Life changes are still challenging, so thank you for your patience and to all of you for sticking around: Andrew Bohl, Animephilosopher1, Ankhseram123, anony, Ant Franklin, Ashton Ryan-Cordero Nelson, Cam Bliss, 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, Immagenius, Inucbus, Jacob McCarthy, JEP1010, Jkat, John Mekjian, Jonathan Moh, Joseph Baty, Joseph Cheung, Joseph Morrison, Joseph Vargas, Joshua, 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!

Now, on to the chapter!

Chapter 58:

Of Fairies and Fruits

Though following the smell of food rather than anything visible, Luffy, Nami, and Ace found themselves in the same establishment as the man dressed in purple and his companion, the former sitting at a roulette table and the latter acting as his eyes to tell if the man won. He seemed to be on a hot streak, the rest of the table always copying his bet, though a few of the more risk-prone would go for numbers rather than a simple red or black. A group of black-dressed men and two women held deepening scowls with each round he won, the group that Nami suspected represented the house eyeing the blind man's companion with unmitigated disdain.

"All this food's so good!" Luffy cheered, Nami turning away from the gambling table —and the nagging sense that she should know one of the men there— to find her husband and son with their mouths stuffed and cheeks bulging. "I 'an't say halfa'it, but i's 'as'y!"

"Do not talk with your mouth full," she chastised, popping a cooked shrimp into her mouth. She relaxed, savoring the spices that danced over her tongue, and swallowed. "That said, this is really good. What's it called again?"

"That's a shrimp paella, miss!" a blue toy monkey with a yellow top hat said, clapping its cymbal-covered hands so the instruments made a great crash. "Or is it?"

"Mister Mankey Waiter!" Ace whined. "My soup's cold!"

"That's fairy pumpkin gazpacho!" the toy replied. "It's supposed to be cold!" Crash! "Or is it?"

"Is it?"

"It is!" Crash!

"Wha's—?" Luffy swallowed. "What's a fairy pumpkin?"

"Well, you see," —Crash— "in this country, many people still believe the old legends, you know." Crash! "Or do they?"

"What kinds of legends?" Ace asked.

"The stories of fairies, of course! Although, I suppose it's more accurate to say the people around here see things rather than just believe them." Crash! "Or do they?"

"Do they?"

"They do!"

"What kinds of things?" Nami questioned, leaning forward slightly.

"Well, the fairies themselves, obviously!" the toy replied. "They're Dressrosa's guardian deities according to the stories, but… Well, most people haven't seen them for themselves" —crash— "but we all know they exist."

"How do you know? Have you met one?"

"Well, no, but things go missing sometimes."

"Those fairies sound more like thieves to me," Luffy muttered, trying not to talk with his mouth full.

"Well, you all better take care! It's a wild world out there! Or is it?" Crash!

"Is it?" Ace asked.

"It is!" The monkey toy practically skittered away, banging his cymbals together and laughing.

"He was weird," the toddler summarized, sipping his gazpacho. He rolled his head back and forth, thinking. "Eh, it's not as good as Uncle Pervy Cook's food, but I guess it's ok. It'd be better warm, though."

"You can have a little bit of my paella," Nami offered, extending her fork to the boy.

"You're the bestest, Mommy!" Ace perked up, scooting his chair closer to his mother. He knew, after all, his father was never going to share.

"Fairies, huh?" Luffy mused around his squid fideuà with a side dish of fried pimientos. "Do you think they're like Merry and Sunny?"

"I highly doubt it," Nami replied as their son happy chewed on a shrimp. "Merry and Sunny are Wood Fairies. While they could be considered protectors, calling them any sort of deity is a stretch."

"Dietary?"

"No, Luffy. Deity. As is a type of god."

"Oh, good… Do you think they taste good?"

"Auntie Robin-sensei would say they might taste… heavenly," Ace giggled. Nami tried to hide her amused smile behind a napkin, shaking her head.

"Still," the woman continued. "If these fairies are real and have a habit of taking things, we'll have to keep our eyes open so they don't snag anything important of ours."

"Like my hat," Luffy nodded.

"Or my hat," Ace echoed.

