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Thank you all for your support! I would be so much slower without you.

Chapter 28:

Posters and Bounties and Rescues, Oh My!

"What are you doing on our ship?" Nami questioned.

"I was waiting for someone and your ship popped up out of nowhere," Lily answered. "I didn't mean to climb aboard; it just kinda happened."

"Our ship popped up?" Merry echoed. "What, were you, like, in a bottle or something?"

"That's exactly what happened," the mini-giant grinned. "Wait! I don't have time to talk! My father is in trouble and I need to find him!

"We can help you," Ace said, making an executive decision for the crew.

"You'd do that for me? But we just met."

"Any friend of Ace's has our help," the captain smiled, officially agreeing with his son's suggestion. "What's your dad's name?"

"Panz Fry. He's a famous chef known for feeding the hungry, but because we've stolen ingredients from the Navy and World Government sometimes, they've arrested him and are taking him to Impel Down. I need to stop them!"

…

"We've been searching for hours," Usopp complained from the top of the mast, a spyglass in his hand. "You don't think we missed them, do you?"

"No way!" Lily said from his shoulder. "I'm certain of what I heard on the Navy ship I'd boarded. They said they were bringing my dad through this sea."

"It does seem like a questionable choice," Nami commented, her eyes on the clouds. Luffy stood beside her, Ace sleeping in his arms. "The Malventemor Sea is big, but it's not limitless. They could've sailed around it, though it would add another week to their trip."

"Maybe they don't have the food for that," Luffy suggested beside her. "If Sanji said we were running out of food, I'd go through a bad sea to get more as soon as possible."

"That's stu…" Nami paused, cutting herself off. "Actually, that might be a legitimate concern of theirs, especially if they're being humane and feeding Panz. You might be right for once, Luffy."

"Does holdin' a kid with genius-level potential make Luffy smarter?" Gin goggled.

"I don't want to imagine it," Grace said with a shake of her head. "Just the thought makes my brain hurt."

"Nami, we've got a News Coo at our seven!" Coby called, warning both the navigator/treasurer and the rest of the crew in the process. "It's an emergency release! Something big must have happened!"

"I wonder what it is," Amy mused as the bird swooped low, coming to rest on the railing. It blinked, its eyes going wide. "It might not take a lot to get Morgans' attention, but for info to warrant a special edition, he must think this news will shake the world. Or the government's higher-ups do."

"Zzzz," Zoro snored, dead to the world.

"Morgans?" Usopp questioned. "Who's that?"

"He's the head of the newspaper," Brook offered. "He scheduled an interview with me once right before I went on tour, but someone else did it. Apparently, he got caught up in something else. Some sort of party invite."

"I bet that was Big Mom's doing," the female baker said. "She makes Morgans meet with her every couple of months."

"So Nami," Robin began, the woman turning an eye on the navigator who now held the special edition newspaper. The Beris it cost fell from her limp fingers, the News Coo scrambling to catch them in its pouch before flying away at top speed. "What, perchance, threatens to shake the foundations of our world?"

"I… Those…" Nami struggled for words, her face cycling through unbridled anger and unadulterated worry. Her fingers clenched the page in her hand, wrinkling the paper. "I'll… They…"

"What is it?" Luffy asked, trying to peer over her shoulder. He squinted before deciding he couldn't read what it said. His hand came around, settling over her own to still the shaking her tense muscles caused. "Wow! What a great picture!"

"Care to fill us in, Captain?" Sanji suggested with a puff of smoke. "We're on the edge of our seats waiting to know."

"But you're not sitting down," the captain blinked.

"Just give us the news already," Merry demanded. "If this is gonna affect us one way or another, we need to get started on how to deal with it."

"Affect us? It's about us!" Luffy carefully peeled Nami's fingers from the paper, his wife still staring off over the sea while muttering curses and incoherence threats under her breath. The young father held up the page, his crew gathering around to see it. "It's a whole paper about Ace! Doesn't he just take after me? Shishishi!"

