A1
After leaving Drum Island and welcoming Chopper and Luna into the crew, the Going Merry was setting sail toward Alabasta. As it did, Vivi was busy explaining the structure of Baroque Works.
"Crocodile acts as Mr. 0, the president in charge. His partner is known as Miss All-Sunday. Igaram and I managed to follow her to discover that Crocodile was behind everything. Under him are thirteen agents labeled 1 through 13, with all but Mr. 2 having a female partner named after a day of the week or holiday. Mr. 1 through Mr. 5 are the officer agents that Crocodile sends on missions, the others are the Frontier Agents that bring in funding by capturing bounties. Except for Miss Goldenweek, all of the officer agents have Devil Fruits"
"I can attest to that." Marianne nodded. "But recently, I got a Devil Fruit from this weird guy but I haven't had the chance to eat it yet."
Marianne pulled out the Devil Fruit the Merchant had given her back at Little Garden. It resembled a plum and was colored seven different colors; cyan, yellow, green, blue, pink, orange, and purple, each with the typical spiral markings on it.
"You were given a Devil Fruit...by a Merchant?" Nami asked skeptically. "Would he happen to be a shady yet pleasant guy wearing a hooded trenchcoat?"
Marianne was confused. "Yeah, what's up with that?"
"He's been helping us out on our journey as well. Gave a few of us Devil Fruits too." Gin explained. "Some for even half the price ordinary people would sell one for given the opportunity."
"Well, come on! He didn't just give it to you for no reason!" Calvin urged. "Eat it! See what happens!"
"Oh shut up, I was gonna but I kept forgetting!" Marianne huffed before taking a bite out of the fruit...and immediately regretting it. "YUCK! Is it supposed to taste so disgusting?!"
"Pretty much." Every Devil Fruit user on the ship said at the same time.
"Okay, back to the matter at hand; Considering Vivi was Miss Wednesday and Igaram was Mr. 8, what happened to numbers 6 through 7, as well as 10 and 11," Zoro spoke up.
"Well, I just so happen to be Mr. 7...or at least I was," Mifune admitted. "Rosa was Miss Happy Halloween and Fuu was Miss Thanksgiving."
"As for the others, apparently they and their partners were all captured by the Marines," Vivi added. "Mr. 13 and Miss Friday normally act as the punishment squad, dealing with those who fail. That's... No longer an issue, and we've also pretty much compromised Mr. 5, Miss Valentine, and Miss Goldenweek."
"Doesn't help you've been keeping us captive this whole time," Mikita said. "Though Mr. 3 did escape."
"Most likely Mr. 0 had him head back to Alabasta. Which can only mean he's ready for his endgame." Gem suggested.
"Well, that's troubling..." Double-D frowned.
"I, for one, will be glad to unload our freeloaders. I'm getting tired of worrying about our food supply." Sanji said.
"Hey! Just because I can weigh a thousand kilos doesn't mean I eat enough to do so!" Mikita snapped.
"As for the others, there's Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas, and Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger," Fuu explained.
Draco then smacked his forehead and turned to the princess.
"I can't believe I forgot to ask, bu: Vivi, whatever happened to the Chimera Carpet?"
"….the what Carpet?" Kaya asked.
"They were pursuing a pirate crew that Crocodile 'missed.'" Mifune growled, using finger quotes for the last word.
"Who or what is a Chimera Carpet?" Kaya asked again.
"They just go by the Chimera pirates nowadays, Draco." Carue pointed out. "I mean, thank Oda for that, I understand the Captain was attached to the Magic Carpet name and all, but still…"
"So, who are they?" Kaya asked again, getting annoyed until Kirby hugged her.
"The strongest fighters in Alabasta not tied to the army or royal family…at least not officially." Vivi explained. "Their vice-captain, Solomon, is my uncle on my late mother's side…"
"And possibly one of the greatest Haki users alive." Axol added in, getting some looks. "…Arlong did keep some track of big names, and Solomon was a human he at least respected….though I think he only really cared because they have a Fishwoman on their crew."
Nami, Ruby and Nojiko nodded in understanding; that DID sound like Arlong….
"Yamihara; mistress of fishman jujitsu AND Karate." Vivi beamed. "Third in command after Solomon and Sinbad."
"Then there's Sharrkan, greatest swordsman in Alabasta, equal to my mentors." Mifune added on, a smirk under his mask. "He regularly kills Sea Kings to find the villages."
