A/N: Sooo, Ch. 32 is technically not finished yet. Between potty training and sick kiddos, not sure it will be done by next sunday. I guess we've come to an end of my steady, weekly updates for now. Thank you to everyone who posted such lovely, encouraging reviews!

Ch. 31 – The Ink Ink Fruit

"I ran like Hades," Helena admitted to her completely enthralled audience. She swallowed her guilt, knowing she hadn't had much choice. Kuina took priority over honor in that situation; rather, honor dictated that she protect her child at any cost. "I don't know what happened to Rayleigh after that…"

In her mind's eye, she could see the flashes of orange light, the shockwaves of power, the toppling of buildings as the two legends went at each other. She'd only caught glimpses, but had heard the rumbles of destruction getting farther and farther away as she ran.

"We can only assume he made it out alright," Robin said, cutting into her thoughts.

"What are you talking about," Nami spluttered. "If he'd done any injury to Akainu, surely everyone would have heard about it."

"His death or capture would also have been reported," Robin pointed out. "We've heard nothing, and in this case, I'd definitely say that no news is good news."

Helena nodded. "That is a relief to hear," she said, though it didn't surprise her. Rayleigh was strong, but she felt reassured all the same.

"Where were you headed after that?" Zoro asked. "How did you get down the other side of the red line?"

"The only place for me to go were the mechanical bondolas on the New World side, which brought me straight through Navy Head-quarters," Helena almost laughed even as she said it.

"Sounds suicidal," Zoro pointed out.

"Yup."

"So how did you make it through?"

"Oh, I ran into an old friend."

Navy HQ had been scrambled for the emergency on Marie Jois. Someone had carried out a horrible attack on one of the noble families, one that ended in arson. Captain Coby had been dispatched with some of his men to help capture the threat, but then the threat came to him before he left his jurisdiction. As Helena made to disembark from the bondola, she met a platoon of marines, their rifles at the ready.

He sensed her powerful, angry, panicked presence before he actually saw her. The Sun queen had always had a distinct fire to her aura, a burning gold if one could put a color to it. But he also sensed Kuina's sweet, young, verdant presence, her normally cheerful aura dimmed with a red mask of pain.

He didn't want to connect the dots, didn't want to understand why they were here or what they'd had to do with the attacks in Marie Jois, but their emotion brought tears to the empath's eyes. And when the ship descended, and the door fell open; when he finally caught sight of the ex-Queen and Princess of Ilium, he couldn't help but notice young Kuina's white wedding dress.

"Stand down," he commanded his men. "That woman would tear you all to ribbons in a heartbeat. Leave her to me. The rest of you head up to Marie Jois for rescue and cleanup."

"Come on, men!" Helmeppo called out, taking the lead. Coby sensed, rather than saw the Vice Captain glance his way through his sunglasses. "You heard the Captain!"

"Like, permission to stay as backup Captain," Nausicaa put in suddenly, saluting. "I believe my powers could be of use."

"Permission granted, sailor."

The other marines saluted and dashed into the bondola awaiting them. Helena stepped off of the ship and let the men pass, her russet gaze never leaving Coby's face.

"Please," he murmured the moment they stood alone. "Please don't tell me that all of this means what I think it means."

The careful mask hiding the queen's emotions cracked for a moment, her lip quivered in rage, and she nodded. All the emotion she tried to hide found an outlet in her hand, the one holding Kuina to her. It became a claw, curled in protective fury, inadvertently digging into what was an obvious wound on the child's back. Kuina cried out in pain.

She'd been branded.

Helena loosened her grip in consternation, murmuring a sincere apology as she stroked her daughter's curls.

When Coby's unit disappeared into the clouds above, Coby fell to his knees, tears pouring down his face.

"Your Majesty," he croaked. "This is all my fault…"

"Don't call me that," Helena corrected in a firm tone. "And no, it's not. It is mine."

"But I was the one who…"

"They would have found out about her eventually," Helena assured him. "Their spies were quite proficient. After all, they were the ones who toppled our country in the end."

