As the battle at Whiskey Peak began, the Millions were looking around wondering where the Straw Hats went. Suddenly a group wound up somehow getting caught up in a whirlpool of lilac liquid.
"VORTEX BROTH!" Carmen called out as several of the Millions fired at her, but the bullets passed through her body due to it being made of liquid.
"GAMMA KNUCKLE!" Draco shouted, using his Gojira Mode with the Kaiju-Kaiju Fruit to fire a projected fist of atomic energy with a single punch, blasting a few nearby Millions.
Turning back to normal, he spun around and caught an incoming sword with his bare hand, using the Alchemy-Alchemy Fruit to turn the sword into a trumpet. Penny then flew in, fairy dust forming around her fist, increasing her strike as she sent the Million with the sword flying.
"Yubashiri and Sandai Kitetsu... You're really proving your skills in this first fight." Zoro smirked as his new swords easily shattered the Millions's blades.
"Looks like Wado Ichimonji has some competition." Kuina chuckled. "SACRED FLARE!"
Transforming into her Hybrid Form, Kuina slashed with her swords to create a blinding flash of heat energy that took out several of the Millions.
"FORMER PIRATE HUNTER DUO!"
Zoro and Kuina turned to see Mifune standing in front of a pile of Millions.
"I CHALLENGE YOU TWO! DO YOU ACCEPT?!"
Zoro smirked
"Careful. He has all seven swords of the Sandy mists!"
Zoro's eyes widened
"No kidding?! Man, joining Luffy and them really WAS the best choice we could've made: First Mihawk, and now this?"
Mifune smirked.
"You seem awfully quick to die."
"We're fighting seven of the most powerful blades ever made." Zoro said as if it was the most obvious thing. "How can we not accept your challenge?"
Kuina drew her swords
"Two-Sword style."
Zoro readied himself.
"Three-Sword Style."
Mifune drew his first blade, which looked like a gigantic knife with a circular hole close to the tip of the blade.
"Kubikiribōchō." He announced. "My personal favorite. Always use this bad boy to test if people are worth all seven."
Zoro and Kuina, still eager for battle, noted the difference in Mifune than had been lacking in Kabaji, Eric and even Arlong: He killed every time he drew his blade. And this pleased them; so many of their opponents entered battle conifdent they would leave alive; Mifune treated this as it should be; life or death.
Off to the side, a certain wolf like figure watched from afar.
"Today may be different…but just in case."
Mifune then blitzed forward and then appeared behind the two sword wielders, who swung their blades to meet his own. Kuina then transformed into here hybrid from and released feathers, Mifune quickly blocked and leapt from…and which burned his blade,
Zoro raced forward to take advantage of Mifune's second of realization, but Kuina saw Mifune smirk and reach for two more blades. Recalling what she had heard of the seven blades, she flew in front of Zoro just in time to be slashed at by two pointed swords.
"The twin fangs, Kiba." Kuina noted as she ignored her bleeding guts. "Said to be the two sharpest blades."
Mifune swung the blood off of Kiba onto Kubikichiro. Instantly the blood hardened and replaced the damage the blade had taken.
"And there's the blood repair of Kubikiribōchō." Zoro growled, then choked when he felt his shoulders stabbed. He turned to see that Mifune had drawn Kiba back and instead drawn….
"RED PECK!" Kuina roared, slamming her two swords, now aflame, into Mifune's side and sending him skirting, only to see him smirking and realize that there was a thread in her arm…which she saw linked to Zoro.
"Nubari." Mifune declared. "Not the most destructive, maybe, but it has its uses."
"That giant sewing needle is a sword?" Zorro asked
"Great for taking out multiple foes." Mifune smirked as he reached for the string. "Like you two!"
The two partners found themselves forced together and being pulled towards the blade, Mifune's intent clear; shishkabobbing them. But not to be deterred, Kuina flew upwards while Zoro used the sword in his mouth to cut the string.
Mifune, unamused, drew what seemed like a mace that sent Zorro flying and then opened him up to the axe on the other side of the weapon. Luckily, Kuina blocked it
"Okay, but Kabutowari shouldn't really count as a sword! It's just an axe and a hammer chained together!"
Mifune swung the flay downwards, Kuina barely escaping before flipping the axe away. Zoro raced in with an quick draw attack, but Mifune grabbed the oddest of his displayed blades; one that had papers in place of a blade and swung it, only for Kuina to grab Zoro and take to the skies to avoid explosions.
" Well, what about Shibuki?!" Kuina replied. "Its basically bombs on a stick!"
She inwardly was also beginning to wish her devil fruit had healing powers for her to use; she could still go, but…
Mifune, smirking madly under his mask, drew his second to last weapon; a two handled blade wrapped under bandages and shaped like an arrow head.