It was a sleepy day like any other for the little town of Cocoyashi. The sky was blue save for the occasional cloud, the leaves were green save for the occasional flash of warm colors where fruits neared peak ripeness, and everything else boasted its appropriate color. The dull buzz of the town proper drifted over the island as traders milled through the new bazaar in the distance.

Not much had changed over the past two years save a bump in population with a rise in exports. A company out of the North Blue had sailed in a little over a year ago and struck a deal with Nojiko to export her tangerines to wider markets, making the woman's small orchard expand. She now ran the Cat's Bell Citrus Company and could claim to be the richest woman on the Orange Archipelago, a chief export that brought misunderstandings about the origins of the archipelago's name. In doing so, the blunette's tangerines put Cocoyashi on the map, sailors of all kinds finding their way to the shore for a better chance of fending off scurvy. They could even buy their own tree for the right price.

As a result of this increased buzz, Genzo's unofficial position as the town's sheriff had become official, the man now having to recruit, train, and maintain a law-enforcing presence to keep the visitors in line. Several times opportunistic pirates had tried to raid the town and several times had such crews been repelled, but the flag still flying in the town square had waylaid just as many would-be attackers.

With more people visiting came a drive for the populous to capitalize on the chance; blacksmith shops, restaurants, jewelers, and more springing up one after another as the place Arlong had sucked the life from rebounded and thrived.

Considering all this, maybe it was wrong to say little had changed.

Nojiko mused on these developments as she always would during her lunch break while she waited for Genzo to meet her. She still did not know how the Leonardo Corporation had heard her name or whereabouts, but their visit had brought prosperity to her and her beaten-down home, so she wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Still, she wondered.

"Thinking again, I see," the voice of the old man commented, the young woman turning to see her father figure limp onto her orchard. His once-black hair was now streaked with grey and the double heart attacks he'd suffered with Nami's first wanted poster had forced him to walk with a cane, but the scarred man had outright refused to allow such trivial things as age, temporary cardiac arrest, or a limp keep him down. Rather, he used his mandatory cane as an advantage, the sword hidden within having felled tens of wanted men and countless others since the town's economic boom. In the end, their arrest of certain felons had allowed the local Marines to look the other way on the town's choice of flag. "Is it the usual?"

"I'm just wondering how Nami's doing," the woman replied as the man fell into the chair beside her. The table between them held a wicker basket, the man reaching within to find several sandwiches and pastries from the local shops. Local wine chilled in a bucket of ice sat beside it along with their regular glasses. "What would she say if she knew about all of this?"

"She'd probably compare your newfound wealth to all her stolen treasure," Genzo grunted, the whisp of a smile on his lips. "I hope that troublemaker is doing alright. It's been two years since there's been any word about that crew and their flag wards off fewer pirates each week."

"I'm sure they'll be back. That last article about Luffy seemed so deliberate. I know there's a message in it we aren't aware of." She turned, silently accepting the sandwich Genzo handed her while her eyes came to rest on a wall hidden from the outside air. Framed articles, each about the notorious Straw Hat Pirates, hung from the wood, each and every one around the centerpieces of the core crew that had saved their home when it was just a village under the thumb of the Arlong Pirates. The second-to-latest addition to said collection was the article Nojiko had just refenced, the captain of the crew bowing his head in the ruins of Marineford.

One paper did not fit with this theme, however, a page on the far right of the wall detailing the court marshalling and arrest of Captain Nezumi of Branch 16 and most of his men. That particular article had spurred a three-day party with a decent chance of becoming a local, autumn festival jokingly named the Rat's Fall.

"I hope so…" Genzo replied.

The pair lapsed into silence, both nibbling on their sandwiches and sipping their wine.

"Say, Genzo," Nojiko began. "How's Johnny doing? That last pirate captain to come through got him pretty good, right?"

