Alabasta!"
"So many strange creatures!" Chopper said.
"I-I-If you're sc-sc-scared of stuff like t-that, then you're st-still a k-k-k-kid!" Usopp stuttered from where he shivered on the deck before standing up and telling Chopper a story about how he went up against sea kings before.
"Sorry guys. You'll be able to eat soon." Vivi said.
"YES!" Luffy shouted.
"Are we close to Alabasta yet?" Nojiko askedn
"The wind and climate have stabilized." Nami said.
"Yes. We've entered the Albasta climate zone. The sea cat is also proof that we're close." Vivi said.
"And that is more proof that we're close." Zoro said with a smirk. Everyone looked to see a dozen or so ships with the Baroque Works symbol on them.
"Look at all those ships!" Luffy said as everyone gathered around to look at them.
"The Billions." Valerie said. "They work under the Officer Agents of Baroque Works."
"Like you guys?" Alvida asked.
"Not us. Not anymore." Grace said as they all began to argue about what to do. They all sailed away and got away from them before they began Zoro's plan.
"Alright everyone. Tie them on tight." he said as they all began to tie white clothes to their left wrists.
"I see." Vivi said.
"Now we don't have to doubt each other if we can see these." Nami said.
"Great idea Big Bro!" Johnny and Yosaku said.
"So does he really look like us? This Clone Clone guy?" Sanji asked.
"He didn't 'look' like us. He 'is' us." Usopp explained. "You should've seen him. He was a fun guy."
"I've no interest in okamas." Sanji said.
"Now that we know he's our enemy, we can't let our guards down." Zoro said.
"What should I do?" Chopper asked.
"Do what you can do. Nothing else." Usopp said. "If you can't beat um, run. Just do your very best."
"That's what you keep telling yourself." Sanji said as he tied a cloth to Carue's left wing.
"What I can do...Okay!" Chopper said.
"And remember guys." Zoro said as he untied his rope to reveal a black X under it. "If you suspect that anyone is lying, ask them to show this mark under the cloth. If they can't, it's Mr. 2."
"That's a smart idea." Sanji said. "No way Moss Head could do that. You must be Mr. 2!"
"DON'T MAKE ME KILL YOU!" Zoro barked.
"It's Zoro!" Usopp said in relief.
"We're near the harbor. Let's hide the ship to the west." Nami said.
"Okay. No matter what happens, remember this!" he said as everyone held out their left arms in a circle. "This mark on our arms is the proof of our friendship! Now, lets go find a restaurant!"
"I second that!" Gin said.
"Both of you idiots shut up!" Nami shouted as they all began to argue. Vivi just watched them all as she held her arm close to her and smiled. Soon they anchored their ship before Luffy took off in search of food.
"GET BACK HERE, YOU IDIOT!" Greg shouted.
"He doesn't think, does he?" Grace asked.
"Nope." they all answered before they spotted another ship nearby.
"That's Mr. 3's ship!" Vivi said.
"Mr. 3?!" Nami said in surprise.
"It can only move with the power of the Wax Wax fruit." Vivi said as Grace gulped.
"Mr. 3." she mumbled. She couldn't help but feel nervous. She knew that Mr. 3 would not like seeing a traitor and would not hesitate to do away with her. She kept staring before she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up.
"Don't worry Grace." Usopp said.
"He's right." Sanji said. "If that weirdo tries to hurt a little lady, he'll get the ass kicking of his life." Sanji said. She looked around to see everyone smiling and talking before a smile crept onto her face.
"Yeah. You're right. Thanks guys." she said.
"What should we do about Luffy?" Vivi asked. "Nanohana's a big town."
"Don't worry about Luffy Vivi-chan." Sanji said. "Just follow the noise and we'll find him."
"That's for sure!" Usopp said as some of them laughed.
"Honestly." Nami sighed. "Can't he be more worried? He's got a bounty on his head that's sure to attract bounty hunters." Nami said.
"He's fine." Zoro said. "Now let's get some food." he said before they all split up to find supplies.
-With Zoro, Gin, Yosaku, and Johnny-
The four of them were wandering the town while in disguise looking for Luffy and some supplies.
"Excuse me Ma'am. Have you seen a man wearing a Straw Hat?" someone asked. That got the four Straw Hat's attention as they all looked to see a man asking an old woman about Luffy.
"Who's that guy?" Gin whispered as Zoro's eyes widened.
"Shit!" he said. "Look at his back!" They all did and turned a little blue to see the symbol of the Whitebeard Pirates tattooed on the man's back. "He's a Whitebeard Pirate!"
"White...beard?!" Johnny and Yosaku gasped.
"They call him the Strongest Man in the World!" Gin said as the man walked off.
"Yeah. And he's looking for Luffy." Zoro said.
"What does he want with Big Bro Luffy?" Yosaku asked.
"Hey...you don't think Luffy...pissed off the Whitebeard Pirates, do you?" Gin asked.