"KAIHO!" Mifune roared as two spears shot through the bandagesm vbeing knocked aside by the duo as he leapt forward and the blade suddenly changed into a hammer
"70 POUND CALIBUR PHONEIX!" The two roared together, Kuina mixing in some fire feathers into Zoro's blow
"Okay, yeah! Hiramekarei too!" Kuina snapped as she and Zoro again dodged Mifune, the latter raced at his foe and knocking him away from the blade.
"Seriously, how does that one even work?!" Zoro asked.
"The core is made of a special material that, when pumped with Haki, can change shape ever so slightly." Mifune explained.
The sheer insanity of that made Zoro and Kuina pause.
"You said so yourself; their creator was a mad genius. Besides, if you hated those two, then you're going to loathe the last one!" Mifune said as he reached for said final sword
"Like we'll let you!"
"ZORO, WAIT!" Kuina called out…too late
And then it moved.
Yes. The sword moved.
"IS THAT THING ALIVE?!"
"The massive blade; Samehada." Mifune explained as scales ripped from the wrappings. "Not only does it cut anything to ribbons, but it steals the stamina of those it…fights?"
Coughing came from the blade as a mouth manifested
"Oh Same! I'm sorry!" Mifune cooed, returning toi using Kubikichou in the meantime. "I know you hate fire; I'll get some tasty octopi later, okay?"
Samehada let out a grumble, then ribbed out of its bandages and biting Zoro. Until Kuina struck at it, her flames and strength fading…along with Zoro's.
Kuina then exited her hybrid form and lit her fists aflame, punching Mifune back and grabbing Samehada, only for teeth to burst from the handle. Still, the weapon released Zoro and skirted back to it's master, who let it rest as he returned to Kiba.
"I've had enough fun…Now we end this." Mifune said. "A pity…You seem decent folks. I hate to kill you."
"And you seem a decent fella." Kuina smirked.
"We hate to kill you." Zoro beamed.
And with that, they raced forward to end this once and for all….smiling in elation of this fight.
-OP-
"Sorry, boys! But you picked the wrong cards!"
Noire did a handstand and spun around, flicking out cards that wedged into various Millions, some shocking, some burning, some freezing, and one even pausing one in time.
Miss Monday tossed a large wine barrel, only for Gin to dash forward in his Hybrid Form with his upgraded tonfas in hand.
"BLACK MOUNTAIN STRIKE!"
The impact of his spiked tonfas shattered the barrel, causing the pieces to fly and knock out several grunts nearby.
"Waste of a good drink is what that was!" Gin huffed, the snake head nodding in agreement.
One grunt tried to attack Luffy with a large mallet, only for her to easily tank it with her rubber body before retaliating with a Gum-Gum Pistol. Bamia was letting the attacks phase through her mist body before grabbing a kid who had tried to rush at her with a knife.
"Even the kids are bounty hunters? This doesn't seem like a safe work environment."
"Well, we should avoid hurting them!" Kaya said, currently in her Hybrid Form and deflecting the attacks sent at her with her fur, which had the consistency of steel when attacked.
"LEAD STAR!" Usopp shouted, firing off a pellet from his slingshot to knock out a bounty hunter dressed as a nun.
"I'm feeling very conflicted right now," Sanji said, having just finished using a spin kick to take a whole group, which as it turned out included women.
"Better get used to it, mate!" Ben said as he formed bramble ropes made of solid blood to restrain some of the Millions. "PEACOCK PEAK!"
Meanwhile, Nami, the Eds, and Rolf worked together to push a ladder off a roof while several of the hunters were on it.
"This damn bounty hunter town has so little treasure!" Nami complained.
"They were literally hunting Island Whale for food, Nami," Double-D pointed out. "How much money do you think they could have had?"
"CRUSH ALL THAT STAND IN OUR WAY!" Ed declared as he picked up the ladder to use as a weapon.
Miss Monday was also using a ladder as a makeshift weapon, swinging it at Sonson as she flipped and rolled around the strikes, taking a moment to turn around and hauntingly spank her posterior.
"Miss me, miss me, now you gotta kiss me!"
Suddenly, Mr. 9 leaped at her from behind with a sword in hand, only for a cartoon bomb to hit him and send him flying from the explosion, courtesy of Axol drawing it into existence with Inkweaver.
"Mr. 9!" Miss Monday gasped before growling and slipping on a pair of brass knuckles. "Now you've gone and made me mad!"
"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Axol shouted, rolling through hand signs as Inkweaver transformed into a duplicate of him, the two charging at Miss Monday as she charged like a raging bull.
Mr. 9 pulled out a pair of metal bats to try and attack again, only for Sonson to flip in and clash against him with her Ruyi Jingu Bang.
"I'll have you know I am an expert acrobat!" Mister 9 warned.
