This is coming out a little later than I would have liked, but the chapter turned out to be longer than I'd expected as I tried to wrap up the looser ends from this arc. Most of those, however, have their final knots tied in with the Dressrosa arc. For you all, my wonderful Patrons: Andrew Bohl, Animephilosopher1, Ankhseram123, Ant Franklin, Badmr7, Cam Bliss, Christopher Mitchell, Clark Kent, Claude Walker, Cordell Sanders, Cory Johnston, Darko129, David, David Bowling, David Reynolds, Emi Stafford, Eric Bandel, Eugene Malone Jr., EvilJelly, Fenrir ragnarok, FlakeTrain, Garvin Lee Nelson-Mathlin, GLADIUS315, GODA98, Illiasse Naji, Immagenius, Inucbus, Jacob McCarthy, JEP1010, Jkat, John Mekjian, Jonathan Moh, Joseph Baty, Joseph Cheung, Joseph Morrison, Joseph Vargas, Joshua Groves, Kcx1, Kevin Calderon, Korakas, Lamont Hale, MAEGHT Maxime, Marielle Orff, Matt Walther, Matthew Burley, McBanjo, Mcgin28, Milagros Peres Davila, Milla, Neridian, Rafael Cardenas, ReactedLyric, Richard Barkley, Riley Bolerjack, Ryuu, Sasha, TheWolfThatExist, Thomas Sanders, Tom Peissig, and ViewtifulSoul!

I bring you now, the final chapter of Punk Hazard!

Chapter 55:

Frozen Farewell

As it turned out, getting out of the basement without a Logia Fruit was incredibly difficult, especially with Caesar's shifty eyes looking for every opportunity to escape despite the Sea Prism Stone cuffs. Luffy, Amy, and Law ended up having to widen the hole in the ceiling before backing away as Grace redirected and crystalized the Shinokuni gas that flowed in. Restructuring said chemical into a latter was almost trivial by comparison but clearing the way so that no one petrified was the most difficult part.

Thankfully, once Caesar had been cuffed and most of the gas dealt with, overall cleanup turned out to be pretty easy. Law was quick to locate the crew's den-den mushi, such having been put into storage with the rest of the adult den-den on the island. For a hidden mad scientist, Caesar had a rather impressive collection of such, each one with different characteristics and colors. One had a shock of pink hair and lipstick, another black hair and a blue body that almost looked scaled, and yet another pink one with pointed sunglasses among the rest.

Law identified these snails as connecting to Big Mom, Kaido, and Doflamingo respectively, but not even the Warlord could identify every snail. Under duress, Caesar could, Tashigi having to make of list of kingdoms, pirates, and Marines that had been in contact with Caesar as his raw material suppliers from foodstuffs to the kidnapping of the children. It seemed DAGGER would have a field day of internal investigations once the list was passed to someone up the chain while the ones connected to pirates were confiscated. Rear-Admiral T-Bone seemed to be Smoker and Tashigi's primary choice to handle the coming investigations.

They met with the rest of the group several hours later, Ace's eyes puffy but the boy thankfully asleep in his mother's arms. He had not taken Bucktoof's sacrifice well and cried himself to sleep after a tantrum. Luffy carried him easily as they made their way back to the shore, Grace clearing more and more of the gas as they went. Nami carried the dragon egg, intending to use it to pacify her son when he woke up.

"So, Smoker," Nami began as they started their decent, Merry on a call with Sunny telling her they were on their way to the shore. "What are you marines gonna do?"

"I am not sure I understand your question, Cat Burglar," the commodore replied.

"Well, you all could try to arrest us, but I really doubt you want to do that," she explained with a smirk. "That being said, I want to know what your plan is moving forward."

"We will take Caesar into custody," the man said. "I have authority over G-5 since our commander Vice-Admiral Vergo is on leave. As such, it falls to me to see Caesar arrested and these children returned to their parents. After the gigantification has been counteracted, of course."

"How?" Merry asked, cutting into the conversation. "Sunny says your ship sank as a result of the Shinokuni affecting its wooden structures. It's a damn shame, too. You had a half-formed Klabautermann in that ship. Luckily, it wasn't sentient yet."

"We will just have to request another ship," Smoker answered, his jaw clenching at the information that they had been in the process of forming a Klabautermann. Despite their slow increase in known population, Wood Fairies borne from marines were far rarer than any other and creating one would have been another thing he could lord over the heads of those who didn't like him. On the other hand, Smoker wasn't sure he wanted to see a being that was a mixture of the marines of G-5. Such a thing would be chaotic at the best of times and unmanageable at worst. "I am not sure we could have fit the children on our warship anyway."