"I was thinking more life-or-death items," Nami sighed. "Things like Zoro's swords or Merry's Heart."

"Oh," Luffy blinked. "Yeah, that could be pretty bad."

"How the hell are you cheating, you geezer‽" a voice across the room yelled, a table breaking as they person shouting threw it. Betting chips scattered as the roulette wheel cracked. "No, it doesn't matter, because you won't even get a chance to cash in all those chips of yours."

"I advise against this course of action," the blind man's companion said, both he and the man in purple unmoved from the show of violence. The table's other players that had been following the blind man's lead had fallen to the floor and were trying to crawl away without attracting the black-clad group's ire.

"Yeah?" the apparent leader of said group demanded. "And what're you gonna do about it?"

"Why, act in self-defense. That is, only if you make the first move, of course. At this point, you can still walk away."

"I'll have you know we're members of the Donquixote Pirates! In this country, our word is law!"

"Oh dear," the man in purple sighed. "Please, do not draw your swords."

"How did—?" The leader of the group threw his hand up, silencing his lacky.

"Get out, old timer," he ordered. "Before we take what's left of your short life."

"Stop being mean!"

The Donquixote pirate staggered back as a young voice spoke up right in front of him. Jonathan's eyes widened as the young child whose family he and his current commander met stuck up for them, getting directly between the men and the pirates.

"Who the hell are you, brat‽" the pirate demanded.

"I'm—!" Ace began only to remember his family were supposed to not tell anyone who they were. His eyes turned to the side, his lips stretching as he tried to come up with a convincing lie. "I'm Momo… pen… yo… ko?"

"What?"

"I'm Momopenyoko!"

"What the hell kind of name is that?"

"It doesn't matter! You're being mean to the nice blind guy, so I'm gonna kick your ass!"

"Get lost, kid. This doesn't concern you."

"No way!" Ace replied. "My uncle hates mean guys like you, so I can't let you go unless you say you're sorry!"

The pirate blinked. Once. Twice.

"Aaaahahahahaha!" he laughed, his cronies joining in. "I don't know what this brat's been drinking, but it must be the good stuff!"

Ace fumed, these men clearly not taking him seriously.

"You—!"

"Easy there, young man," the blind man said, standing from his chair and walking around the boy. "I admire your protective zeal, but Jonathan and I can take care of ourselves."

"What makes you think we're scared of a blind man and his handler?" the leader of the group questioned.

"If I were you, I'd run away," the disguised Luffy commented from the side, still casually eating his pasta, though Nami could tell he was much more tense than he appeared, ready to charge in if Ace was put in any real danger. "Well, if I was you, you wouldn't be such a weakling that my 2-year-old boy could take you down."

"Excuse me‽" the leader demanded, a vein popping by his twitching eye. "And who the hell do you think you are?"

"I'm—!" Luffy began, Nami quickly covering his mouth.

"We're mapmakers," she said, using their agreed-upon cover story. "But we're still strong enough to sail the New World. Unlike you, it sounds."

"I'll show you what New World pirates can do, bi—!" He cut his words off with a squeak, his hands instantly going to his nethers where Ace has unceremoniously and without warning punched him with all his might. The man whimpered, sinking to his knees. "You… brat… I'll... kill you!"

The man reached for 'Momopenyoko' only for his hand to find nothing but air. His blurry, tear-filled vision raised to see the child now on the shoulder of the one named Jonathan, even said child seeming confused about his sudden shift.

"These old bones of mine don't move like the use to," the blind man complained, tapping his walking stick on the floor. "Let's not drag this out."

His cane tapped the floor three times, something like a pulse emanating with each. The floorboards creaked, each and every Donquixote pirate in the establishment falling to their knees and, further, onto their faces.

"Wh-What is this?" one questioned. "I c-can't move."

"My body… feels so heavy," another whimpered.

Luffy and Nami watched, eyes widening, as the downward force on the men increased until, with a loud SNAP, the flooring and the bedrock below gave way, dragging the pirates into darkness, a perfect circle carved out of the area. The destruction threw up a cloud of dust, everyone other than Luffy —the pirate captain still eating— coughing at the obstruction, trying to wave it away.