Mifune let that sink in, especially when he saw Zoro and Kunina's interests were peaked.
"Oh, and yeah. Just a regular sword." Mifune clarified before he continued. "After him there's Masur, a former slave and master of martial arts. Jafar the assassin, Pisti the animal charmer and finally, Marouf Drakon, who ate the Lizard-Lizard fruit Model: Axol."
"By the way, aside from him, the captain and Lady Sherzade, none of the Chimera Pirates have Devil fruit powers." Crarue added. "They are just that good."
Sanji's eyes lit up at the mention of a lady.
"And who is this 'Sherzade?'" He asked eagerly, getting an annoyed growl from Noir.
"My aunt." Vivi said, seemingly not bothered by Sanji's antics. "Solomon's wife..."
"Who he rescued from a Celestial dragon! I remember now!" Draco remarked. The chaos of that was what had allowed him to escape his own murder of those scum. "..I was hoping she'd gotten she got away, she was far too kind to be slave…"
Vivi smiled at that before she continued.
"Before anyone comments? She and uncle are very much in love and have a son together: My cousin Aladdin."
Gottfried tensed at that.
"….Um, Vivs? I think the kid may be in trouble."
All eyes turned to the Transponder Snail, who cleared his throat and repeated a dialogue he'd picked up on:
"…how is our little trump card? Still unaware he's been kidnapped?" A silky, feminine voice began.
"Heh, That and doing wonders for the call girls; apparently a cute little boy who calls them pretty all day boosts morale…." Mr. 0 responded.
"…Aladdin.." Vivi groaned.
"…I think I both love and hate this kid." Sanji said, before being shushed.
"He has been asking about you and Mr. 2 though."
"Well, I'll be sure to visit him when I get back."
Vivi growled.
"If this woman has laid one FINGER on him, I'll…!"
"On a related note, do you have any word on…THEM?" Mr. 0 inquired.
"I assume you mean the crew of the Chimera Pirates? Last I heard, they were at Fishman Island for some ceremony."
"…I'll have to try and contact Jinbei, see if he knows anything. Still, that probably also means they've taken out Mr. 6. Still, even with their Captain's Devil Fruit, it'll take a miracle for them to reach Alabasta in time. And when they do I'll have forced the brat to use his Devil Fruit."
"…Devil fruit?" Vivi and Craue asked in worry, which was soon shared by Draco, Sonson, Luffy and Ben when they next heard what the female voice said:
"To think the Devil Fruit Big Mom meant for her son Daifuku would end up eaten by the fourth in line for Alabasta's throne..."
The Going Merry was in silence. Pure silence, for two whole minutes before…
"…Oh, Ali, you didn't…!" Vivi grimaced.
"I wager we should know about this?" Heart asked.
"….The Human-Human fruit Model: Genie." Luffy said, shocking everyone when this news came from her. "Shanks told me about it; a devil fruit deemed sacred to Alabasta, but only to be eaten at a certain time."
"A devil fruit that can allow the user to transform into an actual Genie, no limits on wishes, incredible strength…." Sonson added. "Honestly, it may be the one Devil fruit I'm NOT crazy about fighting."
"So to clarify; these guys are basically to Alabasta what the Sun Pirates are to Fishman island, and Croco-boy sent them off to make sure his plans went off smoothly…and he has their kid as a bargaining chip in case they do come back in time, with said kid having eaten one of the most powerful Mythical Zoans." Ben summarized, Penny quickly went to at his side and calming him down.
"Wait." Noire pointed out. "I'm…I'm sorry, I know this this a bad situation, but…we heard Solomon was the Vice Captain, whose the captain?"
"Oh, Sinbad." Crarue said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He only realized something was wrong when the ship went quiet for a moment, before an epic scream filled the air.
"SINBAD?!" Kuina called out. "As in Sinbad, the pirate who refused an invitation to the Warlords?"
Vivi and Draco nodded.
"The same Sinbad who's been turning a fleet of ships into a small kingdom?!" Nami gasped.
Vivi and Draco nodded.
"Oh, I think we heard of him!" Sonson gasped, looking to Luffy. "Remember? Grandpa mentioned some young 'flying pirate' who have Kizaru trouble?"
At those words, Luffy remembered a visit where Garp had been cackling like a fool; showing his grandkids the picture of a young, handsome man dressed in eastern robes and gold, with lightning surrounding him.
"…He's actually more like a younger Kaido then Shiki." Draco explained. "With some of Dad's nobility, thank Oda."