"Ah, that's right," Law muttered, a hand coming to rest on his chin. "I suppose I should offer you some thanks while I'm thinking about it, Ghost Ship."

"Me?" Merry asked. "What'd I do?"

"Your wanted poster and Moby Dick's subsequent reveal to the world sent tremors through sailing as everyone knew it. When we get a chance at some point, Polar Tang wants to meet you."

"So even your crew has a Klabautermann, Surgeon of Death," Smoker sighed, running a hand through his hair. "What a pain. HQ will want to know about this."

"How long do you think it will take the other marines to arrive with a ship that can carry the kids?" Nami asked, redirecting the conversation.

"Assuming they have more discipline than these fools?" Tashigi muttered, ignoring the insulted "Hey!" of G-5's lesser members. "A day. Maybe two. Less if there's a large enough ship nearby already, but I wouldn't count on that."

"That's a long time for these kids," Chopper commented, keeping an eye on the children as they played in the halls behind them, Kaku and Coby looking after them while keeping their senses on the lookout of any dangerous creatures remaining. Thankfully, it seemed most of them had either fallen victim to the gas or were smart enough to avoid such a large group. "Their symptoms will return by tonight if we don't manage to do anything."

"Caesar~!" Grace muttered, forming an argon katar and setting the purple blade at the neutralized Logia's throat. "Please, tell me you found a depressant to counteract the NHC10."

"Why would I?" the horned man sniffed, turning his face away from the shorter chemist. "I am unaffected by such chemicals and anyone on the island who was affected by it would have been under my direction or befallen to it by their own stupidity. It is not my problem if idiots go and get themselves killed."

"No, but we're making this your problem now," the diminutive pirate commented. "While the Marines request a ship, you, Chopper, Law, Gin, Big Sis, and I will be working on a counter for the drug."

"Th' hell am I s'possed t'do t'help?" Gin questioned. "I mean, Amy can bake an' that's almost science, but me?"

"Security," Grace waved off. "Don't worry too much about the details. Merry, do you want to come, too?"

"Nah," the white-haired fairy waved off. "You've got enough folks already and I want to help Franky make sure Sunny's alright when she comes back."

"If you're su—"

Caesar elbowed Grace as she redirected her attention, the scientist trying to make a break for it as one hand dug through his coat. Finding what he was looking for, the cuffed man turned, holding a heart in his grasp.

"Stop!" he ordered, holding the organ over his head. "Release me now, or the Pirate Hunter dies!"

Zoro blinked with his one good eye, the sound of his moniker dragging his attention in. "Ah? What's this got to do with me?"

"This is your heart, swordsman! If I crush it, you will die! It doesn't matter how strong you are!"

The pirates glanced at each other, those with Observation sensing an aura of smugness practically radiating off the Warlord in their midst.

"I lied to you, Caesar," Law grinned. Nervous sweat started to bead on the scientist's face. Slowly, Caesar lowered the heart and looked down at it, noting that the organ was still and somewhat cold to the touch. "But, speaking of hearts, that's a good idea. Room."

Law stabbed forward with his oversized sword, Caesar letting out a silent scream as his own heart was removed from his body. It quickly appeared in the Warlord's hand, the man offering it to Smoker.

"It's not exactly a chest full," the pirate doctor joked, "but here's his heart. Caesar's useless to me if Doflamingo's already decided to get rid of him. A quick squeeze of this should keep him in line from now on."

"A squeeze, you say?" Smoker responded, accepting the offering. He compressed it between his fingers, causing Caesar to double over, clutching at his chest with a gasp. "I see. That's actually very useful."

"What, no thank you?"

"As if I would ever thank a pirate."

"Eh, I don't really care either way." Smoker stuffed the heart in his coat, ignoring the Warlord.

"Dammit!" Caesar hissed, throwing the one he held to the floor. It shattered like ice upon contact, causing one of Law's eyebrows to raise. That didn't usually happen.

"Alright, Caesar," Grace said, marching toward the taller man with a grin that sent a shiver down his spine. "You've had your fun now. Law, could you lead the group and get started? I'll catch up later after I've cleared the shore."

"I suppose that's acceptable," the doctor nodded, grabbing Caesar by the collar. "Come on. We've got work to do."

Most of the indicated group left, following the Warlord and the scientist who dragged his shoes along the floor in a vain attempt to slow the coming of his fate.

"When will you put out that call, White Chaser?" Robin inquired. "Not that any of us intend to eavesdrop on your conversation, of course, but surely it would be for the best if you commenced said interaction post-haste."

"What do you want?" the man asked.

"Want?" Robin parroted, covering her mouth with a hand. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

"I imagine she's asking how much you're going to tell your bosses," Sanji clarified around a cigarette. "Will you tell them we were here? That we worked together? Where we're going?"