"Oh, he's recovering," Genzo answered. "That bastard stabbed him through the arm, but that's what the idiot gets for trying to shift to a two-sword style. I keep telling him and Yosaku to go back to fighting with one sword each, but the stubborn fools just won't do it."

"Did they finally buy that house? I know they were talking about it last month, but I didn't hear anything about it afterward. Are they still saying their stay here is only temporary?"

"Nako's forced them to start the paperwork," the sheriff laughed. "He keeps telling Yosaku if he wants to take his job and be Johnny's primary caregiver, then they need to get out of his office, and they can't exactly do that in the barracks where they've been living up to this point."

"If nothing else, they certainly liven things up around here," Nojiko giggled. Her mirth died away with a sigh. "I miss Nami."

"Me too, kid." Genzo raised his glass, Nojiko matching him in a silent toast for their wandering family. Their glasses gave off a soft clink as the two put them together. "Bellemere would be proud of you girls."

"Thanks, Genzo."

A News Coo called from above, the bird flapping its way through the trees before coming to a hover beside the pair. Nojiko blinked.

"We've already gotten our morning paper," she said. The statement earned a shake of the head from the avian delivery animal. It riffled through its satchel with its beak before pulling out a thinner paper with EMERGENCY stamped across its top.

"Must be a special edition," Genzo observed, offering the coin necessary for the Coo to hand over its merchandise. It saluted, taking wing toward the town proper. Genzo snapped the paper open, unfolding its creases so he could read the contents. "Now what do we have h— WHAT THE FUCK‽"

"What's wrong‽" Nojiko demanded, having never heard such language from her surrogate father. He did not answer, white foam bubbling from between his lips. She stood, her wine forgotten as she came around the table. Genzo's eyes rolled, his body knocking him unconscious to stave off a worse outcome. The paper slipped from his hand, floating to the floor. This revealed that the special edition totaled three pages, the second having the usual yellowed paper of a wanted poster.

"'The Monkey family expands'?" Nojiko read aloud from the headline, lifting the paper from the floor. "'It has just recently come to the attention of the world that the Straw Hat Pirates have reconvened at and escaped from the Sabaody Archipelago two days ago. Reports of the Straw Hats in the area had been proven to be imposters, save for continued hearsay of The Survivor 'Tri-Horn' Coby (bounty of 99-million) living in the area. This charade allowed the real Straw Hats to meet once more and escape, their arrival and subsequent leaving officially announced by the musician 'Soul King' Brook (bounty of 33-million), who announced himself as the musician of the Straw Hat Pirates during his final show.'

"'However, reports from retired Vice-Admiral Monkey D. Garp via anonymous sources revealed that the pirate crew has a new member among them, the progeny of 'Straw Hat' Luffy (400-million) and his wife 'Cat Burglar' Nami (30-million), a boy named Monkey… D. … Ace?'"

Nojiko wavered, needing to use the table to support herself as the news sunk in. Nami had had a son? Last they'd heard about that relationship, the Marines had put Luffy's family name on her poster, but there were no rings to show for such a claim. She flipped the page, revealing the wanted poster that had been hidden within.

Wanted: 'Heir of Chaos' Monkey D. Ace, only alive, 57,000,000

The picture was an absolutely adorable little boy in a monkey onesie, his arms lifted to the sky as if cheering. His smile was infectious, even through the page, but his glittering, chocolate brown eyes and button nose were the same color and shape Nojiko remembered on her adoptive sister.

"I'm an aunt," the blunette muttered with widening eyes. "I'm an aunt… and nobody warned me! Goda damn it, Nami! You could have sent a postcard or something! I can't believe I had to learn about my new nephew from a freaking newspaper! Wait until I get my hands on your den-den number, I'll give you an earful to rival Bellemere, I swear to Goda!"

She continued to verbally assault her sister without the young mother able to defend or even hear her, even as the company tycoon pinned the wanted poster to the wall underneath and between the posters of the child's parents. She smiled, running her fingers over the picture.

Genzo gurgled, slipping to the floor.

