As Vivi, Kohza, Marianne, Calvin, and Hobbes went to free Aladdin, the Straw Hats had now engaged Baroque Works in battle. Usopp, Chopper, Penny, Hilda, Gottfried, Rolf, and N'Doul were facing off against Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas, the latter of whom was showcasing herMole-Mole Fruit, a Zoan that let her transform into a mole with expert digging prowess.
"What an interesting dog you have, sir!" Penny commented as she flew around Mr. 4 and his companion, a large Dachshund that looked to be part-bazooka.
"Get them, Lassoo. Please fight through your cold." Mr. 4 gently said to his canine companion.
Chopper gasped when the dog started heaving.
"Uh-oh! I think he's gonna sneeze!"
Lassoo then sneezed out a giant baseball as Mr. 4 ducked underground. Everyone dodged out of the way as Mr. 4 popped up again and used his bat to knock the ball toward them.
"LEAD STAR!"
Firing his special lead projectile, Usopp knocked the ball off-course as Hilda leaped up after it and spiked it like a volleyball.
"MORE-MORE TENFOLD SPIKE!"
The already large baseball grew to ten times its original size as Mr. 4 gasped, ducking underground with Lassoo as the ball impacted the ground where they had been and exploded.
"How intriguing! It appears that baseball was a specially made time bomb!" Penny noted. "They can calculate the time it will take to explode before hitting it towards a target. That's why it didn't go off when Friend Usopp'sLead Starhit it."
"And from the speed it was going before Hilda hit it, it was as heavy as a cannonball." Chopper added.
"Good thing I know enough about ammunition to be able to deflect something that heavy. And Hilda's Devil Fruit helped her use it against them." Usopp said.
"The man who is numbered four is strong...but not as strong as Rolf!"
Rolf tapped into his newfound Devil Fruit and with a bestial roar, transformed into a humanoid shark-like beast as he dove underground before knocking Mr. 4 and Lassoo out of their hiding spot.
"So what's with the dog?" Usopp wondered. "Did it eat some sort of Devil Fruit that turns it into a gun? Or is it just some sort of weird science experiment?"
"Oh, Lassoo ate a Devil Fruit alright!" Miss Merry Christmas said as she burst out from behind and tried to slash Ussop, only to be deflected by an annoyed Hilda as she kept rambling. "Apparently it was theDog-Dog Fruit: Model Dachshund! No idea how a gun ate a Devil Fruit, but somehow it did!"\
The mole-woman found herself knocked back by Hilda, who was processing what she'd just heard.
"Hold on, hold on, hold on! You mean to tell me that dog used to be a GUN?!" Hilda asked in disbelief.
"Well, that's not the weirdest thing ever!" Gottfried commented.
"How would a gun even eat a Devil Fruit?" Chopper wondered.
"I don't know!" Miss Merry Christmas admitted, her tone filled with annoyance; clearly, she was tired of being asked this, since Mr. 4 was too slow to explain. "Crocodile mentioned something about it being a project of a Dr. Vegapunk, whoever that is!"
"While this is all quite the fascinating bits of trivia...I feel like I've been relegated to the side too long." N'Doul said as he turned into his Zoan Form and tapped his cane against the ground.
Suddenly, the ground around Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas began rumbling much more violently than normal. Rolf quickly swam through the ground, sensing what was about to happen and quickly making sure to clear some distance.
"What is this?!" Miss Merry Christmas called out. "What's going on?!"
"SNAKE PIT TRAP!"
Miss Merry Christmas screamed as she was shot out of the ground by a dozen snakes made from mud.
"In the stories, Sha Wujing could harness the powers of the waters and the sands to his advantage," N'Doul said. "He also learned the virtues of a Buddhist Monk thanks to the teachings of Tang Sanzang."
"Nice mythology lesson but this is my chance!" Usopp said."EXPLODING STAR!"
Usopp fired off an explosive pellet that hit Miss Merry Christmas, causing her to hit the sand and go unconscious. Mr. 4 was dumbfounded before Rolf suddenly shot out from the ground behind him.
"SAMEHADA HAMMER!"
With a graceful flip, Rolf slammed his tail down on Mr. 4's head, sending him to the ground with a big cartoonish lump on his head and down for the count.
"Rolf hopes Mifune never learns he burrowed a sword's name for that attack." Rolf said.
"I'm sure he'll understand." Hilda assured him.
"Awww man, I didn't even get to break out my 5-Ton Hammer!" Usopp complained.
"Five tons? Is that how much you can carry?" Chopper asked.
"Actually, I can only manage half that thanks to all the training we've gone through," Usopp admitted. "But it still packs a wallop."
"Well, looks like you guys are handling things pretty nicely."
Everyone looked to see a Fish woman walking towards them, not bothered by the desert heat.
"I am Yamiraiha of the Chimera Carpet pirates." The woman explained as she poured some water onto her hands, the liquid encompassing her hands. "Are any of you hurt?"
"Not us, but the Agents are." N'Doul smirked, moving out of the way to let her see. Yamiraiha glared at the duo, but then smirked.
"Well, it seems we rushed for nothing." Yamiraiha mused, moving her water to heal the worst of their injuries. "Good to see you and Noi finally cbose a side, N'Doul."
The blind man shrugged, moving out of the way for Chopper to begun giving his crewmates a check up
"So young and yet so skilled." Yamiraiha smiled, making Chopper blush;
"S-shut up! Don't think just because you're a great healer I care what you think!" Chopper sanpped before then blushing and swaying in happiness.
"….Not very good with his emotions, isn't he?" Yamiraiha noted, getting nods, which made her chuckle. "Thana again? I'm rather the same when it comnes to my captains…"
-OP-
Several Millions had approached what they thought was Cobra, only for the figure and his guards to suddenly shift into mist as Mifune dashed through with his swords drawn, slicing through all of them like a hot knife through butter.