"There is just so much evil in the world," the blind man sighed as the dust settled, raising one hand before his face as if in prayer. "Sometimes, having lost my sight seems like a blessing. At least then, I don't have to suffer the curse of seeing all the hate."

"You're pretty strong, Blind Guy," Luffy commented as said man turned toward the door and began walking out. "What's your name?"

The man paused. "For both of our sakes, it might be better I don't answer that." Jonathan walked over, handing Ace over to his mother. "Take care of that boy. He seems prone to recklessness."

"He get's it from his father's side," Nami said, rolling her eyes. She turned to the man in purple. "Thank you for keeping him safe."

"It was my pleasure. Goodbye now." He stepped out the door, Jonathan hurrying to catch up to him. The rusty-haired man stopped by the woman manning the register, offering her a paper.

"Please refer all damage and repairs costs to this address, ma'am." He followed out the door, ignoring the woman's startled gasp as she read whatever was written on the page.

"Who was that?" Nami blinked, swallowing heavily as she studied the massive hole left behind.

"A super cool guy!" Ace answered, throwing his hands in the air. Nami stumbled, having to rebalance herself to keep from Ace's sudden movement tipping them both. Luffy steadied her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey!" someone in the crowd gasped. "My wallet's gone!"

"Someone swiped my favorite jacket!" another exclaimed.

"My hat!" a third said. "Has anyone seen my hat?"

"What's going on here?" Nami demanded.

"It's the fairies," the blue monkey toy commented. "They've come by to take their tithes." Crash! "Or have they?"

"It's the fairies, that you say?" a toy drummer asked, rap-a-tat-tapping on his drum. "Then that just means we need to look the other way!"

"Oh," several of the now-formerly-angry patrons sighed with mutual shrugs. "Well then, I suppose it can't be helped."

"They weren't angry for very long," Ace observed.

"What a convenient excuse," Nami agreed. She blinked. "Wait. My purse! They took my purse!"

"No point looking for it once the fairies take," the toy said. "Just shrug and give your head a shake!"

"Screw that!" Nami yelled. "My Perfect Clima-Tact's in there! Lu—!" She cut herself off, not wanting to expose her husband and Captain's name to the masses. "Get it back!"

"Okay! They're this way! I can feel it!" Luffy charged toward one of the back windows just as a bag stuffed to the brim with stolen goods slipped through the crack. Luffy's hand barely missed, the bag practically bouncing away down the road.

"Get back here, Fairy Guy!" the pirate captain yelled, breaking through the window so Nami and Ace would have enough room to follow them. The bag of stolen goods gave a startled jump and redoubled its speed, Luffy hot on its tail and Nami carrying Ace trailing behind.

"You know," Amy began, the group of five growing closer to Dressrosa Castle with each step. "If you ignore the toys and the terrifying implications thereof, this place is actually really pretty."

"I concur," Gin agreed. "It's almost sad most o' th' island's prob'ly gonna be rubble by th' time we're done."

"I just have to memorize how it looks now," Grace said, studying the buildings with her trained eye, her sketch pad already in her hand as she made simple diagrams of some of the more complicated buildings. "I wonder what Robin would have to say about it."

"Probably something morbid," Coby commented, ignoring the bad feeling in his gut about the likelihood of Gin's prediction coming true. He was walking ahead of her, clearing her path of debris or passersby who might get in her way so she didn't need to watch where she was going. "Something like 'oh, what a beautiful church! I wonder how long it's been since it hosted a funeral!'"

"That does sound like something she'd say," Amy laughed.

"You know," Grace muttered, "I don't think I've ever seen buildings quite like these."

"Never?" Coby blinked.

"The closest thing is artwork from the Grand Line artist Salva Dordali, and he was notorious for his bad eyesight and lack of comprehension on reality. Well, according to scholars. Anyone who's actually traveled the Grand Line would understand why he never saw things quite the same way afterward."

"I have," Amy offered. "Seen buildings like this, I mean. They look similar to buildings in Totland, only those are made of foodstuffs rather than actual brick and mortar."

"Totland‽" Law gasped, rounding on the blonde. "You have been within Big Mom's territory and escaped with your life‽"

"I spent two years there," the chocolatier confirmed. "Two of her daughters helped smuggle me out when it came time for our crew to reunite. I learned a lot about both baking and Armament Haki while I was there."