"Where are we going again?" Luffy blinked.

"Dressrosa, Sweetheart," Nami sighed with a not-insignificant undercurrent of fondness. "Remember? The harpy took Velo to Doflamingo at Dressrosa and Kin'emon's friend is already there."

"Oh, right," Luffy nodded. "I'd almost forgotten about that crazy bastard. He's the one who cut me during the war."

"He is?" Zoro blinked.

"Yeah," the captain muttered, one hand shifting from Ace's back to the edge of the X-shaped scar his sleeping son currently covered. "After… Well, after Akainu got my brother and Coby almost died saving me, Mingo caught us. I couldn't move at all and he cut this scar into me, telling me I was too entertaining to kill."

"Then I guess we'll just have to return the favor," Usopp commented with a sagely nod. "We'll see how amusing he thinks our crew is once we rip him off his throne."

"You realize that, as a Warlord, he has the protection of the World Government for as long as he does not threaten them or civilians, yes?" Smoker reminded them.

"Yet you want us to take him down," Sanji breathed. "I don't think you ever told us why, though."

"Isn't funding Caesar Clown and making deals with Kaido enough reason?"

"Obviously not," Robin said. "If that much was adequate, then the Marines could simply revoke Doflamingo's title, stripping him of his protections. Rather, there is some other reason you have asked us to accept the roll as a strike force. Maybe a grudge against the Warlord system after your experience with Crocodile? Perhaps you think us expendable?"

"You needn't worry, Robin-chwan~!" Sanji noodled. "Unlike the men, you aren't expendable to me~!"

"Shut your gob, you swirly-eyed bastard," Zoro snarled.

"Make me, moss-for-brains."

The pair rammed their foreheads together, growling. Everyone ignored them with the ease of practice. Smoker and Tashigi copied their example while sections of the marine foot soldiers did the opposite and took sides in the argument.

"It's the people of Dressrosa, isn't it?" Nami asked. "If the government made any move against Doflamingo, he'd be able to take the whole country captive with his position as king. If they like him enough, Dressrosa could even go Revolutionary. If something happened, it'd be on the Marines' shoulders. That's why you want us to do it."

"All these details are giving me a headache," Luffy complained. "He's a bad guy doing bad guy things, right? If that's the case, Coby'll want us to go stop him in the name of his Dream. Besides, Traffy wants to kick his ass and Kin and Momo need to go there anyway. That's all there is to it."

"Woe is me to not be able to live such a simple life," Tashigi moaned.

"Trust me, Copycat," Merry grinned. "Nothing about our lives except our captain's reasoning is that simple. I wouldn't have it any other way, though. The chaos and insanity is why I love this crew."

"I though it was because you're a mixture of all of us," Usopp blinked.

"I'm a mixture of most of you," Merry corrected. She tapped her head with a finger "I've got practically no Franky in here and nothing from Brook nor Billy. And though she's not a member anymore, I do have a bit of—"

"Ah-bup-bup!" Usopp warned, covering the Klabautermann's mouth.

"I already know you have a connection to Vivi Nefertari, Princess of Alabasta," Smoker said, an eyebrow quirked. None of the pirates replied verbally, but the way a number of the oldest members (not in age but in length of membership, almost ironically) and Billy turned gave them away. Tashigi gaped at her commanding officer, Smoker having refused to tell her even after two years. "You gave it away when we talked on the ice, Straw Hat."

"Oh yeah, I forgot!" Luffy laughed. "I always was pretty bad at keeping secrets! Yeah, Vivi's a friend."

"Luffy, shut up!" Usopp hissed. "What if they put a bounty on her‽"

"They won't," the rubber pirate said. "Smokey's known for two years now and they haven't, so they won't now."

"Odd as this instance may be, our captain makes a compelling argument," Robin offered.

"The world is doomed," the sniper lamented. "Fatherhood has made Luffy smarter and the universe cannot support it!"

"I can make good arguments!"

"About what?" Usopp questioned, rounding on the rubber pirate. "The pros and cons of each type of meat?"

"Well, yes," the captain replied, double checking that his son was well and truly asleep. "But I can also argue about how my sex life is better than yours, Usopp."

"Luffy!" Nami and Usopp yelled as they turned red, one in embarrassment and the other in anger. Luffy laughed with the rest of the pirates —minus Sanji who was foaming at the mouth— and ducked under Usopp's attempted grapple. Brook and Franky in particular made their humor about the situation known, the former plucking a jolly tune to go with the merry chase.

"V-Vivi Nefertari was a member of your crew‽" Tashigi gasped, finally regaining use of her jaw. "Wha… How? Why?"