"I need to call Doctor Nako," Nojiko realized. "Genzo's gonna have an aneurism when he wakes up and realizes I can unironically call him Grandpa. Haha!"

"Fifty-seven million‽" the crew (and Kaku) yelled as they observed the wanted poster. Ace stirred in his father's arms but did not wake up, the boy snuggling deeper into Luffy's shoulder.

"That's almost twice your first bounty, Captain!" Coby goggled.

"And almost twice Nami's," Amy added.

"Indeed," Robin agreed. "Little Ace-chan has also claimed the world record for youngest individual given an official bounty. It is nearly ironic that the only other who could claim such was Luffy's late brother with the Infant Slaughter, though that was never made public until two years ago, nor was there any bounty."

"To think the World Government is willing to put that kind of money on a kid and even rush a wanted poster to the point of using that picture," Kaku said. "They really have sunk to that level. And here I thought they hit rock bottom with Robin's story."

"Wow," Grace blinked. "They really don't want you to have influence over your son."

"The Heir of Chaos," Franky mused. "Gotta admit, that's a super cool epithet."

"It also cements Nami's argument from before we reached Fishman Island," Brook added. "If this poster had come out and we'd agreed to leave Ace somewhere else, she would've worked us to the bone getting there to pick him up. Yohoho!"

"It also destroys any chance o' Ace havin' a normal life," Gin said. "Not that any of us do 'round here."

The ship rumbled, Merry perking up at the sound. A rope shot from her sleeve, the Klabautermann pulling herself up into the rigging.

"Marine ships off our starboard!" she called, locating the source of Sunny's warning. "We've found our mark!"

"They've got dad?" Lily questioned.

"They've got a giant on a raft in the middle of four warships. If that's not your dad, we'll never find him."

"Perfect," Robin grinned, taking command in lieu of Nami still foaming at the mouth silently swearing bloody murder on whoever put a bounty on her child. "Sunny, please follow at a distance to maintain visuals without risking discovery. We must convene to create a plan of attack."

"I've got a plan." Luffy offered. "Attack."

"That's not a plan!" the rest of the crew, Lily, and Kaku yelled. Their volume seemed to snap Nami out of her stupor.

"Shut up!" the woman roared, rounding on the group. "Don't wake my baby during nap time!"

"Oh good, you're back," Luffy grinned. "We found Lily's dad."

"They've got four battleships," Usopp said, knowing Luffy wouldn't find that information relevant considering his offered plan. "I agree with Robin. We can't charge in without a plan."

"Sunny's laid out a map in the lounge," Merry said as she landed on the deck, rolling her momentum away. "The waters are calm, so she can follow without us needing to keep an eye out. We've got time to make a perfect assault. We'll get Panz, spirit him away, and toast our victory with a party."

"Everyone, to the lounge!" Luffy ordered. The crew moved as bid, Sanji kicking Zoro in the side to wake the swordsman. With barely a motion, the one-eyed verdet blocked the attack.

"Oi! Get up, Shitty Moss!"

"Go drool over some butt, Stupid Noble."

"You wanna say that again, Moss Brain‽"

"Let me say it right in your face so you and your swirly eyebrows can read my lips, Ero-Cook!"

"We don't have time for this!" Coby complained, he and Gin each grabbing one of the arguing men. Sanji and Zoro continued to growl at each other as they were dragged to the lounge. There upon a table, Sunny had commandeered pieces of various games and other paperweights to lay out the marines' formation. The crew gathered around, noting that the four battleships (represented by some of Ace's toy ships and peppered with tiny game pegs) were organized into a diamond formation. The raft in the center of them (a decorative plate) had a miniature caricature of Luffy that Ace had made using sticks, coral, and rope. Since Luffy held said child in their midst, that must represent Panz Fry.

"Alright," Nami began, leaning over the table so her arms supported her weight as she studied the diorama. "Four battleships and a raft in the middle and we need to extract a giant from under their noses. Thoughts?"

"Get in, kick butt, get out," Zoro grunted.