"Is it really such a dangerous place?" Gin asked.

"The details of Big Mom's territory are limited to rumors and hearsay," Law said. "Few dare to risk entering, and even fewer leave with their bodies intact, much less their sanity."

"Myukuru had me dead to rights within minutes of my arrival, but she took a liking to me," Amy shrugged. "She got me a job with her sister Pudding. I'd, uh, rather not go back, though. I was forced to make a few promises I'd rather not fulfill."

"Promises like what?" Gin questioned, a single eyebrow arched.

"Are you sure you want to get into the details, Gin?" Amy rebuffed. "You seemed to want to avoid that kind of stuff up to this point."

"That's… I… Well…"

"What's wrong, Gin? Homie got your tongue?"

"Uh, what's a Homie?" Coby blinked

"They're these… What's the word I heard for it? I think someone called them 'homunculi' once. Ma—" She coughed. "Big Mom has the ability to take part of a person's lifespan and put it inside an inanimate object, bringing it to life. Some of them are pretty useful, like Pudding's flying carpet Rabiyan. Others are… inconvenient… at times."

"Interesting," Law commented, rubbing his chin. "This ability of Big Mom's you mentioned, does it allow her to extend her own lifespan?"

"I mean, probably," Amy answered. "I was never able to get an outright answer, but I can't imagine any other way she's been able to have so many kids so consistently and for so long."

"How many kids does she have?"

"Well, her oldest are in their fifties, and she had" —Amy counted on her fingers— "six while I was there."

"Six‽" Coby gasped. "In two years‽"

"A power that can distort th' fabric o' life so thoroughly…" Gin shivered. "It disrupts th' pages o' fate."

"I don't believe in fate," Grace decided, only paying half-attention to the conversation. "That implies our choices aren't our own."

"I think we've seen some things that make some strong arguments for its existence, though," Coby offered, a hand on his chin. "Or, at least, we've seen some wild coincidences. I mean, how many times did we step into a situation with just enough time to help?"

"Do you really want to argue about something so trivial right now?" Law questioned. "We happen to be in the middle of a very serious mission."

"And we're taking this very seriously," Amy replied. "Wouldn't it bring more attention on us if we were a group walking in perfect silence?"

"Still, to argue about such a topic in the open risks attention."

"You need to learn how to relax," Grace commented. "Look, everybody wants to stick out of the crowd. That's why people who try too hard to act normal get spotted. The secret to infiltration without detection is not 'not getting caught'. It's acting so calm and sure of yourself that everyone thinks you're just meant to be there. To all these people around us, we're just a group taking in the sights here as we talk. That's all we need to be to them."

"Pretending like we belong is not going to get my heart back," Law noted.

"And when we get to the castle, we'll have a new strategy," Grace shrugged. "When that happens, we'll be a whole lot more cautious. Until then, just keep acting the way you always do."

"Or maybe don't," Amy laughed. "You're a bit of a sourpuss, Law. Too sour."

"I am not sour," the captain of the Heart Pirates rejected. "I'm serious."

"Guys?" Coby questioned, pointing to their right. "There's a surge of people all going one direction all at once. I can feel a massive group of people at the edge of my Observation's range, and it's growing by the minute."

"They must be havin' some sort o' show."

"Pardon me," Amy said, grabbing a toy by the arm. It was a type of Jack-in-a-box but with the bottom of the box mounted atop a single, large wheel.

"Ye-Ye-Ye-Yes, ma'am?" it said, spinning around to face her. Its head jerked and clicked in time with its stutter. One of its eyes was hanging by a string and its jester hat had one of its corners missing. "How can I he-he-he-help you?"

"Where's everyone going? Is there a carnival or something going on?"

"You haven't he-he-he-heard?" the toy said, and Amy imagined it would have blinked if it had eyelids and one of its eyes wasn't dangling off its face. "There's a major compete-ti-ti-ti-tion in the Corrida Colosseum today. The winners will ge-ge-ge-get to join King Doflamingo's ranks as officers."

"Does this happen often?"