"Captains!" Usopp suddenly called out. "We have some sort of phenomenon off the fore!"
Luffy, Draco, Sonson, and Ben took a look where Usopp was pointing, as some sort of mist was rising from the water.
"It's just steam rising," Nami assured them. "There must be a hot spot nearby, like an underwater volcano. Unless it's active, we've got nothing to worry about."
"There are volcanoes underwater?" Chopper asked.
"That's how a lot of islands get formed. The magma hits the cold water and solidifies into stone." Double-D explained. "Aren't physics just fascinating?"
"Actually, there are more volcanoes underwater than above it," Nami noted. "If there's a dormant volcano nearby, it will likely form a new island over the course of a few thousand years."
"Hate to break up the science lesson but we're about to hit that steam cloud!" Sonson exclaimed.
"I got this, Toots!" Gottfried smirked."SONIC WAVE!"
He created a sonic echo that acted like a gentle wind, blowing the steam away from the ship. However, Usopp then noticed another new sight of interest.
"Ship ahoy! Coming up on the fore on the other side of the steam!"
Marianne, Gem, and Mikita moved to get a closer look and their eyes widened as they recognized the ship and its swan figurehead.
"Hang on, that's Mr. 2 Bon Clay's ship, the Swanda Express." Mikita realized.
"'Okama Way'..." Luffy read the words on the sail. "Huh...why does that sound familiar for some reason?"
"Ahoy there!" Called out a rather flamboyant-looking man dressed like a ballerina with a swan motif.
"And I take it that's Mr. 2?" Hilda asked.
Gem nodded. "More or less."
Mr. 2 gave a dramatic, dancing leap over to the Merry...and promptly wound up short and fell into the sea.
"What the heck was that about?!" Eddy asked incredulously.
"Rolf's eyes fool the brain of Rolf!" Rolf said.
"What are you talking about?" Luna asked.
"Rolf's eyes fool the brain of Rolf, must I spell it?"
"Uh...he's not coming up," Calvin said, peering over the side.
"I'm on it." Ruby sighed as she jumped into the water and managed to drag Mr. 2 out of the water as his ship wound up leaving him behind.
"T-Thank you...I can't really swim so... I guess I misjudged the distance between our ships..." Mr. 2 muttered as he sat up. "So sorry for the scare. To think there are pirates willing to help total strangers."
"Strange is the right word," Zoro noted. "Why are you dressed like that, anyway?"
"Why I'm an Okama, a human who does not let things like gender norms dictate how they live their lives. I follow the example of the great Queen of the Okama, Emporio Ivankov!"
"Oh, now I remember!" Luffy exclaimed, pounding her fist over her palm. "One of Dad's friends is Ivankov. He went into great detail about the way of the Okama."
Mr. 2 gasped and grabbed Luffy. "Do you know where he is?! I've been wishing to meet the great Queen himself for so long!"
"Last time Dad visited he mentioned Ivankov was undercover in Impel Down...Wherever that is." Luffy shrugged.
"Impel Down...I've heard stories of that place." Kuina realized. "Isn't that the big prison owned by the World Government that locks up its worst criminal offenders?"
Mr. 2 nodded. "Indeed it is. All I'd have to do is get myself sent there and I know Ivankov would find me."
"You were drowning pretty heavily back there. Did you eat a Devil Fruit?" Ruby asked.
"Ah, very astute of you. Yes, what I ate was theClone-Clone Fruit. Anyone I touch with my right hand, I can copy their physical appearance. Which includes their voice, but not any special abilities they might have." Mr. 2 explained. "As a demonstration...BEHOLD!"
He slapped his right hand to his cheek, and to the group's shock, it turned into an exact duplicate of Luffy, right down to copying her voice.
"Amazing, isn't it? And to change back..." He touched his face with his left hand and returned to normal.
Suddenly, he started trying to touch the others, but Ben quickly coated them in blood fog to prevent direct contact.
"We get the point. If you go copying the women on our crew and then flashing for further demonstration, I'm sure Sanji would throw you back overboard."
"And I won't do it gently either!" Sanji added with a glare.
"My, what hairy legs you have!" Ed suddenly said, gesturing to Mr. 2's legs, which were indeed due for a good shave.
"I was wondering when someone might point that out...I really should invest in razors at some point." He sighed. "Anyway, as it happens I can still show off plenty of my power's capabilities. You see, I only lose a disguise when I forget it, but luckily I have quite a long memory. Behold!"