"Cool! Makes this more fun for me!" Sonson grinned as she plucked out two strands of hair and threw them into the air, creating a pair of clones. "Hope you're fast enough to keep up with three of me!"
She then shot Axol a look.
"How about you do a cool pic of me if I take her out first?"
"Challenge accepted!"
-OP-
Elsewhere, Hilda had almost been taken by surprise when Rosa lunged at her, quickly increasing her speed by ten to zip out of the way.
"Whoa, you're pretty fast!" Rosa beamed. "But lemme ask; is that bulk muscle or…?"
She had been so busy monologuing she failed to see Hilda reach for a few lumps of coal, which she then threw.
"MORE-MORE TENFOLD SPEED!"
The coal sped towards Rosa as it grew, giving the other girl no time to dodge…not that she didn't even try. The coal hit her head on, but she burst through, now pitch dark.
'Is that Haki? No, no…' Hilda guessed when she saw the dust coming off the charging Rosa. She leapt upwards and shouted:
"MORE-MORE THOUSANDFOLD CRUSH!"
The coal in Rosa's form changed to diamond from the pressure of Hilda landing on top of her. Rosa quickly swung a fist at Hilda, who tanked the blow and sent her flying into a building. This time, Rosa didn't come up immediately, but when she did, she was made of stone and straw like the building had been.
"Whoa." Hilda said despite it all. "…Devil fruit?"
"Yup!" Rosa explained as she raced forward, sending Hilda skirting back, obnly to be judo slammed into the ground, the now stone Rosa felt herself being broken apart, but flesh appearing before she shattered. She then wrapped her legs around Hilda and pinned her down in a neck chokehold.
"I'm not limited to what touches me of what I touch." Rosa explained. "I can absorb things like stamina, strength and speed too."
Feeling her strength and consciousness fading, Hilda grinned.
'So…this is how I go out, huh? Barely on the crew a week and by my counterpart. Well, not too bad a life all in all…Sorry guys. Sorry World…'
She did have one regret.
'Looks like I won't be able to tell your brother you died…'
"B-brother?" Rosa paused, having heard Hilda's last thoughts as she had been absorbing her strength. And suddenly, her bloodlust vanished as she let Hilda go, a look of terror on her face.
"I…I…I almost…"
Hilda gasped for air when she realized she was out of the chokehold and spied Rosa's terrified expression and tearful eyes. Despite being so close to death's door moments, ago, she felt a kinship with the girl.
"H-hey…You okay?" Hilda managed, a smirk on her face. "Hell of a fight!"
"I ALMOST KILLED MY SISTER!" Rosa snapped in tears, then hugged Hilda. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
"..Wait…WHAT?!"
-OP-
Meanwhile, Fuu was confronting Ruby and Kirby, having used some kind of power to create a type of medicine that she injected into several Millions to increase their power.
"How are you doing that?!" Ruby asked as she used her boneless Kraken physique to snake and coil around the attacks while Kirby inhaled a barrel thrown his way and spat it back out as a high-speed projectile.
"It's all thanks to my Devil Fruit!" Fuu smirked. "The Pharm-Pharm Fruit allows me to create any kind of drug I can think of in any form!"
Somewhere in the Grand Line, a clown like doctor felt great rage and then pride before raging again until his floating boss told him to focus…too late; a red furred gorilla was now a pervert
Fuu then created a small pill and ingested it herself before her skin glowed a steaming red, increasing her strength and speed as she tried to attack Ruby, only for Kirby to block with a hammer, now clad in a Hachimaki headband.
"HAMMER KIRBY!"
"Alright, Kirby!" Ruby smiled as she rushed forward. "Let me show you some moves Kuroobi taught me!"
-OP-
"Should we get in there?" Igaram wondered as he and Vivi watched the action unfold.
"Well, there's a problem with that. First, I saw their captain fight an Island Whale and declare it a draw." Vivi said. "Second... I can't find Carue!"
"There's always your perfume dance. It never fails to cha-*cough* Ma-ma-ma... To charm men." Igaram suggested.
"I get the feeling only the cook would be affected in this case….well, him and maybe Ed and Eddy." Vivi argued. "What about your Igarappa?"
"Most of them can't even be harmed by shotguns. And one of them could bounce the bullets back." Igaram pointed out. "Still, with the Unluckies imprisoned, we should be good to just let things play out."
A sudden explosion was heard just outside the town.
"Oh, now what?!" Nami called out.
"I figured we needed explosives to liven up this party!" Eddy sarcastically commented.
"Gottfried, check with Merry!" Luffy ordered.
"Ship's still in top shape, Captain! The explosion was on the other end of the harbor!" Gottfried reported. "Nojiko and Heart are reporting all clear! Hang on... It looks like we have two newcomers!"