"That's easier said than done," Grace commented. "There are probably a hundred eyes on Panz Fry at any moment. We can't teleport him out without being seen."

"It… might be even harder than that," Merry said. "I don't know how up on the news you've been, but ever since Moby Dick revealed himself two years ago and took Whitebeard's place as an Emperor, the population of known Klabautermanns has risen exponentially. I helped Boss Iceberg carve hearts for five of them during our time apart and there have been reports of even marines treating their ships with love. They rarely stay on one ship with a dedicated crew long enough to create one of us, but I know of at least two Marine Klabautermanns that have come to light as publicity stunts: the Rover and Fighters Spirit, owned by Garp and G-8, respectively. It's unlikely but possible we could face some here."

"Klabautermanns can sense each other at distance," Kaku offered. "We aren't sure how or why, but if there's even a partial spirit, getting Merry in will be harder'n beatin' a possum at acting."

"Lucky for us, Sunny isn't the only super ship we have," Franky cut it. "Both the Ladybug 2 and the Shark Submerge 3 can carry part of the crew, not to mention those of us that can fly."

"We aren't getting out undetected," Sanji breathed. "Panz is just too big for that. Either we need to get him to swim or we need to steal the raft."

"The latter is implausible," Robin observed.

"Super-duper hard, Captain," Coby said, Luffy closing his mouth as his unspoken question was answered.

"The former, however, contains considerable merit considering how little the marines could do to a giant. I trust Sunny has the strength to pull Panz Fry through the water behind her?"

"You know it!" Franky grinned.

"And that's why Merry will be leading one of the distraction teams," Nami decided. "We'll break into three teams lead by Merry, Coby, and Usopp."

The crew had various reactions, but none so pronounced as Usopp's or Amy's. The sniper's mouth fell open, his eyes bulging as his head whipped around to stare at the navigator. Amy goggled, the blonde also staring at the young mother.

"Me?" the sniper managed.

"Him?" the baker demanded.

"Let me explain," Nami said. "Merry will lead team one, the flying team. This group will consist of Merry, Sanji, Kaku, Billy, and Amy. You all will keep a visual of the marines from the sky and intercept them if something goes wrong."

"Wah!" Billy saluted.

"Team two will be the distraction team consisting of Coby, Gin, Franky, Brook, and Luffy. You all will take the Ladybug and flank them. You'll use big, obvious attacks to attract their attention and give them the run around." Luffy raised his hand. "Luffy, Coby will explain what I mean later." Luffy lowered his hand.

"Wait," Gin blinked. "Donna, does that mean Usopp's in charge of the infiltration team?"

"Me?" the sniper questioned again.

"That's right," Nami responded. "Usopp will take Zoro, Grace, Robin, Chopper, and Lily in the Shark Submerge and sneak in while the other teams distract them. I trust you'd want to meet him since he's a giant and your… aversion to danger should help keep you from acting too early. Extract Panz Fry and get him to swim to the Sunny. She'll pull him while the other teams get out and meet back up here. If we have to beat them off to get away, we'll deal with it then. Sound like a plan?"

"What about you and Ace?" Luffy questioned. Nami turned toward him, gently setting a hand on the head of their sleeping son.

"He'll stay here on the ship away from danger. Sunny can watch over him while we're away. I'll be overseeing everything from my waver. Everyone, be in constant communication. If things go wrong—"

"Pardon," Coby interrupted, "but I think you mean when things go wrong."

"Fine. When things go wrong, improvise and get everyone out. They'll know we're there by then, so go nuts, I guess."

The Ladybug chugged along the surface of the water, her red and black paintjob bright but altogether small for the vast ocean. Franky sat behind the wheel, Coby at his side while Gin, Brook, and Luffy filled the back. The skeleton picked at the strings of his guitar, a lively melody filtering through the air.

"And that's what Nami meant when she said to give them the run around," Coby finished, the Zoan glancing back to see if their captain had followed along with his explanation.