"It's actually a pretty funny story," Nami grinned, thankful for the excuse to move back to a more wholesome subject. She ignored the sniper trying —and failing— to catch her slippery husband. "We first met her when she was trying to kill our musician's island whale Laboon…"

The navigator proceeded to tell the story of their first few adventures in the Grand Line, with a few edits and omissions to limit the roles of others like Dalton and Kureha who could be seen as guilty of something in the wrong light, but it confirmed how the crew met Amy, Grace, Chopper, and Robin, if not in that exact order. The length of the story lasted until they reached the first floor and stepped out toward the doors the children had broken in their addiction-fueled rage.

"The outside world is scary…" Momonosuke muttered after hearing of the Straw Hats' adventures. Sword fights he could understand, and he was slowly coming to understand the idea of Devil Fruits, but the idea of true Giants on an island of prehistoric monsters terrified him.

"If you think that's crazy, wait until you hear about the zombies," Nami grinned. "That's where Luffy and I finally got married and Zoro actually fought an undead samurai."

"Undead samurai‽" both Momonosuke and Kin'emon gasped. "Who‽ Where‽"

"We're here." Grace gestured for them to stop, the chem-woman stepping forward as she moved her hands. The remaining Shinokuni in the area began to swirl inward, bits of it rising from the snow and the rest from the air as it slowly condensed into a ball in front of the artist and thief. She focused, forcing the sphere of dangerous gas into a smaller and smaller space, sweat beading the back of her neck.

Several minutes passed before Grace muttered something, the outside of the sphere crystalizing from the bottom up, creating a ball a little bigger than the average human heart. She could not just stop, the redhead pulling the sphere to herself. Her hand dropped under the weight as it settled in her palm.

"That," she panted, "should be the last of it."

"That's the entirety of the remaining gas?" Smoker clarified.

"No, but everything left should be so diluted that it isn't dangerous," the young woman responded. She eyed the sphere in her hand, the whole thing glittering like a very dangerous purple gemstone. "Question is, what should we do with this? One wrong move and the shell will crack. Pardon me, but I don't trust the Marines nor the Government with it."

"I don't blame you," Smoker admitted. "If that thing were on a ship with my men, they would find a way to break it within 15 minutes of sailing. That said, I am uncomfortable leaving it to you pirates."

"We don't want it around!" Usopp said. "What if it breaks on the Sunny? I don't want to risk it!"

"Sounds like our only choice is to drop it into the sea," Merry commented, leaning over to study the crystalized gas. "More than likely, some Sea King will swallow it and petrify from the inside, using up the rest of the gas. If not, it'll disperse into the water and dilute to the point where it's only a risk for minnows."

"I don't exactly like it, but it's the best plan we've got," Grace agreed. "Well, I'll carry it for now, if that's ok with you all."

"No objections from us," Robin nodded. The group parted as they exited the building, the children rushing past to play in the snow once more. The petrified forms of Scotch, Rocks, and the eel-crabs quickly became something like jungle gyms for the kids, morbid as the image was. With the children now out of harm's way, Coby and Kaku rejoined the group.

"What'd we miss?" the Ancient Zoan questioned.

"Not too much," Luffy replied as Merry called Sunny again, this time to tell her the shore was safe. Grace moved to the edge of the water, making sure that there was not enough Shinokuni in the lake or floating about at the edge of her range to damage their ship as she returned. "We were just telling Smoker about our first couple months in the Grand Line."

"You didn't tell him about my first day with my powers, did you?"

"Not in any detail," the navigator promised, the roset letting out a relieved sigh. "Grace called dibs on that story."

"Dammit," Coby muttered. "Of course she did."

"Well?" Robin prompted, eyeing Smoker. "Best to message your superiors now, White Chaser. Any procrastination is simply more time for you and the children to wait here in the snow."

"I am aware," the commodore sighed, reaching into his coat and pulling out his own snail. He stepped away from the group, dialing a memorized number.

"Hello?" a gruff voice answered, the one word still conveying how worn down the individual was. "What's the situation?"

"General Inspector Sengoku," Smoker greeted, the snail in his hands straightening at his voice. "There's been some… developments on Punk Hazard you should be made aware of before I make any official reports."

"Go on."

"The Straw Hats beat us to the island," he began. "Please, do not ask me how. It was only by their assistance that no one on our side was gravely injured or killed."

The snail sucked in a hard breath, visibly trying to calm down. "Who was on the island?"

"Doctor Caesar Crown, sir. He had three pirates as assistants, but two of them turned on him when we arrived and the third was abducted."

"Do I even want to know?"