The crew turned to see a woman in a sundress and a dark-skinned man in a long coat approaching. Mifune let out a scoff of annoyance as he paused in the middle of his fight with Zoro and Kuina.
"Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine?" Mr. 9 realized. "How did you know to come here?"
"The boss had to risk using a Transponder Snail since our normal communications network is somehow tied up." Mr. 5 explained before turning to Igaram, Vivi, and Rosa. "And it seems three of our number aren't even fighting."
"Very strange. Makes me curious what you're really doing." Miss Valentine said in a mocking tone.
"If you're going to help us already then do it!" Miss Monday called out while trying to smash Axol, who dodged out of the way and summoned an ink clone of a man in a cape who delivered a flying kick surrounded in purple miasma, which Miss Monday caught and slammed into the ground.
"Oh, we're not here to help you. The boss wouldn't waste our talents so close to the end of the Grand Line." Mr. 5 clarified.
"We're here to pick up a couple of criminals the boss wants dealt with...The crime of finding out the boss's secrets." Miss Valentine added.
"Technically that's not a crime. Just something your boss doesn't like and is paranoid over." Draco pointed out.
"Call it what you will, but orders are orders..." Mr. 5 said. "Miss Wednesday, Miss Happy Halloween, and Mr. 8. Our company's motto is 'mystery'."
He then pointed toward the Straw Hats, some of whom paused in the middle of their fights with the Millions and other agents.
"The boss recently amended that order for you as well. Apparently, your communications officer knows our company's name."
"That's more my fault than his," Zoro said.
"But then again, that whips it right around to being your fault for trying to recruit us and not respecting our refusal," Kuina added.
"Looks like the fight's just getting started!" Luffy said. "Vivi is a friend of our brother, so anyone who tries to throw around excuses to kill her like 'sin' or 'crime' is a bad guy I won't hesitate to defeat!"
"And if you still get in our way...we'll have no choice but to end your life." Bamia coldly added.
"Interesting, so you know that these two are actually from the kingdom of Alabasta. That little tidbit caught the boss's eye, which is why we're here." Miss Valentine said.
"Why should your boss care where his employees come from?" Draco asked. "You're supposed to be a bounty-hunting company. It shouldn't matter to you if your boss hires a princess from a desert kingdom."
"WAIT, VIVI'S A PRINCESS?!" The rest of the Straw Hats exclaimed in disbelief.
"Yeah. And Igaram is a member of the royal family's security team." Draco said as if it was the simplest thing.
"Actually, I've since been pro-*cough* Ma-ma-ma... Been promoted to Head of Security." Igaram clarified.
"Anyway, like I was saying... It shouldn't matter who Vivi is if she was hired by your company." Draco said.
"I take it you're unaware of the current state of Alabasta. It's been embroiled in a civil war for the last two years." Mr. 5 said.
"So Vivi wanted backup. It still feels like your boss is blowing things out of proportion." Draco noted.
"Maybe I should make things clearer; Vivi didn't join our group to enlist our help... She infiltrated it because our boss is responsible for the civil war." Mr. 5 clarified, only to be bonked in the head by Miss Valentine. "Ow, what was that for-?"
"Don't go blurting out our secrets!" Miss Valentine snapped. "In case you've forgotten...THEIR COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER IS STILL BROADCASTING THIS TO THE ENTIRE WORLD!"
Mr. 5 felt his glasses nearly slip off his face as he realized his partner's point and facepalmed at his own stupidity.
"Dammit, I didn't think of that...!"
Igaram quickly pulled out a saxophone and blew into it.
"IGARAPPA!"
The saxophone blasted out a spread of bullets like a shotgun. The two agents quickly leaped out of the way. As they did, Mr.5 dug into his nose and flicked the booger he pulled out right at Igaram.
"BONE BARRIER!"
Ben quickly leaped in the way and created a wall of bones, blocking the explosion that came from the booger impacting it.
"Never thought I'd see someone with exploding snot bombs," Eddy noted.
"How terribly unsanitary..." Double-D frowned.
"He's got a Devil Fruit!" Nami realized.
"IGARAPPAPPA!" Igaram cried as he yanked on his tie, activating multiple gun barrels hidden in his hair curls which opened fire, forcing Mr.5 back.
"Wait, where'd the other one go?!" Hilda asked.
"UP THERE!" Gottfried called out.
Sure enough, Miss Valentine was now hanging in the air, seemingly floating with her parasol.
"She must have a Devil Fruit too," Gin realized.
"What have we gotten ourselves into?" Usopp wondered aloud before sighing. "Oh well, in for a Berri, in for a bushel."
"Well, at least things aren't boring!" Kaya giggled.
Igaram turned to the crew. "I know this seems like a bad time, but we must get Vivi back to Alabasta. If you will help us, I'll see to it that you are immensely rewarded."
