Chapter Twenty-Six | Smoke and Fire

Cooling charms were the greatest of spellcraft ever concocted by the mortal mind. No question about it. Because otherwise Quinn would have melted into a puddle before they even reached Alabasta, and here they were, Usopp having spotted the island on the horizon a few minutes ago, and nobody on the Merry would doubt his keen eye. Neither could anyone ignore the host of Baroque Works ships approaching the island from behind them. They were arriving at the island just on time, judging by the full military showing of what should have been a secret organization.

"Actually, now that I think about it…"

"Think about what?" Sanji asked.

"Baroque Works is supposed to be some enigmatic, underground group. And here they are advertising themselves." She pointed at one of the closer ships, astonished. "They've got a bloody logo on their sails for christ's sake."

"Christ?"

"Long story- I just- is that what we're up against? Candle-men and… and that? It's moronic."

"They've brought Vivi's country to the brink of collapse. Don't underestimate them."

"Fair point. Sorry."

"Don't sweat it." Pointing at his arm, more specifically the cloth wrapped around his forearm, he raised one of his eyebrows in question. "Think this'll work?"

"It's a simple plan, but that doesn't make it a bad one. What? You angry about it being Zoro's idea?" Silence met her query, and Quinn laughed. "Seriously? I need to lock the two of you in a room one of these days."

"...You have to admit he's not very strategic," Sanji grumbled, and it was plain to her that he was doing his best to be diplomatic.

"Broken clocks, right?"

"Right." He chuckled at that, a bit of smoke puffing out of his mouth. "I wonder how long it takes before things go to shit. Five thousand berries says by the end of the day?"

"I say within an hour."

Clicking his tongue, Sanji took another drag before nodding and shaking her hand. "I'll take that bet."

Grinning at him, she jerked her head towards Luffy, who was bouncing with excitement as the shores of Alabasta finally came into view. "Take a look at our lovely Captain."

Sanji did, and then a second later paled. "He's going to do something stupid… please tell me he isn't going to do something stupid."

"Vivi told him about some food you can only find in Alabasta. Take that, and what looks to be a port town up ahead. What do you think is going to happen?"

"I'm taking the bet back- I'm taking it-"

"Suck it up, Lover-boy. This one's on you."

Putting his head in his hands, Sanji let out what sounded like a squeal, his muffled yet no less agonized shout hidden behind his fingers. "God damnit," he hissed, stamping his foot once and conveying far more than she could ever imagine in a split second tantrum. "Why? Why do I do this to myself?"

Watching from afar, Usopp pointed at their cook and shrugged, at which Quinn grinned. "Sore loser right here!" she called to him, patting Sanji on the back.

"I'm not a sore loser!"

"Sure seem like it to me."

Beyond conflicted, Sanji spluttered, waffling back and forth. "How cruel beautiful women can be."

"Compliments won't get you your money back."

Quinn left Sanji to his moping and watched in silence as they approached the shore. Nanohana was the town's name, a sizable place judging by the silhouettes of buildings that dwarfed the ships docked nearby. Speaking of which-

"We're docking soon! Everyone get ready!" Nami shouted, gathering together whoever was still off deck. Marianne, who had been even more quiet in the days since her and Quinn's talk. "And Quinn!"

"Yeah?"

"I want you to keep an eye on Luffy when we make shore. You can keep up with him with your… thing," she said, snapping her fingers to imitate the pop of apparition.

"Sure thing. Hear that Luffy?"

"No? What?"

"You and I are checking out the town together."

His eyes lit up and Luffy bounded over to her. "Great! We have to try… Vivi, what did you call it? The thing with the meat!"

"Well, there's a traditional lamb and beet stew…"

"That's it!"

"Not even gonna' get the name?"

"I'll smell it out!"

She cocked her head to the side and after a moment nodded. "Alright. And you-" Quinn added, lacing her arm through Luffy's, who looked a little puzzled before smiling at her. "Can stay right next to me. Got it?"