"I'm afraid you need to, sir. There were three primary experiments happening on the island for three different customers. The first, the one that we'll need immediate intervention with, was a gigantification experiment Caesar was performing on children for the Emperor Big Mom. Several of the abducted children he had on the island took to the serum he made too well, growing to the size of young Giants, but every child here is addicted to the chemical NHC10 whether they grew or not."

"Of course they are," Sengoku hissed.

"We have Caesar in custody now," Smoker placated. "And a select group is working to neutralize the cravings the children have before we leave."

"Do I want to know who the brains in this 'select group' are?"

"Probably not, sir."

"And let me guess, you need transport off the island for the children?"

"And for ourselves since our ship was lost to a chemical weapon of Caesar's. I'd also like permission to contact Dr. Vegapunk for treatment to shrink the children back to their normal sizes."

"Fine." The snail rolled one of its tiny, little, mock hands, mimicking the former Fleet-Admiral's gesture to continue. "Granted. What were the other two experiments?"

"Caesar's foremost business interest was the creation of a chemical called SAD, something he was shipping to Donquixote Doflamingo in Dressrosa. Apparently, it is used to grow artificial Devil Fruits called SMILEs that he, in turn, is selling to Kaido."

"Please tell me you've destroyed what there was on the island."

"We did," Smoker confirmed. "There are… complications, though. These are connected to the third experiment."

"And that was…?"

"A member of the Beast Pirates named Doctor Velori Velo was on the island, experimenting on individuals whom we can only guess had eaten these SMILE Fruits, turning them into horrible monsters. Captain Tashigi, myself, and several of the pirates were forced to fight five of them."

"And where is this Velo now?"

"Gone," the Commodore answered. "Abducted by Monet of the Donquixote Familia as a replacement for Caesar according to Trafalgar Law."

"Law is there, too?"

"He was the other assistant who rebelled when we arrived. By his own testimony, he wanted to take Caesar to bring down Doflamingo for some personal grudge, but Velo's abduction ruined his plan."

"So let me get this straight," Sengoku sighed, the snail miming rubbing its forehead even though its 'hands' were too small to do that. "Our Warlord Trafalgar Law was working for a criminal ex-government scientist in a bid to rip down another Warlord. Caesar's other assistants, one, a member of the Beast Pirates whose Yonko boss Doflamingo is selling artificial Devil Fruits to, was taken by the other, a member of the Donquixote Familia, as Caesar's replacement. Did I get all that correct?"

"Yes, sir. To my knowledge."

"Based on your voice, there's more to this story that I am not going to like."

"Well, the news is a bit… mixed. Because of Velo's abduction, Law says Caesar is ours to take and I'm not going to argue with him. The Straw Hats have also agreed to ally with Law to topple Doflamingo from his throne because of slights against their captain during the Marineford War. Straw Hat now considers me a friend after I revealed to him the existence of DAGGER. By your command, I will exchange numbers with him and see if we can get him to do some of our dirty work for us."

"Granted," Sengoku said almost a little too quickly. "We just might avoid the destruction of the World Government as a whole at this rate. Anything else to report?"

"The Straw Hats have allied with a samurai from Wano and his son, both of whom seem to have a grudge against Kaido. By extrapolation, assuming their raid against Doflamingo is successful, the Beast King will be their next target."

There was a sound similar to the deflating of a balloon from the other side of the call. When Segoku next spoke, Smoker could heard ever year of the General Inspector's age. "Why did they have to come back? It wasn't peace, but their two-year absence was certainly less chaotic." He breathed out a sigh. "Have you gained any additional intel on them?"

"Yes, sir. To begin with, the Cat Burglar does not possess a Devil Fruit…"

Robin, satisfied with what she had heard of the call, dispersed the ear she'd grown on the marine's back. The woman turned her attention back to the shoreline before her, the Thousand Sunny almost leisurely pulling up to the snow-covered land. Her manifestation waved from the rigging.

"Sunny~!" Merry called, waving both her arms. "You're good? No petrified pieces or anything?"

"I'm good!" the ship replied, her smile nearly visible as the older Klabautermann took to the air with Moonwalk and just about tackled the younger —but taller— with a hug.

"Sunny, you would not believe what happened in there! I can't wait to tell you all about it!"

"So…" several of the marines questioned. "What do we do now?"

"What do you mean?" Luffy blinked, turning to the members of G-5. "Now we do what we always to when we finish one of our adventures."

"And what would that be?"

"We raid the kitchens and throw a party, of course!"

"Now that's an idea we can get behind!" the marines cheered.

"…Party?" the little voice of Ace questioned, the boy groggy as he awoke at the sound of the word.

"Sanji!" Luffy called. "Take the marines and find the kitchens! I want all the meat!" His eyes widened. "And get my snipe! We're eating that, too!"