"And just how much is 'immense'?" Nami asked with Berri signs already in her eyes.
"Assuming Old Man Cobra is still alive? More than a king's ransom." Draco said. "Alabasta is one of the richest countries on the Grand Line. I can't speak for our navigator here, but I would be willing to help for free. You two are old friends, after all."
"We're a particular band of Pirates, mate," Ben smirked. "We have a knack for stopping foul deeds and liberating lands from oppression."
"Yup, we be Peace Main types…mostly."
Igaram teared up. "Thank you so mu-*cough* Ma-ma-ma... So much!"
"Uh, guys..." Ruby nervously spoke up. "I hate to break up the tender moment but we still got two assassins gunning for us!"
"Let us help you!" Fuu suddenly said as she, Rosa, Mifune, Mr. 9, and Miss Monday stood up and joined the crew.
"Weren't you fighting with us not too long ago?" Usopp pointed out.
"We may not know everything that's going on but Miss Wednesday and Mr. 8 have been our friends for the last two years. And even these recent revelations haven't changed that." Miss Monday said.
"And I feel like the cat's out of the bag either way..." Mifune chuckled. "I was never really a part of Baroque Works in the first place. I was using them to get to their boss in particular."
"I'm guessing he's the one who did your group dirty?" Kuina asked, getting a nod.
Mifune then turned his attention to Fuu and helped her up, his face softening.
"But then I met Fuu and things changed."
"Long story short, I am a long, long way from home." Fuu said. "Mifune saved me from…"
She gulped and shook away the memory before contining.
"…Well, as a swordsman, my home country is the apex of samurai and swordsmiths. So, he decided to help me get back there."
Mifune smiled.
"Only good decision I've made in a while."
"And I've finally found my sister after so long!" Rosa said. "And she's big, beautiful, and badass just like me!"
Hilda smiled. "Awww, Sis!"
Both Vivi and Igaram were shocked. While they had indeed gotten to know and care for Mr. 9, Miss Monday, Rosa, Mifune, and Fuu during their time as spies, they had fully expected the entire organization to turn on them once they were revealed.
"Wait, sister?!" The other strawhats asked Hilda.
"We'll explain later!" Hilda and Rosa promised as Luffy and Bamia just grinned, as did Nami and Nojiko.
"Shishishishi! Then you guys better keep up, because this is going to be a serious fight." Luffy smirked.
"Sensational!" Penny cheered. "It's always nice to make new friends!"
Mr. 5 scoffed. "Such camaraderie is a disgrace to Baroque Works. All that's needed is the will to fulfill the mission."
"You only say that because you likely have such a high turnover rate. After all, it's harder to keep secrets when you don't trust each other." Zoro pointed out.
"And when someone does learn a secret, they get executed. I'm willing to bet the higher-ranked agents have learned that it's better not to get too attached." Kuina added.
That struck a chord with Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine.
"Oooh, touched a nerve there, eh?" Ben grinned.
"I... I've had enough of your words!" Mr. 5 called out. "Face the fury of my Bomb-Bomb Fruit!"
He started hawking loogies that created explosions around the group. Penny quickly moved to create a dome of crystalized fairy dust around everyone.
"WINTER SEASON'S PROTECTION!"
Axol quickly raced out to confront Mr. 5 directly, who quickly dug into his nostrils to attack again.
"NOSE FANCY CANNON!"
Axol threw Inkweaver up into the air and did a flip kick that sent it flying past the explosive mucus as Axol himself flipped around them. As he got close, Mr. 5 tried to hit him with an explosive punch, but the Axolotl Fishman was quick and disappeared before reappearing behind him.
"Impressive, the power to become a living bomb factory!" He grinned. "This will make perfect material for my manga!"
Axol rolled through hand signs, causing multiple Shadow Clones to pop out and knock Mr. 5 around before the real Axol delivered a spinning kick that sent him into a nearby building.
As the fight between the two was going on, Miss Valentine had positioned herself right over the crystal dome.
"Let's see how much weight this dome can take. I'll crack it using my Kilo-Kilo Fruit powers!" She laughed. "10,000 KILOGRAM PRESS!"
She increased her weight to 10,000 kilos in order to smash through the dome. She started to break through the dome, but then noticed it was empty. Except for a certain grinning Transponder Snail.
"Hiya, Toots!" Gottfried said. "SONIC CACOPHONY!"
Miss Valentine wound up being sent flying out of the carbon dome. It turned out Hilda had increased her strength a hundredfold to dig through the ground and let the group escape, leaving Gottfried behind to deal with the agent.
Miss Valentine managed to get up, intent on floating off again, only to gasp when Vivi suddenly snuck up and slashed her parasol using her Peacock Slashers, daggers attached to spinning ropes.