"Maybe once a mo-mo-mo-month," the toy answered. "But there's rumors this one's spe-spe-spe-special other than two winners. I gotta go to he-he-he-hear why!" The toy wheeled around, doubling its speed from before in the direction of the Corrida Colosseum."

"Ya think that's gonna be important?" Gin questioned.

"Whatever is happening at this competition is none of our concern," Law rebuffed. "Rather, Doflamingo's crew should be thinned out with its management and security. Now is an optimal time for our infiltration of the castle. We should get moving."

"Guess we better hurry, then," Coby nodded.

No sooner had he finished his sentence than the crew's den-dens began to ring.

"This is most intriguing," Robin commented as she opened her eyes.

"Uh, what's intriguing?" Chopper asked, glancing up at the woman riding on his back.

"There are multiple commotions across the city," the archeologist replied. "It appears a number of thieves have all struck at once, stealing a great number of small items."

"Thieves?" Kin'emon grunted. "Individuals with no honor taking what does not belong to them. What scum."

"Was that supposed to be a dig at me?" Zoro growled. "For the last time, I fought a zombie for this sword, he gave it to me, and burst into blue flames. What more do you want?"

"I want you to return the sacred treasure of Wano, the sword Shusui!"

"And like I've said before, Shusui's mine! You can fight me for it when everything's said and done!"

"As long as those thieves don't take it," Sanji grinned.

"As if," Zoro grunted, crossing his arms. "The only way anyone's getting one of my swords is a fair trade for another or prying it from my cold, dead hands."

"Don't joke like that, Zoro!" Chopper gasped. "If you die, that means a super-strong enemy is coming for the rest of us!"

"I quite agree," Robin nodded. "Any opponent with the ability to end your life has a considerable chance of immolating the rest of us, leaving only our terrified screams to echo on the wind, striking fear into the hearts of all those who cheered for our victory in the face of such overwhelming power."

"Robin!" the reindeer cried. "Stop it!"

"My apologies, Chopper," the woman cooed, running her hand through her mount's fur. "I was only joking."

"We must return to the topic at hand," Kin'emon reminded them. "We must find and liberate Kanjuro."

"And we still don't know what this guy looks like," Sanji grunted, lighting a new smoke.

"Have I not drawn you a clear picture?" Kin'emon held up a piece of paper, the image on one side humanoid with what must be long hair and a sword that looked more like a baseball bat with a feather duster stuck to its end. Other than that, it could be anyone and resembled no one. "This is Kanjuro!"

"That doesn't give us anything!" Zoro grunted. "That's barely a drawing!"

"I'd like to see you do much better!"

"I would if I knew what the guy looked like!"

"You are both being childish," Sanji sighed as Robin giggled behind her hand. She turned her attention from the argument to the buildings, musing on the rumors her Bloomed ears had heard about these legendary 'fairies' supposedly at fault for the thefts. The descriptions tickled something in the back of her mind, one of the old stories she'd heard a long, long time ago unconnected to the Void Century, but she could not place her finger on it.

"Robin, look at that," Chopper whispered, gesturing with his nose toward a beautiful building. It was a church, Robin concluded, based on the architecture. And one built only a few years ago. The base was old, however, so the church was more than likely rebuilt recently. Or possibly remodeled.

"What a splendid church," she nodded. "I wonder how long it's been since it hosted a funeral."

"Robin-chwan is beautiful when she thinking about dreary services~!" Sanji noodled.

The group paused as the crewmates' den-den began to ring.

"'Scuse me, sir," Merry asked, raising a hand at the dockworker on his lunch break. He, a great, burly man with a web of scars up one arm, and his shorter coworker turned to the girl who had called. Merry tipped her behatted head cutely. "My friends and I just got here after a big storm. Can you tell us about this island?"

"That ain't part of my payroll," one of the men grunted, looking down at his meager lunch. It was the same thing he remembered having every day, but it hadn't felt right the last couple weeks. Why, however, was a question with no answer.

"Get out of here, girl," the other, shorter man said. "These docks aren't a pretty place."

"But my friends and I are looking for something," Merry tried. "Pirates took something from one of us and we managed to follow them here. Any idea where we might be able to get a lead on where it could have gone?"

