Chapter 21- Intermission

A/N: So I know it's been a long time, but I'm trying yet again to finish this. I had to abandon it for a little while, but inspired by the live action, I'm back and ready to tell the Straw-hat's story. Hope you all enjoy the ride.

To keep the criminals and pirates away from the general public, Commissioner Gordon convinced his officers to bring refreshments to them while everyone else filed out to enjoy the spread Sanji was laying out for everyone, just some quick hors d'oeuvres and a few drinks. What had started as a hostage situation had become the biggest event in Gotham. Everyone who was anyone was there, plus anyone else who could get in.

Batman was hyper-vigilant, as he scanned the crowd. The room was a powder keg, and any spark would set off an explosion that could destroy Gotham. He needed to be aware of every threat, every possible complication.

Section four, fifth row, eighth seat. A woman had sat down, but an old man had gotten up to get refreshments. Obviously, Clayface had escaped in time to catch the would need to check Arkham to see who else was missing.

Section two, second row, first seat. Roxie Rocket had snagged a seat as close to the front as she could. She was probably hoping for an adrenaline rush from a Joker attack. She was harmless and unlikely to start something in the crowd like this.

Section five, row eight, thirteenth seat. Edward Nygma was trying to keep a low profile after his last escape from Arkham but he couldn't resist the show.

Overall, the crowd was filled with supervillains and only a handful of heroes and police were keeping the powder keg under control. His hand rested on his belt, subconsciously seeking security in his equipment. A chilling laugh sent a shiver down his spine.

"Relax, Batsy," Joker said, idly fiddling with a champagne flute. "No one is going to start anything tonight. Look at how much fun we're having. No crime could compare and no one wants to risk angering each other." He snagged two more glasses from a passing police rookie pressed into server duty and passed one to Batman. When Batman didn't drink, Joker rolled his eyes and tinked their glasses together. "Chill, Mr. Doom and Gloom. Even I won't dare mess with the food or drink tonight. That chef, Sanji, already put the fear into all of us and while you won't kill, I don't think he cares."

Batman sighed but took a small sip to appease the clown. Joker laughed and went to talk to Penguin. Batman rid himself of the glass before joining a conversation with Commissioner Gordon, Nami and Catwoman.

"I always wondered what he was doing with my logbooks late at night. I bet he's been working on this thing for years," Nami explained.

"Is that how it happened?" Gordon asked.

Nami shrugged. "Not exactly, he's taken a lot of artistic license. For example I was there for Syrup Village and the Black Cat pirates. And he left out our fight with Buggy."

"Who's Buggy?" Catwoman asked. She grinned at Batman as he got closer and moved to lean against him subtly.

"Buggy the Clown Pirate. We've had a couple run-ins with him. He almost killed Luffy in Logue Town. Sanji said the rubber idiot was saved by a bolt of lightning just seconds before he got his fool head cut off. We ran for our lives in the middle of a giant storm."

"Sounds like an exciting life you lead," Catwoman said with a smile.

Nami laughed. "That is one way of putting it. We spend a lot of time running for our lives or fighting for them. But we have fun too and make lots of good friends. Wait till you see how we befriended a princess and saved her country. Brook promised to make it good."

Off to one side, a police man had said something that seemed to offend Harvey Dent. Two Face shouted at the man, drawing a double barreled pistol, and everyone froze. Except Luffy. The young pirate literally leaped over the crowd and landed between the two and took hold of the gun while behind him, hands sprouted from the officer's arms to keep him from drawing a weapon.

"Hey, no fighting. This is Brook's show," the captain said with a smile.

Dent clenched his fists, but this time he decided to not take his chances on a coin flip. He nodded and holstered the gun. Then with a pat on the back that almost made him trip, he went back to his seat.

Everyone took a deep breath as the tension disappeared. Just then the lights flashed, signaling that the show was about to begin again. Everyone eagerly returned to their seats, ready for more stories of the Strawhat Pirates.