"Now you can't properly float when your weight is low!"
Miss Valentine panicked since she did indeed rely on her parasol to effectively maintain altitude when down to 1 kilo of weight. Zoro and Usopp then came up behind her with their weapons drawn.
"Checkmate."
-OP-
The defeated Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine were left tied up using a special net Draco had procured from Loguetown.
"This net is made from Seastone. The Marines use it to contain pirates who have Devil Fruits. The mineral has properties similar to standing water, so it can weaken any Devil Fruit user that comes into contact with it."
"I gotta say, Baroque Works doesn't really act like a proper bounty hunter guild." Ruby noted.
"It's not actually a bounty hunter guild, it's a criminal syndicate. None of the members know who the boss is, but they obey him regardless out of a belief that he will found an ideal nation." Igaram explained. "Those who do well in the company will be guaranteed a high social standing within that nation. That is what keeps them loyal and together."
"Sounds way too good to be true. Not to mention a shortcut to whatever dreams they may have." Usopp said.
"Which is why Fuu and I were only pretending to work with them. Rosa was also in on it after she joined in." Mifune said.
"Now you know why Kuina and I decided to reject their invitation," Zoro said. "Is there anything known about the boss?"
"His codename is Mr. 0. The closer a person's code name is to zero, the higher up they are," Vivi said.
"For the men, maybe. But what about the highest-ranking woman in the company?" Sanji asked
"Of course you'd ask that!" Noire groaned, Carmen shaking her head in annoyance.
"She's known as Miss All-Sunday and she's Mr. 0's right hand. The strength of the agents above Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine is said to be especially incredible." Vivi said.
"Suppose we'll find out before long. They've already marked us." Ben said as he turned to the duo. "And I'm pretty sure you're marked as well."
"What did I do?!" Miss Valentine asked incredulously.
"As I recall, any agent that's been captured is considered compromised and thus cut out of the company," Fuu said, Igaram nodding in confirmation.
"Moving on, I'm honestly surprised Alabasta would break out into civil war," Draco said.
"It wasn't sudden. For years now the signs of revolution had begun to appear." Vivi clarified.
"How is that possible?" Penny asked. "My father showed me much about the world and from what I recalled, Nefertari Cobra was always a benevolent ruler."
Draco nodded in agreement. "The people wanted for nothing under his reign when Dad and I visited."
"That was ten years ago. But recently someone has been manipulating events to make it look like Father has become a despot. Now the kingdom is starting to fall into chaos." Vivi said. "Just as I was starting to lose hope, I heard the name of an organization, Baroque Works, that was behind the manipulation. Unfortunately, I couldn't get any other information. Unable to do anything on my own, I asked Igaram for my help."
"Quite frankly I was shocked. Vivi was always annoyed with me med-*cough* Ma-ma-ma... With me meddling in her business ever since she was a child. But when she sincerely asked for my help in finding a way to infiltrate Baroque Works, I decided I had to agree." Igaram said. "Alabasta is my home too, after all. And I am deeply concerned about what might happen to my friends and family. Especially my wife."
"The boss may have said his goal was to create an ideal nation, but it's a lie. His real goal is to take over the Alabasta Kingdom!" Vivi said angrily. "That's why I need to hurry back and stop the fighting."
"It might not be that simple. If whoever Mr. 0 is has been manipulating people for that long, then he's got plants on both sides of the war, making sure to keep it going. So words alone won't cut it." Bamia said.
"But who is the boss anyway?" Sonson asked.
"Sir Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea." Mifune suddenly spoke up. "And also the bastard I'm hunting down."
Vivi tensed and almost screamed in shock…before remembering the Unluckies were locked up and how strong her current company was.
Draco was similarly shocked.
"Seriously?! No wonder he's keeping his company secret. If the World Government found out he was trying to overthrow a nation under their jurisdiction they'd reinstate his bounty."
"What do you mean?" Nojiko asked.
"When the World Government appoints a pirate captain as a Warlord, their bounty is effectively frozen and can't be collected. But if a Warlord makes an attack on the World Government, they'll reinstate the bounty and for all intents and purposes, the Warlord is fired." Draco explained. "Crocodile is easily in Mihawk's league and is one of the three Warlords I've personally met while staying with Dad, the other two being Mihawk and First Son of the Sea Jinbe."
"Seriously?!" Gin gawked. "If he's in the same league as Mihawk..."
"Easy, man. No need to freak out now." Carmen said.
"Great, hunted by a Warlord the moment we enter the Grand Line." Nami grumbled.
"We're effectively fugitives! Targets for assassination!" Double-D panicked. "What to do? What to do?! I could use some help here!"
Eddy, with practiced ease, grabbed a mattress and slammed it onto Double D as he ranted,
"Thank you." The smartest Ed said in a calm, almost machine-like voice. "I needed that."