Coby looked up at her, his face a mess of tears and anger. "That absolves me of nothing," he insisted. "Your Majesty, I owe you recompense for my mistake. I will do what I can to help you escape this place. If so doing results in my demotion or demise, so be it."

"Captain…" Nausicaa murmured. She too had tears streaming down her face.

"Do not try to stop me, sailor," he snapped at her, getting to his feet.

"No, I was legit hoping that was what you were planning to do," she said gently. "'Sides, if I let you go through with this I'll probs hang for treason too. We're in this together."

"Nausicaa-San…"

"Anyway, I have an idea that's totes cray cray, but just might work."

"I'm listening," Helena said.

"Take my uniform," she said, already starting to pull the shirt over her head. Coby flushed and whipped around, his hands over his eyes.

"N-N-Nausicaa-San!" he spluttered, feeling his face redden to the tips of his ears.

She ignored him. "We can, like, pretend you defeated us and stole my uniform," she said to Helena. "You could easily kick my butt at least, el oh el, so you'll just need to, like, knock me out with your sea prism sword maybe? Captain would probably give you a run for your money, tho', so you'll probs have to leave a decent wound as evidence or it won't be convincing."

"It's not a bad plan," Helena conceded. "Your uniform may be a bit short on me though."

"You'll have to make it work for now," Nausicaa insisted. The rustling of clothes continued, and Coby could only assume Helena had started to change per Nausicaa's instruction. "Like, you can steal a bigger uniform when you get on board one of our ships. But, like, try not to get mine dirty, ok?"

"What of Kuina?" Helena asked.

"Hide her in a crate or something, then carry her in to one of the storage rooms. You can lay low with her there, and steal what you need until you make landfall."

"You'll have to be extra careful though," Coby put in, "One of the ships leaving belongs to an Admiral. With his haki skills, he will no doubt detect your presence before too long. Anyway, we'll have to report the stolen uniform, so they may be on the lookout for you regardless."

"I'll be fine," Helena said, "You can turn around now, Captain."

He turned to face them only to whip away again, red faced and holding his coat out to Nausicaa behind his back. "Cover yourself, please, sailor."

"Aw, Captain. You are, like, the sweetest," she responded, taking his jacket. After a moment, he dared a peek and then turned back to them.

Nausicaa stood wrapped in his coat, a smirk on her face. Helena had a dubious expression on though. As she had expected, Nausicaa's uniform was a bit short on her in the midriff and ankles, but she'd be able to blend in alright if she kept her head down.

She settled Nausicaa's ball cap smartly onto her head, and saluted palm forward, striking her heels together. Nausicaa and Coby chuckled. "Well then, I guess I'll be off. Consider your debts more than repaid, both of you."

Coby knelt to where Kuina stood, her arms wrapped around a green fox plush as she stared up at him. The Captain chuckled at the sight of the toy. It was even missing an eye. Of course she loved it! It reminded her of her father.

"Bye bye, little one," he said, holding a hand out to her. "Best of luck to you."

A large, ivory snake darted between them, hissing at him. He hastily withdrew his hand.

"No, Yady. Bad," Kuina said, grabbing at the serpent to Coby's complete surprise. "He nice. He save me from doggy man."

"So you remember me," Coby said, a smile spreading the corners of his lips. "I'm so glad. I hope I look less scary this time."

"You have funny hair," she said, perhaps an indication of how she remembered him. "It yike cotton candy."

He laughed. "You're one to talk! You have funny hair too, you know."

"My hair funny yike papa," Kuina insisted, grinning.

Coby laughed again. "That it is," he said. "Safe journey to you, little princess."

He held out his hand again, and Kuina took it in both of hers. Helena smiled a soft, but stressed smile at the scene, then went to lift her daughter again when the telltale puru-puru-puru of a den den mushi rang out from Coby's jacket.

"Captain," Nausicaa said, her face taut as she held the snail out to him.

"You probably shouldn't answer it," Helena pointed out, drawing her dagger, "Remember, you're currently fighting me right now."

Coby shook his head, "That's precisely why I should answer it, for this ruse to work." He lifted the receiver, "This is Captain Coby. I have eyes on the perp!"