"So it just means to get their attention so they chase you even though they can't run on the ocean?" Luffy blinked. "Why didn't she just say that?"

"She did, just not is so many words."

"Oh." Luffy nodded, but the rest of his present crew concluded that he tallied it as just another thing that people say in complicated words or weird ways for no reason. "So when are we starting? I'm getting hungry."

"You're always hungry," Gin chuckled. Coby turned his eyes from the back seat to the skies, his enhanced vision picking out the bird-like specks that were his fellow pirates. Up above, Merry, Sanji, and Kaku used their Moonwalk (or variants) the stay airborne while Amy rode Billy beside them. The snail in Coby's pocket rung, the young man pulling it out with a ca-lick.

"Merry here," the voice of the Klabautermann announced. "Fly Squad is in position. No Marine fairies felt. I think we can conclude that they won't be a problem today."

"Good." Nami said, the snail nodding in time with her. "What is D-team's position?"

"Two o'clock to the marines," Merry answered.

"We're under the raft," Usopp offered, his voice shaky. "Nothing's come for us so far, so I think we're good."

"Alright," Nami grinned. "D-team, light up."

"That means go, right?" Luffy asked as Coby hung up. The roset nodded. "Let's go! Franky, take us in!"

"You got it, Captain!" the cyborg responded, turning the wheel to port. The Ladybug banked, all but charging the marines on the horizon. Their battleships grew, dwarfing the coming paddleboat. Bells and whistles rose from the battleship in the lead as the Ladybug came into view, what they could see of the deck by the railings coming to life with activity. "Marines ahead! I think they've super seen us!"

"Throw me, Coby!" Luffy ordered, jumping onto the Zoan's hands. Coby grunted, launching the young father upward where Luffy continued to climb in height with Moonwalk. "Third Gear: Gum-Gum Giant Pistol!"

A shape shot from the deck of the marine ship, the figure intercepting the massive fist and redirecting it to the side. Luffy's attack still grazed the side, sheering off the port railing and peeling the metal hull down from the force. Marines scrambled to assess the damage and make necessary repairs while others reached for their rifles.

"It's the Straw Hats!" a voice yelled. Coby assumed it was the one in charge, but he was too far away to make out any details other than it was a man wearing purple with long hair. "Ships two through four, give chase! Capture them!"

"Beat it!" Luffy ordered as his arm deflated, Franky throwing his detachable hand to grab the captain and pull him back to their little craft. Luffy hit the seats hard, but Franky had already moved, throwing the lever needed to put the Ladybug in high gear. Her decorative wings buzzed as the gears beneath went into overdrive, the small boat peddling away.

The two battleships on either side and the one behind surged forward, three of the four now giving chase to the Straw Hats' shopping vessel while the attacked ship, the one connected to the raft, slowed.

"Brook, you can freeze things, right?" Coby asked as the head of the Marine operation hopped onto the closest ship.

"That I can," the skeleton confirmed.

"Great. Freeze the water behind us as best you can. Gin, use your electricity to melt about half of it."

"Understood," the monk nodded.

"I don't get it," Luffy admitted as his crewmates moved to follow Coby's plan. "Why make ice just to get rid of it?"

Above, the Fly Squad (as Merry called them) watched the three battleships as they pealed away from their formation to chase the Ladybug. Ice bloomed over the water at Brook's beckoning, the crystals almost beautiful. Whenever the structure was large enough to take some damage without falling apart, Gin would lash out with a bold of lightning, the ice wherever it struck flash boiling into steam that then cooled into fog. Under Franky's guidance, the Ladybug arced around, clearly trying to encircle their chosen battlefield in said fog.

"You clever lizard," Merry grinned. Her grin faltered, however, as a figure leapt from one of the ships and started making its way toward the smaller vessel. "Look alive, everyone! We've got a bogie inbound. Fly Squad, intercept!"