"I forget what we're doing!" Ed said with an innocent dopey smile, Eddy giving him a look in response.
"Great Captain Draco-Boy, how did you encounter he who is named after a Crocodile?" Rolf asked.
"He tried to challenge my dad to a fight once and got his butt kicked right out of the New World for his troubles. I think there's still an imprint of him in the Red Line." Draco smirked. "Warlords may be powerful, but the Yonko are the top dogs among pirates for a reason."
"Man, the more I hear about your dad, the more I want to surpass him!" Hilda beamed.
"That said, Crocodile is not going to be a pushover. He's early New World level, so he will be a serious challenge." Draco warned. "His bounty at the time he became a Warlord was 80 million Berris."
"We do have some leeway. With the Unluckies locked up, Crocodile doesn't know what you look like yet. Mr. 13 is amazingly good at sketch artistry." Mr. 9 pointed out.
"Not to mention I ended the broadcast after the fight was over. So he likely doesn't know we're trying to get to Alabasta." Gottfried added.
"That may be, but Crocodile has always been crafty," Draco said. "He'd likely be able to guess what we're doing, so we can't just go straight there."
"Oh good, I was worried it'd be too easy..." Ruby sighed.
"What fun is it when things are easy, child?" Heart chuckled, patting the Kraken Fishman on the head.
"Room for three more?"
They al turned to see Rosa, Mifune, and Fuu standing at the portside, each carrying a burlap sack.
"I just found my sister after so long. It'll take more than the end of the world to split us up now." Rosa smiled, making Hilda tear up as she opened her arms for her sister to embrace her.
Luffy, Nami, Bamia and Nojiko all looked at each other. Than the others.
"I do enjoy a challenge." Sanji smirked, before Noire pulled him away by the ear.
"they're sisters, ya perv."
Carmen laughed at that, while Axol looked at the remaining two.
"And your reasons would be?"
"I want to see how far Zoro and Kuina go." Mifune said.
"Among other things." Fuu added with a smirk. "And where he goes? I go. Besides, you'll all probably end up going my dream destination anyways."
"And that would be?:" Nami asked.
"…I'll let you know when we've sorted out this whole…saving a kingdom thing."
Zoro and Kunia then looked at the captains desperately.
"…I think I may know where Fuu wants to go…and yeah, we do need to go their eventually." Draco mused, motioning them on. Before they did so, Fuu beamed and hugged Mifune before dragging him aboard.
"Please take care of the princess," Igaram said as he began to set off with Miss Monday and Mr. 9.
"Hey, just in case we don't see each other again, you should know... My name's Zimmerman King." Mr. 9 said.
"And mine's Clarine," Miss Monday added.
Vivi smiled and nodded. "Stay safe. And thank you."
The Straw Hats bid the decoy ship farewell as they boarded their own ship.
"Sheesh, how do you all fit in this caravel?" Fuu asked.
"We're thinking of getting more ships. Hopefully, we can find some good sellers." Gin said.
"Hold on!" Vivi called out. "I just remembered! I'm still missing Carue! We can't leave without him!"
"Who's Carue?" Penny asked.
"He's my pet supersonic duck; my best friend and guardian!" Vivi explained.
"Would he happen to be the big duck pecking Lumpy right now?" Eddy asked.
Everyone looked at Ed and sure enough, a man-sized duck wearing a wool cap and saddle was pecking at his head curiously.
"Awww, he likes me, guys!"
"Carue!" Vivi cried as she ran over and hugged the duck. "I'm so glad to see you're alright!"
"There's no way I'd ever leave you alone, Vivi. You've always been my best friend!" Carue smiled.
Vivi yelped in alarm as she pointed at Carue.
"C-Carue! Y-You just talked!"
"I did?" Carue asked before his eyes widened. "I did! I can talk!"
"Eh, that's because of me." Gottfried clarified. "My Devil Fruit lets me translate for other animals."
"Wow, I sound so high-pitched! And I'm talking so fast too!" Carue noted.
Draco suddenly got a brainstorm and walked over to Vivi.
"Hey, Vivi, we can assume Carue is trustworthy, right?"
"Of course! He and his racing unit have been loyal guards of the Alabasta royal family for generations."
Draco nodded and went into the storage room before coming out with the Sickle-Sickle Fruit.
"Is that a Devil Fruit?" Vivi asked.
"We wound up getting it by chance after Draco killed the previous user. None of us wanted to eat it, and we decided selling it would be too big a risk going forward." Gin explained. "So, we kept it on hand to give to someone we believed could be trustworthy."
"Wait, you want me to eat it?" Carue asked. "What does it do though?"
"It creates razor wind. The original user, Eric, could only do so through his nails, but you might be able to use it more creatively." Bamia said.