The dockhands glanced at each other, that sense of loss tugging at a string inside the heart of the scarred man for reasons he could not name. He stared into the horned girl's eyes before sighing.

"Look," he muttered. "If I tell you somewhere you can look, you've gotta promise not to go there alone, ok? It's a place for bad people who do bad things, but stolen stuff passes through there sometimes. They might know."

"I promise," Merry nodded.

"Alright, there's a bar at the far end of the dock, on the end of Fleat Street. It's not quite big, but it's easy to miss if you aren't looking for it. They don't ask questions if you've got enough money. They might know about whatever you're looking for."

"Thank you so much!" Merry turned and skipped away, the dockhands watching her until her baseball cap was lost in the crowd.

Merry found Franky first, the Klabautermann grabbing his arm and dragging him away from the toy he was talking to with a strength unbecoming of her small frame. Usopp and Kaku were together, trying to convince a small group of passersby that they were not, in fact, a comedic pair of brothers doing an act for whatever reason. Besides the nose, they didn't even look that alike to begin with.

"I think I've got a place to get some info," Merry told them. "These dockhands knew about this shady bar at the end of the docks. It's not going to get us anything about Traffy's heart, but we might get some info on where the SAD went once it got here."

"You think so?" Kaku asked.

"We might as well super cover our bases," Franky shrugged. "We might be surprised."

"I doubt that," Usopp sighed, running a hand down his face. "Well, it'll be better than walking the docks. I feel like someone's watching me here."

"That's because they have been," Kaku offered, Usopp's eyes widened as he turned to the ex-assassin. "They're good, too. Slippery as eels, but CP9 has a whole lot more training. I sniffed 'em out in an instant."

"The bar is this way," Merry said, leading the group to the west. "So Kaku, who's on our tails?"

"I suspect they're soldiers," the Zoan replied. "If Doflamingo suspects we're coming, he's probably got the army zapped for us."

"That would make sense," Franky commented, a hand on his chin as he rolled along on tire treads on his shins, putting him closer to eye-level with his companions. "I wonder, if he's got the army looking for us, does he actually think we're a super threat?"

"I don't think so," Merry said, shaking her head. "Based on Traffy's words, I bet Mingo's more the kind to corral us toward some entertaining trap he's set up. If he thinks he can take us down, he'll want to make a spectacle of it."

"I've never met Doflamingo," Kaku muttered, rubbing his chin. "Actually, the only Warlord I've seen was Mihawk. He came through a town where we were conducting a sting operation about a decade ago. Slaughtered the Devil Fruit smugglers we were after and left without even acknowledging us, if he noticed at all. That was where Jabra got his Fruit, actually."

"Super scary," Franky commented.

"That's an understatement," Usopp shivered. "You weren't there when Zoro tried to challenge Mihawk back in the East Blue. The guy cut a pirate battleship into three pieces without anyone knowing he was there then took on Zoro with a butterknife he kept in his necklace after saying he was sorry for not having anything smaller."

"Zoro's a whole lot better now, though," Merry grinned, stopping. "Hey, we're here."

She pointed at a warehouse similar to others along the dock, the only thing making this one stand out being a small OPEN sign by the open door and the rowdy laughter coming from within. The pirates exchanged glances before they followed Merry into the building.

The lighting left a lot to be desired, but that was probably for the best considering what sort of establishment the bar seemed to be. Where the outside looked like a warehouse, the inside had been refurbished to be more like a tavern, stairs leading up to a second floor on one side. The rooms there were built over what Merry suspected was a storage room that doubled as a VIP or meeting room. The rest of the area around the bar's counter had tables and chairs that were half-full, the scent of cigarettes and booze hanging heavy in the air. The bartender, an old man of wide shoulders and grey hair, cleaned a glass that looked like it would be better off thrown away.

"—elling you!" they could hear a man saying. "One job made us filthy stinkin' rich! I told you accepting that job from Doflamingo would be the best choice we ever made! Now we're rolling in all the so-called dinero y coño de Dressrosa we could ever want! Viva Dressrosa, baby!"

"Aye, Captain!"