"Good, good, I was hoping you'd say that," Akainu's deep voice rumbled through the snail. Helena and Nausicaa exchanged worried glances. "Your men just reported to me that you'd found her. You should have reported in. But no matter. Just keep her there until I can reach you."

"Easier said than done, sir," Coby replied in a purposely belabored voice, winking at Helena. "She has me on the ropes!"

"Is she within earshot?"

"I'm right here, Akainu you dastard. I have honor enough not to attack a man with his guard down."

"And that will get you killed, Your Majesty," he simpered.

"Hang up the phone, we've got a fight to finish," Helena spat convincingly.

"Now wait, Helena de Troy; there's something you should know."

Helena's eyes narrowed. "De Troy?" she asked. "What the Hades, Akainu?"

"Oh, that's right. You didn't end up with that fool. And after we worked so hard to groom him into the perfect weapon against you."

This struck an obvious chord; Coby could see it in Helena's face. Akainu was up to his old tactics again, stalling her until he could get there. Messing with her mind. Coby wanted to hang up right then, but if he did their ruse would be completely spoiled, leaving not only himself, but Nausicaa in danger.

"Aren't you curious to know what we did to him?"

"So you admit it!" Helena snarled.

"Oh, yes. Naturally one doesn't undergo a personality change as drastic as his without help," Akainu simpered. "He was such a sweet man before we got to him, wasn't he? So loyal and virtuous. The ideal soldier and citizen. -He did have one major flaw of course; his complete obsession with you."

Helena's face hardened. "What did you do?" she demanded.

"He made it so obvious, his intention to win your hand. He spoke of nothing but your virtues and prowess and beauty to the other men. Such an obvious weakness simply begged to be exploited."

"What. Did. You. Do!" Helena snapped.

"It was rather simple, really. We gave him a devil fruit."

Helena let out a breath of impatience through her nostrils, but before she could put words to her frustration, Akainu cut her off:

"Oh, but not just any devil fruit, Your Majesty. You see, all devil fruits have an effect on their users to some degree. Mine for example gives me a taste for spicy food," he tacked that last bit on with a chuckle of humor before going on lightly. "We just happened to have one that darkened the soul and the mind. The Ink Ink Fruit is notorious for driving its users crazy; for amplifying their obsessions. – All I had to do was idly let him know about what might happen to you if we succeeded. –let's just say I 'accidentally' let him catch a glimpse of the Celestials and their slave trade. Then I dropped hints that your country had already been infiltrated, and voila. The perfect storm."

"Oh gods," Helena gasped. "He knew about Cipher Pol?"

"Yes. I understand he took out at least one of their agents, but that may have just been dumb luck. He obviously didn't figure out who the rest of them were, or he'd have used his guise as Nemo to take more of them down."

Helena trembled with rage. "Why didn't he tell me?"

"He wanted to rescue you on his own, I understand," Akainu simpered. "Wanted to be your prince charming. And yet, all the while he was working for us."

Helena chuffed. "Well, the jokes on you," she scoffed. "In the end he had no intention of turning the country over to you. He wanted to use the God Powers for himself, to destroy the World Government and the Navy!"

"Of course he did!" Akainu chortled. "But, you see, I was the one who gave him that fruit. I had heavily researched it's powers, and I knew its every weakness. Do you really think a fruit that thrives on darkness could defeat glowing magma? I'd have burned him to ash before your nuptials could take place, and claimed you for myself."

"Wait a minute. I never knew you considered yourself one of my suitors," Helena gasped. "That means…oh gods, you're after Kuina too, aren't you? That's the real reason you wanted me to kill Rothbart!"

The snail smiled at her; a smug smirk perfectly reminiscent of Akainu.

"YOU BASTARD!" she screamed.

Suddenly Coby let out a cry and hung up the snail, tossing it before Helena could make a grab for it. It hit the ground hard enough to knock it out.

"And that's where you struck me in a complete fit of rage, knocking the snail from my hand," he said hastily, "Hurry, your Majesty, there's a Bondola descending through the clouds. I can sense him on board. He was stalling you."

"I'LL KILL HIM!" Helena shrieked.