"He's gonna' tear your arm right out of its socket."

"No! No tearing arms out of sockets!" Chopper shouted. "Do you have any idea how hard arms are to reattach?"

"You've reattached arms before?"

"Well, I watched Doctorine do it once, and I know where all the nerves are, what to cauterize…"

"Amazing. I'd never be able to do stuff like that," Nami offered, looking slightly pale. "Just thinking about it makes me sick."

"Oh. I was like that for a little while but you get used to it."

"I don't really want to get used to something like that."

Nodding sagely, Chopper put a hand on her knee. "It can be really gross," he stage whispered. "But Doctors aren't allowed to say stuff like that. It can make a patient feel bad."

After voicing her agreement, Nami directed the rest of the crew as she steered the ship around the coast, taking them past the docks and to a low, rocky beach that they could lay anchor at. A question of why they couldn't dock at the port flew from her lips before Quinn could realize how dumb it was to ask that, but in the back of her head – even as Nami laughed – she remembered when she'd mentioned that they were living in the 'Great Pirate Age.' A strange thing to think about, seeing as it wasn't until after the war that Quinn had come to the realization that she'd not just lived history, but dictated it via her choices over the years. Would there be a story written about her one day? Would her name appear in textbooks as more than a footnote? Would the same happen for the Straw Hats?

Take the world by storm, Kureha had said, and with every passing day she found herself believing those words more and more. What awaited them here in Alabasta? What legacy would they create once they'd completed their mission of liberation?

I'll never know about Britain, but I can't say I'm not excited about this.

EIther way, Quinn couldn't tell if never knowing what her homebound legacy was, was something to be relieved about or something to be mourned, but it didn't really matter. This, here, was her world now. And who else could say they had a chance to tour through an Egypt of another dimension, long before the pyramids had crumbled and the sands had scoured away the last remnants of the past.

What a sight it was, too. Great buildings made of brick and clay, the exteriors painted in bright pastels and capped with ornate domes, their surface covered in sweeping mandala-esque ornamentation. It almost felt like a blend of how she imagined ancient Egypt to be and what she'd seen of old Indian architecture in magazines, culminating in an amazing sight, watching the shoppers, travelers, and street hawkers all bustling through the busy streets.

"C'mon, let's go. Let's go," Luffy insisted, tugging on her arm the instant they'd dropped anchor.

"I'm surprised you didn't just grab me and jump off the ship."

As soon as the words left her mouth Quinn realized she'd made a grave mistake. And as Luffy turned to her, a glimmer in his eye, she didn't have even a flicker of a second to tell him off before he'd slung her across his back and leapt over the railing, sprinting headlong through the crowds that cursed and shouted in his wake. For her part, Quinn just held on for dear life, stifling whatever complaints she had at the distant, mocking cries of Zoro, the bastard. Through the air Luffy flew, his jumps taking him head and shoulders above anyone milling throughout the bazaar. Down alleys he sprinted, literally bouncing off the walls as he ran this way and that, the sound of his sniffing audible even over the disgruntled hollering of everyone dodging out of his way.

"Luffy, you have to slow down."

"I'm hungry!"

"Is the food going to run away on you? It's not going anywhere."

He skidded to a halt, head turning a full one-hundred-eighty degrees so he could look her in the eye, disconcerting as that was. "Did you just say food can run away from me?"

"I said it can't. So the best thing for us to do is slow the hell down and then walk, calmly, to the restaurant."

"Do we have to?"

"I'd really prefer if you did."

"Eh…" He squinted at nothing in particular, sniffing the air again for good measure. "I don't feel like it."

And he was off for the second time, the two of them hurtling through the streets. Quinn just hung on and took this moment to admire the scenery, pretending she was on a broom instead of latched tight to the back of a madman made of rubber. With that little cognitive shift in place, the hectic stampede through the sandy streets of Nanohana was now a breathtaking trip on her Firebolt, the wind whipping her hair and the cool rush of pure, unadulterated speed sending a shiver down her spine.