Merry lead the charge, the rest of her contingent following as they launched forward toward the figure. It seemed to sense them, turning to face the approaching group. He was a marine with long hair in a mohawk and a well-groomed mustache, dressed in a purple pinstripe suit and his Marine coat hung from his shoulders like a cape in that way that so many marines preferred. His eyes narrowed, the man drawing a blade with a flower-like guard before whipping it forward, launching a flying slash at the pirates.

Merry responded in kind, the ship-girl launching a pair of Tempest Kicks that met the slash with a burst of wind.

Kaku pushed, overtaking Merry. He vanished with a cry of "Shave!" and reappeared with his swords locked on the marine's.

"Vice-Admiral Momonga," Kaku greeted. "It's been too long. How's the wife?"

"'Spring Wind' Kaku," the marine grunted. "You traitor. So you've joined the Straw Hat Pirates, have you? Was this your defection plan all along?"

"Didn't exactly plan any of it," the ex-agent replied, the two swordsmen separating. "After I got run out of Water 7, I needed to go somewhere. I'm just a tag-along for now."

"Falling Ax!" A spinning Merry dropped from above the two, only for he leg to be intercepted by the blade the marine held. The Klabautermann gasped as her momentum hit the sharpened edge, severing the appendage. "Shit!"

"Concasè!" Sanji yelled, his own kick landing on the flat of the sword. Billy dove, catching Merry as Amy threw herself through the air at the Vice-Admiral. He jumped away from the ballistic woman, only for the hooked end of her parasol's grip to catch the chef's leg, the blond adding his own force as Amy corrected her course.

"Parasol Shoot!" the pair called.

Back on the ocean, the Shark Submerge surfaced beside the raft, the giant's bulk hiding it from the already-distracted marines on the deck. Robin was the first one out, the woman blooming eyes across the surroundings as she scanned for possible danger. Zoro, Grace, and Lily boarded the raft as she did so, the trio followed by Usopp and Chopper bringing up the rear.

The giant prisoner, a giant comparable in size to Dorry and Broggy back on Little Garden, was chained to a cross set in the middle of the raft. He had a bag over his head, the symbol for "sin" stamped across the sackcloth.

"The situation is clear," Robin informed them, the giant's head jerking at the sudden voice. "The Vice-Admiral is engaging with the Flying team while the other three ships are in pursuit of the Ladybug. Luffy severely damaged the remaining ship. I estimate we have five minutes or so."

"Father!" Lily called, the girl in her one-foot form hopping up to stand on Zoro's shoulder. "Dad!"

"Lily?" the giant rumbled. "Is that you? What are you doing here?"

"I found some friends to help me rescue you!"

"Panz Fry," Robin interrupted as Chopper gave a cursory look over the giant for any serious wounds. "Much of our crew is currently distracting the marines."

"Zoro, cut him loose," Usopp said. "We have to get out of here before the marines notice us."

Zoro nodded, his first slash cutting the bag away so Panz could see those rescuing him before the swordsman proceeded to the chains. The giant blinked, his eyes having to adjust to the sudden light. He wasn't ready for the lost of the chain supporting him, the man sliding to the raft from his half-standing position. His bulk sent the floating platform rocking, seawater sloshing over the edges.

"Who?" the giant rumbled. "What? How? Lily, what's going on?"

"We don't have time to explain!" Usopp insisted. "We have to—"

"Hey! The prisoner's escaping!"

"Aaahh!" Usopp screamed. "Someone do something!"

"Doce Fluer: Clutch!" Robin crossed her arms and clenched her fists, her bloomed arms cracking the backs of the closest marines. "We've been noticed," she noted.

"I know!" Usopp yelled, the activity on the ship building.

"Dad, do you have the strength to swim?" Lily asked. "If you can make it to their ship, we can get away!"

"I think so," Panz responded, pulling himself to his feet. "Just let me—"

His shoulder exploded, or more accurately, something exploded upon contact with his shoulder, the giant staggering from the force. His old shirt singed, the man staggered. Again, the shifting of his bulk caused the raft to unbalance, throwing Usopp and Chopper off their feet.