"Alright then, down the hatch!" Carue said as he took the Devil Fruit and swallowed the whole thing. "Bleh! It tastes like dirty nails..."
However, the effect was immediate, as the feathers at the edge of his wings seemed to sharpen into daggers and his talons grew sharper as well.
"Whooo!" Eddy cheered. "Man, I wanna get my own Devil Fruit now!"
"Easy, Eddy. You know the drawback all Devil Fruits give those who eat them, remember?" Double-D pointed out.
"So what? I was never much of a swimmer anyway!"
Melony had somehow fallen asleep right on Carue, the duck chuckling as he turned to Vivi.
"Awww, I think she likes me."
"Yeah, Melony will nap anywhere." Axol chuckled.
-OP-
As the Merry left Cactus Island, they were observed by a certain woman. She was Miss All-Sunday, the vice president of Baroque Works. For a while, she had considered sneaking onto the ship, but it was clear Gottfried would pick her out quickly. And she was not confident she could handle pirates with all three categories of Devil Fruits at their disposal.
"That said... They might be what I need to get out of this life. But first things first. There's something I need to confirm. I need thank those Straw Hats. I've gone this long in Baroque Works without actually killing anyone."
Miss All-Sunday had already figured out that Vivi and Igaram were trailing her to find Crocodile and had let them. She didn't think it would matter in the long term. Of course, she had to reveal this to keep her position. There was a very good reason she needed it, after all. She giggled as she got on her giant all-terrain turtle, Banchi.
"Monkey D. Luffy... The Son of Whitebeard...The so-called Monkey Queen...and HIS son." She noted. "I wonder if Crocodile can actually handle this one."
Then she heard an sound and frowned as she picked up a sleeping snail.
'Speaking of whom….'
CA-LICK!
"Yes, Mr. 0?"
"Are you keeping an eye on the Straw Hats? Your last report put you in their area."
He was anxious about them. Good. She could use this. But for now, it was time to play the role of loyal Vice president.
"I caught sight, yes." Miss-All-Sunday mused. "But Gottfried makes infiltration near impossible at the moment. It also appears that Mr. 7, Miss Thanksgiving and Miss Happy Halloween have betrayed us…Mr. 7 seems to know what you did to the Swordsmen….I can continue to observe them, if you wish."
"…For a week. Then hurry back."
"Understood. And speaking of Alabasta; how is our little trump card? Still unaware he's been kidnapped?"
"Heh." Crocodile smirked as he took a drag off his cigar. "That and doing wonders for the call girls; apparently a cute little boy who calls them pretty all day boosts morale….He has been asking about you and Mr. Two though."
Miss All-Sunday smiled at that.
"Well, I'll be sure to visit him when I get back."
She did like the little fellow; always down for a story and eager to learn. He did have one glaring flaw, but he was so young it was enduring and cute, rather than annoying and perverse.
"And on a related note, do you have any word on…THEM?"
Ah. The main group he was concerned about.
"I assume you mean the crew of the Chimera-Carpet?" Miss-All-Sunday asked. "Last I heard, they were at Fishman Island for some ceremony."
"…I'll have to try and contact Jinbei, see if he knows anything." Crocodile mused. "That probably also means they've taken out Mr. 6. Still, even with their Captain's devil fruit, it'll take a miracle for them to reach Alabasta in time. And when they do I'll have forced the brat to use hi Devil Fruit."
That line made Miss All Sunday inwardly grimace and even rage, but she kept it to herself until the call was ended.
"To think the fruit Big Mom meant for Daifuku would end up eaten by the fourth in line for Alabasta's throne….."
With that, she motioned Bruanchi to follow the Straw Hats from a distance as she tried to formulate the best way to go about this….
Knightmare Lord A/N:
Some chapters will be longer than most because I like to try and find the best cut-off point.
Anyway, thanks to Gottfried's Noise-Noise Fruit, Carue is voiced! While he had Donald Duck's voice in 'This Bites!' and Daffy Duck's voice in 'Ash & Rubber', here he's got the voice of Woody Woodpecker! Speaking of voices, Miss Monday and Mr. 9's real names in this story are shout-outs to their voice actors.
I'm passing the mic over to Mrotrax. Anything you'd like to say about this chapter and any ideas going forward, my brother?
Mrotrax A/N:
As stated previous chapter, Crocodile has a trump card in this story; Vivi's young cousin, who has eaten a Genie based Zoan Devil Fruit. And what's the Chimera Carpet crew to Crocodile for him to be more concerned? Well, tune in and see, but I'll say this much: Arabian Nights.
That little bit during Fuu's fight was indeed aimed at Dr. Indigo of the 'Strong World' movie.
Decided to make Mr. 6 a Fishman just so that he could pose a legit challenge, and he was stated to be the strongest field agent.