Not that Luffy was as fast as her broom, but it was the first time in… god, months that she'd felt excitement like this. That was something she'd need to put her mind to, creating a broom. It wouldn't just be fun, it'd be useful. Flight wasn't common here she imagined, bar the few devil fruits that enabled one to take to the skies, or knowing how strange those powers could get, something that was functionally indistinguishable from flight.

To her (surprised) regret, her chariot had found whatever he was searching for, turning on a sixpence and booking it down a road that looked no different to her than any other. Then Luffy flung his arms out until they were pinpricks on the horizon, taking hold of something at the far end of the street. "Luffy, don't you dare."

"Too late! Rocket!" he roared, flinging them towards what she quickly recognized as a restaurant. All she really could do was brace for impact, hunkering down as they smashed through the wall and into-

Is that a goddamn Marine!?

Whoever it was, they were tossed headlong through the restaurant bar and out the other end of the building, everyone inside gaping at the two of them. Luffy couldn't care less, stretching his arms out and joyfully proclaiming, "Finally! I found it!"

Without missing a beat he walked up to the bar and planted himself at it. "Food, please! Lamb and, uh- Quinn? What was it?"

"A traditional lamb and beet stew."

"Uh- coming right up?" the man behind the counter stuttered, turning about face and disappearing into the back. Quinn went and sat next to Luffy, putting her head in her hands and sighing.

"What?"

"You made a mess."

He looked around and blushed, puffing his cheeks out. "Oh."

"It's fine. I can fix it."

"Thanks, Quinn!"

With astounding speed his food was brought out and while Luffy set to work emptying his bowl of stew and immediately asking for another, Quinn began to put the restaurant back together. The owner, at least she assumed he was the owner, immediately started to thank her as the holes in the walls were mended and the demolished section of the bar was put back together. She waved him off, focused on the work at hand, as well as wondering if Luffy was going to bash another hole in the wall when he didn't have enough money to pay and inevitably fled the place.

Problems for later.

Problems that were currently walking through the door she just fixed, in the form of- "Oh shit. Luffy! We gotta' go!"

"You're not leaving on my watch," the Marine said, the same one from Loguetown. Two cigars were clamped between his teeth and he looked none too pleased to have been knocked through a wall, his coat covered in dust and debris that he was still in the process of brushing off. "Straw Hat! I've found you!"

His mouth full, Luffy mumbled through it, frowning at the man. "Wha- Smo'guy!?" Cheeks ballooning out, he poured the stew into his mouth and grabbed Quinn by the arm, making for the door. "Wha's he doin' here!?"

"My job!"

"Duck!" Quinn roared, throwing herself underneath the wave of smoke that launched towards them. Luffy did the same, the two of them rolling across the sand as they jumped headfirst out the door and leapt back to their feet, running as fast as they could. Smoke-Guy's (Smoker?) Second rushed over to meet them at his shouted command, that painfully naive woman from the sword shop who had been ridiculous enough to tell Zoro – Zoro, of all people – that she'd relieve him of his blade.

"Straw Hat! Stop right there!"

Like his namesake, Monkey D. Luffy propelled himself to the top of a nearby building with, to Quinn, astounding agility. Cursing under her breath, Quinn turned on the spot and apparated directly upward, finding her place in the sky before appearing in another blink next to Luffy. "Bloody hell," she breathed, taking a quick glance over her shoulder to see Smoker chasing after them, a cloud of bone gray rippling in his wake. "He's right behind us!"

"Go away!"

"Not a chance! White Fist!"

"Why is he- Jesus!"

Screaming towards them was Smoker's fist, more white billowing behind it as if a rocket. A hasty shield cast by pure instinct erupted between them and the fist, smoke bursting in a corona around it. Halting the Marine for the moment, Luffy and Quinn jumped from the building down to the next alley, and she had to remind herself as she fell the two stories that landing wouldn't be the end of her. You're a witch, your body can already take more punishment than most. Fuck, you could punch concrete at this point and come out no worse for wear.