"We'll see what we can do," the chef replied through a cigarette. "Don't get your hopes up, though. It's possible the monsters got to the kitchens before we did."

"You'll figure it out. And Ace, Mommy has something for you."

"Wha…?" He pawed at his eyes, trying to rub the remaining sleepiness from them as Nami came over, offering their son the dragon egg. His eyes widened at the spherical item, his hands reaching out to grab it.

"You should probably go put this on Sunny," his mother suggested as Luffy set the boy down. "I'm sure Merry and Sunny would be happy to help. We don't want to forget about it during the party and have it freeze, do we?"

"No," Ace agreed. "That'd be really, really bad."

"Then you better get going. I'm sure the other kids want to you go play with them once you're done." Ace nodded, running toward where Sunny lowered the gangplanks. Nami sighed. "Luffy, we're not going to mention Bucktoof, ok? It seems like Ace has forgotten for now and I'd like it to stay that way for as long as possible. You didn't see his tantrum, but I don't want to go through that again."

"That bad, huh?"

Nami laughed, turning a smile on her husband. "You remember what I was like when we lost money?" Luffy paled at the comparison. "Yeah, like that."

"Sorry, I'm glad I missed it."

A way from them, Coby stuck up behind Grace, the Zoan wrapping his arms around her. She didn't jump, so she must have sensed his approach, leaning into his muscular torso. She shifted, raising an item from one of her pockets.

"Is that a Devil Fruit?" Coby asked.

"Yup," the redhead grinned. It was a blue apple with swirls, no other decorations to denote its gifts present on its simple pattern. "Nicked it from Caesar earlier but I didn't want the marines to know. Don't know which one it is, though."

"We can force the answer out of him tonight. Or you can make him fess up later."

"So…" Grace muttered, tucking the Fruit back into her pocket. "We're taking down another Warlord."

"Nothing new there," the roset grinned. "This will make what, three?"

"Three out of six is pretty good for one crew," Grace grinned. "And we've got Law on our side, so that's four."

"Buggy's a Warlord now, and we kicked his ass back in the East Blue. Does that count? Plus, Captain Luffy's got some agreement with Hancock. We've got a pretty good track record." The two stood in silence as they watched the kids play on the petrified remains. As they watched, Ace ran down the gangplank, hurrying to join them.

"You know, I've got a bone to pick with Joker and his crew, too," the artist/chemist/art thief commented. "Not that I ever connected that Doflamingo was Joker until today, but he's got a subordinate that I have to settle a score with."

"Oh?" Coby blinked. "Do tell."

"…The King of Arts," she said after a moment of silence. "The so-called greatest art thief in the world. I've lost several scores to him over the years. He does contract work for Joker."

"Do you really think he's gonna to be in Dressrosa when we get there?"

"Maybe," Grace shrugged. "Maybe not. But if you run into him, don't take anything he says seriously. He really is a good thief, but he's got an ego to match."

"We'll deal with him if he comes," Coby nodded. "You know, between helping the kids and the party Captain Luffy wants to throw, it sounds like we're gonna be here through tomorrow. It's likely Doflamingo knows we're coming and will shore up his defenses."

Grace didn't reply, the young woman humming to herself. She seemed to come to a decision, turning her head to look at Coby out of the corner of her eye. Coby felt the shift in her body language, the Zoan turning to look at her. She reached up, grabbing the taller pirate by the hair and dragging his head down so her lips tickled his ear.

"Get your rest now," she whispered. "We're sailing into another dangerous fight, and I'm not waiting any longer than tonight."

Coby blushed, the skin of his face taking on a color similar to his hair. "G-Grace, I—"

She pushed out of his arms, a coy smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"I have to go help the others with that depressant and find out what Devil Fruit we have," she said with a wink. "I expect a reward after the party."

Coby's lips moved but no words came out. Grace sashayed away, entering the building again as she pulled out her snail to contact the research team for their location. The Zoan raised a hand, resting it on his burning face.

He really hoped no one saw that since he didn't need the teasing. That said, he might not care one way or another by daybreak.

"Time to show you how pirates party!" Luffy grinned, raising a mug of ale to the sky. The pirates had ransacked the lab for every wooden product they could get their hands on, lighting said furniture as a bright bonfire in the middle of the snow. What ingredients they had not been able to find inside had been readily available in Sunny's kitchen, meat (both snipe and otherwise) now roasting over a burning bookshelf. Robin had revealed a package of marshmallows, she and Chopper helping the children roast them while the adults drank.