He started going through a number of faces he'd copied. Draco's eyes widened when, for a split second, he saw that Mr. 2 had also copied King Cobra's face. Oblivious, Mr. 2 finished his show.
"Spectacular, yes? I normally never show my power to others, since it's quite useful for espionage."
Luffy, Sonson, Penny, Usopp, Kirby, Axol, Ed, Calvin, and Chopper all cheered excitedly. Just then, the Swanda Express started sailing toward the Going Merry.
"Ah, there's my ship, looks like it's time for us to part. I hope to see you again, new friends." Mr. 2 bid farewell. "May the winds of fortune reunite us before I take my decent into Hell!"
He waited until his ship was right next to the Merry before leaping onto it, this time successfully.
"Well, he was a nice guy!" Luffy smiled. "Kinda weird though."
"You do realize he just sailed off with a perfect disguise for Luffy," Marianne pointed out. "Once we get to Alabasta, he's likely to become an enemy."
"Oh yeah, in all the excitement, most of us forgot he was Baroque Works..." Rosa sheepishly realized.
"It's worse than that, I recognized one of the faces Mr. 2 showed us; Nefertari Cobra, Vivi's father," Draco said. "He looked the same as he did ten years ago, so I recognized him clearly."
That left Vivi and Carue shocked beyond words.
"I think now we know how Crocodile was able to imbrue the country into civil war..." Fuu realized.
Kuina nodded. "And he mentioned how his powers were useful for espionage. With the right acting skills, you could mimic a king and bring down an entire country. Mr. 2 may not have the most offensive power, but it's definitely one of the most useful and dangerous so far."
"And we just let him slip away!" Double-D panicked. "Oh, this is not good! Not good, not good, not good, not good..."
"Get a hold of yourself!" Hilda snapped, slapping the sock-headed boy around. "He only copied Luffy's face!"
"Plus, since me, Fuu, Rosa, Vivi, Gem, Mikita, and Marianne were with you guys, he didn't think you guys were enemies of Baroque Works," Mifune added. "But the second he does; he could easily try to trip us up by pretending to be Luffy."
"Well that's an easy fix, if I get separated from you guys for any reason and show up again later, just punch me. If my head goes flying, then it's me, if not, then we can capture Mr. 2," Luffy said simply.
Many looked at her as if she'd grown a second head.
"…What?" Luffy asked.
"….That is…actually pretty smart." Eddy said.
"Hey! There's more in my head than air, meat, becoming Pirate King and cuddling with Nami, ya know!" Luffy humphed, then finding herself in a hug by Nami.
"There, there, Luffy." The Navigator cooed to her lover.
"But we'd also have to make sure Mr. 2 doesn't touch us back, savvy?" Ben pointed out.
"That may be true but we have an advantage over that; he foolishly let us know what his power is, and Gottfried was broadcasting the entire time," Zoro said. "So now the whole world is aware of theClone-Clone Fruit, which might be the opening we need to clear King Cobra's name of whatever crimes the people think he might have committed. Plus, we can be on guard and start to consider counter-measures."
"Besides, I don't know how he'd manage to copy Kirby." Kaya giggled, picking up her pink round son.
"Looks like things are stabilizing. We've almost reached Alabasta." Nami noted as she checked the weather.
"Hey, a Catfish!" Calvin suddenly pointed out while holding Hobbes, who still appeared as a stuffed doll to everyone else. "Down, Hobbes! That's too big for you to eat!"
"Ah, a Sea Cat!" Vivi said, recognizing the creature Calvin was talking about. "They're sacred creatures in Alabasta. We must be getting close."
"Ships abound, Captains!" Usopp called out. "The flags all bear the Baroque Works logo."
The crew looked out and saw the Jolly Roger with the crossbones replaced by wings and rapiers.
"They're not even being subtle anymore. Crocodile really is ready to start his endgame." Draco noted.
"Those ships belong to the Billions, Baroque Works' footsoldiers," Rosa said. "Despite the name they only number 200. But they're far stronger than the Millions from Whisky Peak."
"Should we prep the cannon?" Axol asked.
"Belay that, mate. Let's not reveal ourselves before we have to." Ben said.
Luffy nodded. "Our goal is to help Vivi free her home. As much as I'd love to beat up every single one of them, maybe we can give them a taste of their own medicine."
"Look at you, sounding smart." Sonson grinned cheekily. "Ukikikikiki!"