Merry turned to see a pirate decorated in jewelry, a mug of some spirits raised as a pair of pretty women leaned on either side. Men whom Merry suspected were his crewmates each had at least one woman of their own, all of them also decorated with necklaces, rings, and a full set of gold teeth in one instance. The captain of this group had curly, citrine hair that rolled down his back from a tricorn cap of red matched by his oversized coat, two sideburns running down his face to merge into an impressive beard. He wore no shirt, showing off his scar- and tattoo-covered torso, one of the sultry women tracing said scars and ink as she, probably, tried to coax him into buying her more stuff.

One man in this group, however, didn't seem to fit in. He lacked jewels, women, and drink, the man sitting at the table with one arm slung over the back of his chair, the other twiddling a gold coin through his fingers. He was much younger than all the decorated men around him, perhaps the same age as the women if not younger. His skin was of an olive complexion, his features almost elfish with a disinterested grin. He had black hair and eyes, nodding along to the pirate captain's words without care. Their table was covered in half-eaten food, a tray of fruit stacked in the center.

"And it's all thanks to you, friend!"

"Now now, no need to be modest," the undecorated man replied. "It was a hard job, you know. The last two groups didn't come back."

"Well yeah, we had to kill one of 'em!" the captain laughed, downing the rest of his drink. Merry, Franky, Usopp, and Kaku shuffled to an empty table, their ears straining for all the conversations in the place. "I'll admit, we were tempted to run off with those prizes ourselves, you know."

"I'm sure glad we didn't!" one of the pirates called, raising his mug. "Money's way better than some stupid power!"

"Speak for yourself!" another laughed. "Now I've got both!"

"And can't swim, like a rock," a third needled. "Guess that works, sense you've got the brains of one, too!" The tipsy captain grinned at his squabbling men, unaware than the rings on his right hand were now missing.

"What was it you brought in, anyway?" the blonde on the captain's left shoulder asked, trailing a finger down his chest.

"Doflamingo paid us good money if we could bring in a pair of Devil Fruits for him," the captain answered. "Guess he didn't want to put any of his own guys at risk."

"Must have been some powerful Devil Fruits," the brunette on his right muttered.

"Powerful?" the captain grinned. "Try legendary! I'd've eaten one of those Fruits meself if Doflamingo wasn't paying so much for them! We've got enough to buy a small country for ourselves!"

"What were they?"

"The fire Logia and a Paramecia, the legendary power of Whitebeard himself!"

Usopp choked on his own spit, Merry slapping him on the back as he coughed.

"You know," the plan-dressed man began, waving to the bartender. "You still have a chance to claim one of those powers for yourself."

"Really?" the captain questioned, shaking the women off him to lean forward. "Do tell."

"They're prizes in the Corrida Colosseum today. The two who win get to eat the Fruits and join the ranks of the Donquixote Familia. What do you think? Is that worth it?"

"Hmm," the man hummed, shaking his head to the side as he thought. "Nah. I'm perfectly content with all this money and permission to have free reign of Dressrosa." He licked his lips. "All the women here and no consequences by order of the king. Who needs a Devil Fruit when I've already got that?"

"Oh, I see." The olive-skinned man leaned back, almost disappointed. The bartender arrived, placing a new round of drinks on the table. The young man took one, prompting the pirates to do the same. He raised his mug as the bartender nodded. "Here's to your long and happy lives, gentlemen."

"Here here!" the pirates cheered, chugging their drinks. The young man did not.

"Ah, that's the good shit!" the captain grinned, slamming his mug down and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "No more cheap booze for me! I'm drinking the good stuff for the rest of my—!" He coughed, a spray of red splattering the table. The women recoiled as the rest of the pirates at the table doubled over, grasping at their stomachs and mouths. Blood dripped from their lips and between their fingers, dropping to the ground as the young man smiled.

"You chaps played your parts well," he said, a grin on his face as the first pirate fell from his chair, slumping onto the floor in a boneless heap. "Of course, we can't have you causing any problems for Joker. I'm afraid your ends are sealed."

"You betrayed us?" the captain coughed, struggling to breathe as more of his men died to the poisoned booze. The man with the Devil Fruit power tried to stand, his body beginning to morph into something taller, only for the olive-skinned man to blur behind him, grabbing his throat.