"The Hell was that?" Zoro demanded.

To the wider area, the explosion was large enough to catch the attention of both the D-team and the Fly Squad as well as the marines they were trying to distract. If it wasn't the initial flare, it was the sound or the smoke, but one way or another, every sentient in the area knew.

"Someone attacked Panz!" Amy yelled.

"What?" Momonga questioned, his Iron Body defense tanking a punch from Amy.

"You ordered that, didn't you?" Sanji accused, Merry swinging around his leg as she recovered from another near-miss with the Vice-Admiral, having regenerated her leg by destabilizing. "You had plans to kill him if someone tried to rescue him."

"Of course not!" Momonga rebuffed. "The law states that, when captured, all pirates must stand trial before sentencing! They are not to be killed or executed unless actively resisting or pose too much risk in the current circumstance!"

"But wait," Merry blinked. "If you all didn't do it, and we didn't do it… who did?"

"I don't know," the marine scowled, "but I intend to find out. I will defeat you pirates, but I think this breach of protocol takes precedence as I am under orders to escort Panz Fry, not capture you. Will you agree to a temporary ceasefire until we understand more?"

"You're surprisingly nice for a marine," Amy commented. She turned, each pirate making eye contact with the others. They nodded. "Yeah, we agree to your conditions."

"Very well." An uncomfortable bargain for all struck, the group made their way to the raft. Another submarine had breached, its surface littered with men dressed in dark cloaks. At its top stood two figures. One was a dark-skinned Longarm with a topknot hairstyle and a chest plate colored red and yellow with a white emblem of some kind. His arms were left bare save for a pair of red armored bands by his wrists, showing off his musculature.

The one at his side was an alpaca, but with clear machine parts along its neck and sides, the animal's neck resembling the barrel of a large gun.

"Baaararara!" the Longarm laughed. "Lookie here, boys! We come for one pirate and find us a plethora! Who are we looking at?"

"Sir!" one of his men called, his hands holding a stack of bounty posters. "Individuals here include 'Pirate Hunter' Zoro, 'Devil Child' Nico Robin, 'Long-Nose' Usopp, the 'Mood-Painting Magpie' Grace: new bounty of 55-million, and 'Monster Doctor' Chopper of the Straw Hat Pirates!"

"Crap!" Usopp yelped before seeming to remember that there was a giant he wanted to look brave in front of nearby. "O-Oi! Who do you think you are‽"

"Me?" the man grinned. "I'm the one who's gonna kill every last one of you damn pirates and help bring an end to the Great Pirate Era!"

The raft jerked, Momonga landing on it with a heavy thunk. He stood as the group he'd made a deal with landed beside their fellow pirates. Usopp and Chopper squeaked, hugging each other.

"Shuzo," the Vice-Admiral grunted, eyeing the group that had interrupted the battle. "I thought you were dead."

"Momonga," the now-named Shuzo responded. "Why are you standing there and not fighting the wanted pirates behind you?"

"There are processes to be followed. You should know that. Are you the one responsible for all the destroyed pirates these last few months in the area?"

"I am," the man nodded. "Now step aside and let me and my men kill these pathetic pirates. Or better yet, help us do so."

"I can't allow that. Pirates must be taken to trial before—"

"Always so by the book," Shuzo interrupted with a shake of his head. "I should have known. Fine then. If you won't help us or step aside, then you're an enemy in collaboration with pirates, and I will be your judge and jury. Alpacacino!" The alpaca at his side perked up at its name. The animal opened its mouth, a light shining from within. "Fire at will."

And the alpaca spit up a missile.

End of Chapter 28

I'll admit, the last part of this chapter feels rough, but there was little more I could describe without getting repetitive. Still, I hope the revelations at the start make up for it. What do you all think? How will Ace's bounty affect their adventures down the line? I want to hear what you all have to say! So:

Read and Review!

-SwordOfTheGods