The group each tied special bandages around their arms in case they ran into Mr. 2 again, even Gem, Mikita, and Marianne.
"Alabasta dead ahead!" Usopp reported. "Are we certain of the plan, Zoro?"
"Not really, no plan survives first contact with the enemy. But it does give us the best chance." Zoro admitted.
"Vivi, where should we dock?" Penny asked.
"In Nanohana. It will help us hide the ship."
"This is going to be our most dangerous adventure yet, so we have to trust in each other, and our friendship. For our dreams!" Luffy declared as everyone threw their hands in.
"FOR OUR DREAMS!"
-OP-
Once the Merry docked near Nanohana, Carue slipped into the town and picked up a few extra local garbs so the crew could disguise themselves while moving through the kingdom. Calvin had also recommended Hobbes get one as well and Kaya and Usopp were both gushing at how cute Kirby looked in his own disguise.
"Better be quiet, I think I see Mr. 3's ship," Marianne warned everyone.
Sure enough, the Chiryaku Ten'nen Maru, Mr. 3's personal vessel, was docked nearby.
"That'll make things harder. Mr. 3 has seen all our faces, so we'll need to make sure to keep our faces covered while in towns and cities." Zoro noted.
"Good, I was worried this might be too easy..." Luna grumbled sarcastically.
As the group moved through Nanohana, Vivi couldn't help but feel relieved that things seemed to be alright.
"So where exactly are we going?" Mikita asked.
"To the northwest towards the oasis of Yuba, where the rebel army is based," Vivi explained.
"Just to warn you, Mr. 0 has a lot of plants in the rebels," Marianne said.
"Yes, but there's also someone there I'm close to. However, we first have to cross the Sandora Desert." Vivi said.
"Well, any friend of Vivi is a friend of ours!" Hilda smiled.
"Penny and I will need to keep a shelter up, though. And we still need to stock up on food and water." Draco said.
Hilda and Rosa's bellies rumbled loudly, making them both blush in embarrassment as Luffy laughed.
-OP-
Meanwhile, a group was delivering a cart shipment to a small camp, which was being headed by a blond-haired young man.
"Kohza, we brought the weapons. The dealer charged more than usual this time." One of the men said.
"Well, he has a lot to lose if he's caught, just like us," Kohza admitted.
"So, are we moving forward with the attack?"
"Not just yet, first I want to double-check that all our men aren't comprised. That recent broadcast from Gottfried's WA broadcast gave some disturbing implications." Kohza said. "Additionally, we now have to re-evaluate what we thought we knew regarding the current state of the kingdom. Are we really working to change this country? Or are we just being used? We need to determine that before we make any further moves. At this point, I can't even trust the soldiers that seemingly switched sides to join us."
Meldious music suddenly filled the young rebel leader's ears and he turned with a smile to see an old, familiar face.
"Amingo." He smiled.
The player was a large, toad like being with cactus like skin, wearing orange shorts and a purple sombero.
"Hola, Kohza!" Amingo beamed as he helped unload the supplies before he saw his friend's face. "…Something is on your mind?"
Kohza sighed.
"I know we can't wait too much longer, but thanks to that broadcast, everything is so muddied and…I don't know what to do or who to trust."
Amingo placed a hand on Kohza's shoulder and patted it, being careful not to prick his friend
"While being cautious and prepared is good, Kohza…no leader or plan can function without trust. Look into your heart and recall your interactions with Cobra and all the others. You'll make the right choice."
His spirit lifted, Kohza went back to unloading supplies.
-OP-
"Make sure the barrels are reusable. That way I should be able to refill them once they run out." Draco said as the crew loaded up.
"Good thinking, the kingdom has been undergoing a drought for three years now. Even the oases have started drying up." Vivi said.
"I get that deserts tend to have little to no water, but how the heck does an oasis just dry up?" Luffy asked, scratching her head.
"I'm starting to get how Crocodile could have laid the groundwork for a rebellion..." Draco said.
They loaded up a camel with their supplies, Chopper and Harvey giving the camel instructions.
"Giddy-up, Horsey! Do not let your mutated lumps slow you down!" Ed cheered the camel on before being pulled back by an irate Eddy.
-OP-
Meanwhile, a certain man wearing a bucket hat with no shirt was waiting at the nearby docks just outside of Nanohana. He smiled as a small longboat pulled up, carrying a blond-haired man wearing a suit and top hat and carrying a pipe. He smiled when he saw the shirtless man, noting the Jolly Roger of a skull with a white crescent mustache and vertical crossbones on his back.