Dust billowed around them as they struck the earth, not pausing for a moment in their retreat. Unfortunately for Quinn and Luffy, Smoker had the bright idea to guess where they'd run and cut them off, landing in front of them in an impressive show of swirling white. "Save me the trouble and just give up, Straw Hat. Same goes to you-" he added, pointing at Quinn. "You killed a marine. Prison won't be kind to you."

"Yeah? I did you a favour. That bastard was extorting a village that had lived under the thumb of a pirate for years." Spitting on the ground, she and Luffy turned around and ran the other way, though they really didn't have to, as an immense gout of fire screamed in from overhead, colliding with another smoky fist and stopping it in its tracks. "What the hell-? Who is that?"

"Wha- Ace? Ace!?"

A freckle-faced man with an orange cowboy hat and a large back tattoo was currently holding Smoker back, his hand shining black like she'd seen that mysterious figure do back in Loguetown. "Always getting into trouble, hey Luffy?"

"Ace! You're here!"

"No time to talk! You run ahead and I'll catch up with you after I take care of this guy."

Without a word Luffy took off. Whoever the stranger was, he trusted him implicitly, and taking one last hurried glance Quinn followed along, the two of them running into the rest of the crew along the way. "Go! Back to the ship!" Luffy commanded the instant he laid eyes on them. "Marines are after us!"

"No shit!" Zoro shouted, currently locked blades with Smoker's Second, breaking off their clash with a roar of, "I don't have time for this!"

One by one the rest of the Straw Hats fell in line, the whole lot of them sprinting through the streets of Nanohana, rushing with everything they had to the Merry. Out of the corner of her eye, Quinn saw Marianne huffing, bewildered. The girl met her gaze and smiled on instinct, a wild excitement about her. "Told ya'!" she gasped, and knew by the soreness of her cheeks that she was grinning wide. "What'd I say?"

"I didn't expect this!"

Laughing like a madwoman, Quinn's arms pumped with every step, booted feet slamming to the sandy earth and kicking up dust. Beside her and riding atop Karoo's back, Vivi let out her own laugh. Chopper, who had shifted into the form of a common reindeer was smiling like his life depended on it, and Quinn knew in an instant that both he and they had made the right decision in bringing him aboard.

By the time they made it to the Merry almost every one of them was cracking a smile, exhausted but amused. That didn't stop their newly bought supplies from being hauled aboard with frightening speed, the crew working like a well-oiled machine as everything was sorted into its rightful place.

"Karoo! I need you to do something," Vivi announced, looking around until she'd spotted him.

Nami, meanwhile, leaned over the railing. "You guys coming or what?"

"A moment, please!"

"What's going on?" Quinn asked, walking over to the Princess. "Need help with anything?"

"No! No- I'm fine. I just have a mission for Karoo."

Standing at attention, Karoo quacked and brought a wing up in a crisp salute.

"Perfect. Take this-" She said, taking a slip of paper from her pocket and tucking it into a satchel hanging from Karoo's flank. "And bring it to my father. It contains details on Baroque Works, Crocodile, everything. You'll have to cross the desert alone, but… I believe you can do this Karoo."

Putting her hands up, Quinn coughed to get their attention. "Wait, wait- you want him to cross the desert? With only that much water?" She pointed at the large flagon hanging from his neck. "Gimme' that for a second, I can help. Usopp! I need a chisel, stat!"

"You can help? How?"

Snatching the chisel tossed towards her, she kneeled in front of Karoo and eyed the flagon. "If I do this-" Placing the point against the wood, she began to hammer some sigils into the surface, pushing her magic into it as she went. "I can make it so this refills automatically. It's the same modification I made to the taps on the ship, drawing water from the air and, well- you've got yourself a bottomless cup."