"Kangaroo, eh? That brings back memories. Well, whatever. I'm sure Joker can find a buyer. Too bad for you, your window of opportunity is shut and locked." He dragged his hand across the Zoan's throat quickly, opening cuts with transformed fingers. The Zoan choked, his body changing back to normal, leaving only the captain of the pirates clinging to life. The women seemed almost bored, apparently having been in on the plot.

"You… bastard," the captain growled, his blood staining his beard a deep red. He reached for a pistol, his hand shaky. A plum in the stack of Fruit started to deform.

"Come now," the young man laughed, blurring forward. He caught the barrel of the gun between to fingers shaped like keys molded to its curve, holding the weapon away from his face. "Did you really think we'd let you walk away with that much of Joker's money? You should have taken the opportunity with the Colosseum; that would have been your chance to survive. As it is, you're lucky we locked you in at 48 hours."

"You son… of a… bi…" The light faded from the pirate captain's eyes, his body slumping over. The man who'd ordered their deaths eyed the weapon between his fingers with disdain, dropping the gun like it had offended him. He reached down, lifting the plum that had become a Devil Fruit, the Marsupial Zoan, Model: Kangaroo, and studied it. It was orange with small swirls tucked into larger half-swirls below.

"Girls, you can have whatever's on them. I don't care. Jenkins, clean up the mess. You'll have your usual rates."

"As you wish, Master Zeke," the bartender bowed. "Would you like to turn in the bodies for their bounties to the marines on the island? Seems like the whole group was worth a few hundred-million."

"You can if you want. I don't need the cash." The young man turned with a half-hearted wave, his left hand now adorned with the rings the captain had been wearing and holding the Devil Fruit while the fingers of his other continued to play with the gold coin. He paused, eyeing the Straw Hats at their table.

"Got something to say?" he questioned.

Usopp flinched, placing himself between the man and Merry. The others barely blinked, staring at him. The man shrugged when they didn't respond, walking out of the bar and the group he'd ordered killed without a second look.

"D-D-D-D-D-Did y-you see th-th-th-that?" Usopp stuttered, practically deflating as the man left. "I-I-I th-thought he was g-g-gonna kill us, t-too!"

"We could take him," Merry grinned, punching her own palm.

"Did you miss the important part of that conversation?" Kaku questioned.

"Which part‽" Usopp squeaked. "When he murdered them or when he said he didn't need the money‽"

"What they brought back for Doflamingo," Kaku pressed. "The captain said they brought back the Flame and Quake Devil Fruits. That's huge."

"He's right," Merry agreed. "Contacts told Boss Iceberg the Navy's been trying to track those Fruits down since the War of the Best with no luck. The fact that Mingo has them now could be a problem. And Captain Luffy'll be chomping at the bit soon as he hears about his brother's Fruit being on the island."

"Has Doflamingo been expecting us?" Franky wondered. "It's too much of a coincidence. What are the odds he would get his hands on one of the only Devil Fruits that used to super belong to our captain's brother? And to make it a prize the day we arrive?"

"Luffy's gonna learn about it one way or another," Merry said. "We better get in contact with him."

"C-C-Can we leave?" Usopp begged. "My There'sADeadBodyNearbyAndI'mGonnaThrowUp Syndrome is starting to act up."

"Didn't you and Mrs. Nami meet up in a bar with a dead body on Sabaody?"

"I mean, yeah, but I didn't watch that guy die."

"I'm with Long Nose on this one," Kaku nodded, ignoring that his nose was just as long. "I would much rather skedaddle now while we've got the chance."

"I'll put out the call," Franky said as they left.

The pirates practically scurried out the door, the bartender pausing mid-step to their table to take their orders. He raised an eyebrow at their behavior before shrugging to himself.

Whatever was up with them, it was none of his business. They hadn't paid him to care one way or another. Still, it was a shame they'd left so soon; he'd just put a couple new meat pies in to cook with the freshest meat one could get.

Oh well. At least he had a payday from the Marines in his future. Master Zeke was good like that when he was around.

End of Chapter 58

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-SwordOfTheGods