"Good to see you again, Ace."
Ace smiled. "I had a feeling I'd be meeting you out here, Sabo. Hopefully, Luffy, Draco, Sonson, and Ben got my message from Drum Island."
The two started walking through the town when they stumbled across a face that was not only familiar to the Straw Hats but to them as well.
"Pleasure to see you in these parts, strangers." The Merchant greeted pleasantly. "Got a selection of good things on sale today!"
Sabo grinned. "What have you got for us?"
The Merchant then unveiled five devil fruits:
One looked like a great deal of them, a stemmed, spiraled orange, only black and with one side bursting with blue spikes. Another was a sleek grey and along with the spirals, had noticeable black hole with a light inside it. Another was layered in colors from boiittom to top; green, brown, bage, and blue. Another was yellow pineapple and the final one was blue and resembled a batch of grapes.
"I recommend you give these to members of the Straw Hats." The Merchant said, then paused and grabbed the last one. "But! Be especially careful with this one! It's a logia, one of the strongest I've ever come across."
Taking his words to heart, Ace and Sabo paid the Merchant, who smiled and then vanished.
"So, did you see the latest wanted posters?" Sabo asked.
"How could I miss it? Those guys are really moving up in the world." Ace chuckled. "The old man was singing Draco's praises at the sight of his first bounty."
"Dragon was the same when he heard what Luffy earned for her first bounty," Sabo noted. "Even traveled to Loguetown to check in on her. So where do you think they are?"
"Knowing her appetite, we should start with the local restaurant."
-OP-
Smoker and Tashigi had also arrived in Nanohana, where Tashigi was berating a local vendor for overcharging on swords. Meanwhile, Smoker had dealt with a few remaining small-time pirates. After dragging Tashigi away, the two arrived at the local restaurant Spice Bean.
"It was surprisingly easy to get clearance for the Alabasta Eternal Pose," Tashigi noted.
"The last few TBs have gotten Fleet Admiral Sengoku concerned that Crocodile might be doing dirty business behind the World Government's back. That got the clearance request pushed forward very quickly." Smoker said. "So far there's no indication that the Straw Hats have arrived. They may be going incognito just in case Baroque Works has their faces."
As soon as they entered the restaurant, they were met with a surprising sight; Ace and Sabo were inside, chowing down on so many plates of food they were making towers with them. Smoker couldn't help but chuckle.
"Well now isn't this bold. Two notorious men eating out in public with no sense of discretion. Whitebeard Pirate Fleet Second Division Commander Portgas D. Ace, and Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army Sabo."
As if a trigger had been flipped, the entire restaurant freaked out when they fully realized just who was eating at the establishment. Ace and Sabo didn't seem to be bothered by that revelation.
"So what are a couple of big-shots like you doing in this country?" Smoker asked.
Ace shrugged. "Just waiting for our brothers and sisters."
"I didn't know you shared relations with them."
"Not by blood, but we are family nonetheless." Sabo clarified. "So what about you? Here to try and arrest us?"
"I have bigger fish to fry at the moment. Like trying to keep a country from completely destabilizing."
"Huh, imagine that. I was sent here for that same purpose." Sabo said. "The man in charge has his suspicions of what's going on with Alabasta's civil war, so he sent me to check things out."
Suddenly, they heard the familiar sound of running and a very familiar exuberant voice.
"FOOD!"
Luffy and Sonson suddenly came barreling into the restaurant, wearing desert garb for some reason, knocking into Smoker and sending him flying right into Ace. Draco came running up behind them, looking a little haggard while Ben just casually strolled in.
"Is the table open for five more?" Ben asked with a pleasant smile.
Sabo just laughed and nodded to the owner to bring some more food. Ace got up looking pretty mad, but his face softened when he saw Luffy and the others.
"Hey there! I've been looking for you guys!"
"How's Pops been doing?" Draco asked.
"Hale and hearty as ever...Unless you count all the liquor he drinks." Ace chuckled.
To be continued…
Mrotrax A/N: Forgive the delay! This chapter was massive and is taking longer than usual to get done. So I decided to split it. The rest shall be up Saturday! But for now, we at least know that more Devil fruit users and coming and we get a look at some of the strongest fighetrs so far!
The Chimera Pirates are inspired by Magi, the 1001 Arabian knights inspired manga. I Thought it fit with Alabasta.