"No way!" Johnny said with a laugh. "Big Bro wouldn't do something that stupid!" he said. "Right?" Everyone grew deathly quiet at that as sweat began to pour down their faces. They suddenly ran off in search for their captain.
'WHAT DID THAT MORON DO!?' they all mentally shrieked.
-Back at the ship-
All the women had stayed behind while the men went off for the supplies. While they were talking, Grace was painting the wall they were hiding behind to take her mind off of Mr. 3.
"You worried?" Valerie asked her as she sat next to her.
"A little." Grace said.
"Don't worry. You've seen Luffy fight him before. He's more than a match for Mr. 3." Valerie said with a laugh.
"Yeah. But I'm still worried." Grace said.
"How long will it take for them to get supplies?" Nojiko asked.
"Nanohana has everything we need to cross the desert." Vivi said as Gin came over and hid next to them all.
"That was fast." Alvida said before noticing that Gin was panting. "What's wrong with you?"
"Been...running...looking...for Luffy." Gin asked.
"But I thought you all said Luffy would be okay!" Vivi said.
"With the locals and Baroque Works maybe." Gin said. "But we just saw a Whitebeard Pirate who's looking for him!"
"Whitebeard?!" they all said in shock. "You mean THE Whitebeard Pirates!?"
"He bore the symbol of the Whitebeard Pirates on his back!" Gin said. "There's no mistaking that!"
"Why would a pirate from the Whitebeard's look for Luffy?" Valerie asked.
"Maybe he pissed Whitebeard off." Alvida said.
"That's what we think." Gin said as Nami slapped her forehead.
"Luffy, you idiot!" she said as the others came back with supplies. Soon, they were all in desert clothing. The men and Grace were all in long robes while the women were all in belly dancer outfits.
"Uh, Sanji?" Vivi said as Nami and Alvida were smiling at the clothes. "I asked for clothing-"
"You like them?" he asked in love mood.
"Well, they are nice." she said. "But we needed clothing to blend in with in country."
"Belly dancers are citizens too!" he said.
"But it's not proper clothing for crossing the desert." she said.
"If it gets too hot, I'll carry you!" he said.
"Leave him be. He's not listening." Nojiko said as Valerie laughed.
"I'm not complaining." Alvida said as she swayed her hips a bit, which started driving Sanji crazy. While they were talking, Valerie went over towards Grace.
"Something wrong?" she asked as Grace was staring at her and the other women before looking at herself.
"Nothing." she mumbled. Truth was, she was a little jealous of the others. Valerie just looked at her before giving off a light laugh.
"You said so yourself. You're almost 14. You'll grow." she said.
"Shut up." Grace mumbled.
"What's wrong Reindeer Bro?" Johnny asked as Chopper lay on the ground while covering his blue nose with his hooves.
"My nose hurts!" Chopper said.
"It must be the perfume." Vivi said.
"Perfume?" Chopper said.
"Yes. Nanohana is famous for perfume." she said.
"Like this?" Nami said as she sprayed some on herself.
"STOP IT!" Chopper cried out before Vivi began explaining where they were going.
"Get down!" Zoro said before grabbing her and having them all hide. They all peeked out to see the marines chasing someone. "The marines! What are they doing here?!"
"It looks like they're chasing someone." Nojiko said before they saw who it was and they all nearly collapsed.
'NOT YOU LUFFY!' they shouted before Luffy ran at them.
"GUYS!" he shouted.
"DON'T RUN THIS WAY!" some of them shouted back.
'What did that idiot do?!' some of them thought.
-Earlier in a restaurant-
A crowd was forming around a restaurant as some of them were talking about how a customer suddenly died in the middle of his meal. They began saying how it was a spider that did it before the man suddenly rose up out of his food, stunning them all while he had a dazed look in his eyes as he looked around in confusion.
"Huh?" he said as a woman asked if he was alright, only to run away after he used her skirt to wipe his face. "Ugh. Man...I fell asleep." he said before going back to his meal.
"YOU FELL ASLEEP!?" everyone shouted.
"And yet he goes right back to eating!"
"What's wrong with all of you?" he asked.
"WE WERE WORRIED ABOUT YOU!" they shouted.
"You hire entertainers or something?" he asked the owner.
"No...but I'm glad you're okay." he said with a smile before the man fell asleep again.
"DON'T FALL ASLEEP!" they all shouted as he snored in his food. He woke up again before looking at the owner and pulling out Luffy's Wanted Poster.
"By the way, you seen this guy?" he asked the owner before Smoker walked in.
"Pretty brazen of you to eat in public." he said as everyone looked at him. "Tell me, what does the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates want in this country? Well, Portgas D. Ace?"
"WHITEBEARD!?" everyone shrieked as they all stared at the man.
"Simple. I'm looking for my little brother." Ace said with a smile.
A/N: And we stop there.