Between the medical knowledge of Law, Caesar, and the Straw Hats as well as Grace's ability to stabilize chemicals that would be otherwise impossible, finding a chemical that could satisfy the children's cravings without the dangers of the NHC10 was… not trivial, but certainly not as difficult as it could have been. With Amy's expertise, they'd made a host of new candies, easily enough to last the children until the marines found the medical help they had promised.

Caesar watched all this merrymaking from a spot chained to the outside of Sunny's railing, his mouth gagged so his complaints couldn't ruin their fun.

"Zoro-dono!" Kin'emon demanded, only one mug of booze in and already with a redness to his cheeks. "That sword at your hip! It's the Shusui, is it not? How on earth did you get it‽ That is a national treasure of Wano!"

"I fought an undead for it," the green-haired swordsman answered easily.

"WHAT‽" Kin'emon and Momonosuke gasped, the latter poofing into his dragon form.

"Yeah, we fought this onion bastard who could control shadows, and his whole deal was stealing people's shadows and putting them in corpses."

"Is that the mechanism through which Brook-dono moves?" Kin'emon asked.

"No, that's a Devil Fruit he ate before dying, but it was still how we met. See, Moria, the shadow bastard, took Brook's shadow and put it into the body of a samurai named Ryuma."

"So this Moria is the one who defiled our sword god's grave!" Kin'emon growled, his eyes shadowing. "If I should ever meet this man, his head shall decorate a pike for what he did." He turned back to the pirate. "I take it, then, that you defeated this marionette of our greatest warrior?"

"Lit up with blue fire and gave me his sword," Zoro confirmed, fingering Shusui's handle. "It's served me well these last couple of years."

"Once we return to Wano, I hope you will agree to return Shusui to Ryuma's grave, Zoro-dono."

"Only if I get another sword that's just as good in return," Zoro replied with a shrug.

"And so, I pulled back Kabuto's pouch, my muscles straining and the wind making my eyes water," Usopp said, his arms spread wide as he regaled the surrounding marines with his story. "A hundred-hundred feet stood between me and my prey, one inch off and I would strike Robin, but—"

"Is that two-hundred or, like, a hundred times a hundred?" one of the marines interrupted.

"What?"

"You said a hundred-hundred. Is that two-hundred or—"

"Just let him tell the story!" another hissed.

"No, this is important information," another argued. "Ten-thousand is a much more impressive shot that two-hundred."

"What does it matter?" a third questioned. "It's not like either of you could do that."

"The point!" Usopp yelled. "The point is I was shooting into the wind across the Bridge of Hesitation and I still managed to nail that ugly panda Spandam in the face. Robin can tell you, one moment he was on top of the world and the next he was coughing smoke!"

"It was quite impressive," Robin agreed before any of the marines could argue the validity of Usopp's story, the woman with only one eye open. She was hiding her mouth behind a hand. "Quite satisfying as well. Very satisfying indeed." She licked her lips.

"Eh, I've met the guy," Tune commented around a hunk of meat. "Spandam's an asshole. He deserved it."

"Amy-dearest?" Sanji questioned, rotating the roasting snipe while his boot pressed against Luffy's face kept the salivating captain from diving into the fire after it. "Have you seen Grace anywhere?"

"Nope," the blonde replied, her voice tight. A smile was frozen on her face as her hands played with a pair of tongs. "N-No idea."

"That's an easy question," Luffy commented, a thumb pointing toward the lab. "She and—"

The tongs in Amy's hand broke with a SNAP, Luffy's mouth audibly closing as he picked up on her emotions. Sanji froze, his bangs shadowing his eyes.

"Captain?" he asked, his voice devoid of all emotion. "Permission to—"

"Nope," Luffy denied quickly. "I know nothing. You know nothing. Give me meat."

"That—"

"Meat!" Luffy dove for the snipe, Sanji's boot shooting out by instinct to knock the rubbery pirate away.

"It's not done yet, Luffy! And we still don't know if it's toxic!"

"Er, Amy?" The Weightless Woman turned from where the captain and chef were locked in a now-familiar wrestling match, the chocolatier finding their crew's monk extending a hand toward her. "You, uh… You look like you could use a distraction. Care to, uh, dance?"

"You don't sound too sure, Gin."

"I mean, I'm not th' best dancer, but Brook's promised t'help somehow."

Amy studied the Electric Demon for a moment before she grabbed a mug of booze and downed the whole thing in one go. Gin blinked before Amy threw the now-empty mug aside and grabbed him by the arm.

"Well, if Brook's promised to help…"

"You don't have to stay up here with me," Sunny said, she and her fellow Klabautermann lounging in her rigging where they could overlook the festivities below. "I mean, we could go get my Heart and hang out by the fire where it's warmer."

"You aren't strong enough to manifest away from the ship," Merry reminded her. "And fun as it is to carry your Heart around, us spirits just need some time away from the others once in a while."