"You mean-?"

"He won't run out on the journey. You can drink as much as you want, Karoo, though the magic in that shouldn't work after about a week. Clumsy runework, but it's the best I can do on short notice."

A gasp left Quinn as she was pulled into a fierce hug, Vivi burying her head against her shoulder and holding her tight. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"It's fine! Least I could do."

"Trust me." Pulling back, Vivi looked at her with teary eyes. "Water in Alabasta? An endless supply? Even before Baroque Works that would have been a blessing."

Feeling somewhat abashed, she bounced from heel to heel before clapping her hands and cocking her head towards the ship. "Like I said, it's no problem," she said, taking hold of the rope ladder and climbing aboard. "And be safe, Karoo!"

Another quack, and the proud duck was sprinting northbound, a trail of dust kicked into the air as he tore across the rocky terrain at an incredible pace. Holy shit, he sure can run.

Once Vivi had climbed aboard and everyone was settled, they cast off, finally allowing themselves to relax. That was, until Quinn lit up a cigarette, took a deep drag, and then loudly swore and asked, "Who the hell was that guy back there?"

"Oh!? Ace? He's my brother!"

"Brother?"

"You have a brother?" Usopp echoed, the rest of the crew murmuring.

"Yeah! He's three years older than me, so he left the island three years before I did. I can't believe he ate a devil fruit too!"

Scratching the back of his head and looking close to nodding off, Zoro spoke up. "What's he doing on the Grand Line?"

"We swore to be pirates. Duh. And man! Even when Ace hadn't eaten a devil fruit he could kick my ass! He's super strong!" Crossing his arms, Luffy laughed. "I bet I can beat him now though!"

"Who can you beat?"

A man – Ace, leapt aboard the ship from somewhere down below, knocking Luffy to the deck and laughing at him when he turned around, blushing fiercely. "Heya!"

"Ace!"

"So this is Luffy's mysterious brother," Sanji said, sidling up next to Quinn.

"You owe me."

"You were part of that mess."

"And that wasn't a part of our bet."

Grumbling, he rooted around in his pockets and slapped a stack of bills into her waiting hand. "O' how beauty is a cruel mistress."

Ahead of them, Ace bowed his head. "Thanks for looking after my little brother."

"He's polite, too?" Quinn whispered back, Sanji whistling his own shock.

"Oi. Ace! What're you doing here?"

"You didn't get my message on Drum?"

"Eh?"

"Whatever-" Waving his brother off, Ace then pointed at Luffy. "I'm just glad we ran into each other. I'm here on business, but I wanted to see you. And, while I'm here…" He cast his gaze around, surveying the crew. "How's-about you guys join the Whitebeard Pirates? All of you are welcome."

"Nope."

"Ha! Didn't expect you to say yes, but I thought I'd ask anyways."

"Wait- wait!" Putting his hand up, Usopp all but trembled as he spoke. "Whitebeard? The Whitebeard Pirates? Is that what your tattoo means?"

"Whitebeard?"

"The strongest man alive! Some people say… some people say he's the closest there is to finding the One Piece."

"What!? I'm gonna' kick his ass!"

"Now that, I'd like to see," Ace said, jumping down to the deck from where he'd been squatting on the railing. "Also, you guys mind if I hang around for a while? Catch up with my brother? It's been three years after all."

"Before you settle in," Quinn began, half-tempted to raise her hand like Usopp always did and wait to be called on to speak. "I have a question."

"Yeah?"

"When you fought that marine, back in town, you did something to your hand. What the hell was that?"

"Wait- you could see that?"

"...Yes?"

"Then you should know already. Or…" Pressing a finger to his chin and whistling, Ace looked up at the sky, for a moment lost in thought. "Some people are naturals and just don't know it. Say, you, what was your name?"

"Quinn."

"Tell me, Quinn, or any of you guys at that. Ever heard of a thing called Haki?"