"You're no match for him," Coby reminded her, "Your Majesty…Queen Helena, please. Think of your daughter. You need to get her to safe…"

Helena lashed out at him suddenly, loosing a stream of red on his white uniform. He fell, the pain enough to engulf his thoughts. She'd hit him pretty hard. Hard enough to be potentially fatal if help weren't already on the way.

"Mama, no!" Kuina sobbed.

"Captain!" Nausicaa cried, but Helena struck her with the butt of the sea prism dagger to the back of the head, knocking her unconscious.

The last thing he remembered before blacking out was seeing Helena steal his coat from Nausicaa. "It would be strange if she were covered with you both so injured," she pointed out calmly. Anyway, this way I can keep my midriff from showing. Try not to blush too hard on her behalf, Coby."

Coby smiled despite himself, and let his eyes fall shut.

"Akainu was behind Troy all along?" Usopp gasped.

"Akainu was after our DAUGHTER ALL ALONG?" Zoro snapped.

"I honestly…I'm not sure," Helena admitted, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "He was trying to stall me, remember? He is notorious for bending the truth to manipulate people. He really wanted me to turn around and fight him."

Zoro took inhis own calming breath. "I can confirm that Akainu was the one pulling the strings with regard to Troy at least," he said. "Troy told me so himself. He said nothing of Cipher Pol or the fruit messing with his mind though." Or had he? He'd talked an awful lot about being Ilium's only true line of defense. And he'd once been confused to tears about the horrible things he'd done.

"It makes a lot of sense," Helena sighed, cutting into Zoro's memory of Troy crying outside the coronation party. "I honestly wish you all could have known him before he'd gone to sea. Before Akainu got to him he was an honorable man – kind, cunning, loyal to a fault. He was all integrity."

"He'd have to have been," Zoro admitted, "To have captured your heart back then."

He didn't say it with malice. Oddly enough, Zoro had never really been jealous of Troy. Calypso got under his skin, but he respected what Troy had been to her before he'd gone mad, and what she had been to him. In a sense, Helena had been to Troy what the original Kuina had been to Zoro.

"So Coby helped you out once again, eh?" Zoro went on, "That kid sure has grown a spine since the first time I met him."

"I just hope he was alright," Helena sighed. "I did hit him pretty hard. And Akainu doesn't strike me as one to take failure lightly…"

Literally smoldering, the Fleet Admiral glared down at the unconscious captain. A few seconds prior he had leapt over the side of the bondola from several stories up, livid that Helena had cut the call short. She'd obviously taken her wrath out on the poor fool holding the snail.

He recognized him. It was the kid who had stood up to him at Marine Fold. In a way he had to respect the young man's resolve, and he'd approved Coby's appointment to Navy HQ, acknowledging his talents and loyalty.

He was obviously weaker than Akainu had thought though. How disappointing.

There wasn't time to question whether Coby would retain his appointment at the moment. Sakazuki had more important things on his mind: namely that the female sailor lying a few feet from Captain Coby had had her uniform stolen.

"Hmph, trying to blend in, are we?" he rumbled in good humor to himself. They could sniff her out easily enough. She clearly had a few inches on the cadet she had robbed, which explained why she would also steal Coby's coat. But people would spot her quickly if they knew what to look for.

Akainu pulled out a transponder snail. "No ship leaves this port until we have searched all of them, copy? We have Helena the Sun Queen cornered. Look for a tall, thin, white haired woman with a scar by her right eye. She'll be wearing a Captain's coat and an ill-fitting uniform. She has kidnapped a two-year-old child with green hair, and has a trained, six-foot white snake as an accomplice. Over."

Easier not to deal with soldiers with a conscience, Akainu reasoned. Some might have reservations about hurting a mother protecting her daughter.

His snail rang back to life as several voices responded with, "Copy." But then a voice on the other side rambled off a rank and serial number, identifying himself and the ship he served on. "Sir, our ship has already left port. Would you like us to turn back? Over."

"No, but drop anchor. Search all female personnel. Do not leave until we give the all clear. Over."

"Copy that."

A complacent grin spread across the Fleet Admiral's grizzled face. "We have you now, De Zoro," he jeered.