"Too true." Sunny shifted as Merry turned to study her. Her hair had stabilized into a red the same color and shape as the mane of her figurehead and the ghostly-white of her skin was starting to shift to a more tan-yellow-pink, but Sunny's face was still missing everything but her indistinct smile. "…How much longer?"

"How much longer what, Sunny?"

"How much longer until I'm like you?" the younger Klabautermann clarified. "I wanna be able to carry my Heart around on land. I wanna be able to go shopping and sightseeing. I wanna jump off the ship to punch a bastard in the face. I wanna be able to show off everything Maker rigged me with but in a hand-to-hand fight."

"I can't really tell you," Merry shrugged. "If the crew as a whole goes through something seriously traumatic together, then by the end of our next adventure. If not, then it could be anywhere between a month and three." The other spirit seemed to pout. "Don't be like that, Sunny. You don't have to be in such a rush."

"But I want to help our crew, Merry."

"You are helping," the sheep-like Klabautermann insisted. "I can't carry them anymore and you're way stronger than I was as a ship. Trust me, Sunny. You're going to carry us to the One Piece. I know it."

"How can you know that?"

"I just do," Merry grinned. "Trust me. You were made by the best shipwrights in the world. I should know; I worked with them for two years." She looked over, her knowledge of body language telling her that Sunny wasn't quite convinced. Merry reached over, setting a hand on her shoulder. "Sunny, really. You'll fully manifest when we most need you to. My two greatest manifestations were in Skypia to fix myself up and Enies Lobby when I went to save the crew. You'll do something just as big, if not bigger, when the time comes."

"Yeah," Sunny smiled. "Yeah."

They watched the party go on throughout the night, individuals bowing out and either making their way into the Sunny to find their bed or moving into the lab in groups of three or four to sleep in huddles for warmth. By early morning, only Smoker and Tashigi were left by the dwindling fire, the soft music of the restless skeleton musician drifting from the crow's nest roof.

"Sir?" Tashigi asked, her commander staring into the dying embers of the fire. "What did the General Inspector have to say?"

"Our official report will cover almost everything from the incident here," he replied. "The presence of the children and the experiments they were exposed to will remain confidential from non-DAGGER personal, the Fleet Admiral included. Luckily, General Inspector Sengoku has already made a few calls. Vice-Admiral Doll will have space for the children at base G-14, so we won't have to explain their presence to Vice-Admiral Vergo when he returns from leave." He yawned. "We've also been approved to trade numbers with Straw Hat. With luck, he can become a useful asset."

"Can I—"

"No, you cannot challenge the Pirate Hunter to a dual in the morning."

Tashigi crossed her arms and pouted.

"Then how about—"

"You can't challenge Tri-Horn, either. We want them to be willing to do what we ask, Tashigi. Taking their swords would only sour this understanding we have or leave you a bloody mess."

"Goodnight, sir," the captain huffed, standing. "I'm going to bed, by your leave."

"Get some rest, Tashigi," Smoker confirmed. "I get the feeling we're all going to need it soon."

"Yes, Monster Doctor," Smoker repeated for the third time. "Our pick-up will be here in an hour. And yes, they've brought a ship large enough to carry the children."

"And you're certain your men have everything covered?" the reindeer doctor questioned.

"We can handle it," the commodore insisted, patting the bag that held the Recovery Candies the pirates had made the day before. "Get going, pirates. I'd rather not explain to command why you're still here, free, after so long."

"You all heard Smokey!" Luffy called as the morning sun inched its way up the sky. "We're setting sail for Dressed-Up Rose!"

"Dressrosa!" Nami corrected, bopping the captain in the back of the head. Ace and Chopper leaned over the railing, waving at the sniffling children (and marines) wishing them well.

"I can't wait to grow up," Sind muttered, trying to stifle his tears. "I'm gonna be an awesome pirate, too!"

"No no nonono!" Tashigi gasped, the woman turning frantic as Luffy and his crew laughed at the other children's agreement, even if Coby and Grace seemed a little out of it.

They'd had their adventure on Punk Hazard and were ready to move on, leaving the children and the captive Caesar in the care of G-5. With Law, Kin'emon, and Momonosuke aboard, they set sail for their next adventure.

End of Chapter 55

And so, we finally finish the Punk Hazard Arc! This has been a long time coming, but what do you all want to see in Dressrosa? And let me tell you, if you though this arc was long, I'm afraid we're both in over our heads for Dressrosa. And then Whole Cake's longer. And then Wano's longer than that.

Eh, anyway, tell me what you think, what you thought, and what you want to see!

Read and Review!

-SwordOfTheGods