"You certainly aren't showing any mercy."
Pausing in his strike, Mifune found Solomon and Sinbad standing behind him. He fell to one knee.
"Your Majesty. Captain Sinbad."
"Where's Cobra?" Sinbad asked.
"Not sure." Mifune explained. "I want to say Crocodile, but…."
Solomon then placed a hand on Mifune's shoulder, and the young man felt a weight lifted from his shoulders.
"Thank you, Mifune." He smiled, then turned to Sinbad. "Take him out of here and leave the rest to me. No one threatens my family and gets away with it."
Sinbad smirked as he offered Mifune a hand. The Swordsman eaccpeted and suddenlty found himself being taken into the sky, leaving Solomon to face the Millions.
He appeared a normal man; tanned from the sea but oltherwise unremarkable, aside from his blue hair, which he shared with his late sister, niece and son. With a deep breath, Solomon gazed at the remaining Millions.
"Any of you still standing in the next second will be given a choice I know those who fall will not take. So I ask you all to do it now: Surrender."
Undeterred, most of his foes rushed forward, determined to slay and claim his bounty….only for a burst of Haki erupted from the third in line to the throne, and soon most of the Millions fell to the ground, unconscious. Solomon then finally reached for his blade…
"WE SURRENDER!" The remaining Millions begged.
Despite the direness of the situation, Solomon chuckled.
"That never gets old."
-OP-
Meanwhile, Chaka, another of the Royal Guard, smiled when he reunited with Masur.
"I'm grateful to see you return when we need you most."
"We rushed over from Fishman Island the moment we heard about Crocodile's deceit," Masur replied.
The two looked to see the advancing rebel army and approached them.
"Now, let's see who among them are true Alabastans."
Chaka suddenlu underwent a transformation into a were-Jackal, gave the air a sniff and pointed at certain members, Without another word, Masur leap[ in to the sky and then downwards, striking the men Chaka had pointed out.
He then entered a boxing stance and motioned for the next attacker. When someone was foolish enough to try, the rebels did NOT help them.
-OP-
"How…could you…?" A knocked down, bloodied and battered Mr. 3 managed, the remnants of his Wax amror surrounding the area,
"Like Mifune said." Ruby Heart said as she whipped her hair.
"If you're going to kill someone, kill em." Gin finished.
The mad genius had quickly been bested my Heart and Gin, the former Captain unleashing an arensal's worth of cannons onto his wax while Gin, managing to figure out his hybrid form, powered through the attacks and knocked Mr. 3 down with a single punch.
The two Straw hats pumped fists before moving on to find and aid their comrades as Zoro, Kuina, Tashigi, Eddy, and Amingo had found themselves facing Mr. 1, who lived up to the title of 'strongest Agent.'
Mr. 1 had lunged at Eddy, but he managed to activate his new Devil Fruit power and transformed into pure metal, blocking the strike...only for the column behind him to split into pieces.
"AWWW YEAH! I'M INVINCIBLE!"
"No, you're not, amigo!" Amingo chided as he stretched his arms into cactus vines and pulled Eddy to safety. "Every Devil Fruit has its weakness!"
"What even was that?" Tashigi wondered.
"That looks like a swordsman's work, but this guy isn't wielding a sword," Zoro noted.
Kuina nodded. "Meaning, he's a Devil Fruit user."
"Indeed, this is the power of theDice-Dice Fruit." Mr. 1 confirmed, showing his arms had become like blades. "It turns my entire body into blades. As I recall, you would be the bounty hunters who refused our generous offer years ago."
"Well, your scout refused our own offer; to make Kuina the boss." Zoro said.
"No, I specifically said you could be the boss!" Kuina huffed.
Zoro rolled his eyes. "When he attacked us for that, we had to put him down."
"Don't you think that's a little hypocritical? You're following a captain now, after all." Mr. 1 pointed out.
"People can change over time. Luffy and the others proved to be people we would follow no matter what." Zoro retorted.
"Captain of a small-time band of pirates?" Mr. 1 scoffed.
"Better than a puppet with no volition of your own, baited into creating a utopia in name only." Kuina shot back. "Your former colleagues have big dreams, as it turns out. Marianne wants to be a famous painter, Mikita wants to be a chocolatier, and Gem always wanted to be a firefighter."
"No wonder the boss gave up on them. They lack ambition." Mr. 1 said.
"Now who's the hypocrite? You're just a tin soldier with no substance!" Zoro shot back as he, Kuina, and Tashigi charged him.
"A solider, yes." Amigo smirked. "But without substance? No."
Mr, 1 turned his attention to the living Catcus.
"You follow Crocodile out of loyalty." Amigo said, smiling as he looked upwards. "Just like these chicos y chicas follow the Monkey siblings, Ben and Draco."
Mr. 1 quickly turned to barely dodge Ruby's blade and Gin's tonfas, the two pushing him back before they leapt behind him and trevealed the bouynd Mr. 3.
"Kick his ass, Zoro. Kuina" Gin said, the sword-users smirking back as they readied to end this.
"Come on, let me join in!" Eddy complained as Amingo held him back.
"It wouldn't do my conscience any good to let someone so young go and get himself killed!"
"His body's like steel. How are we supposed to defeat him?" Tashigi asked as she, Zoro, and Kuina clashed against Mr. 1's blades.
Kuina closed her eyes. "Don't think, Tashigi. Feel it out. My father taught us that everything has its own breath."
"Find that breath, and you can find the grain where an object may be cut, no matter how durable it is." Zoro added, his eyes also closed.
Mr. 1 started dashing forward, using his bladed feet as skates.
"ATOMIC SPURT!"
The three sword masters closed their eyes, took a breath, put their swords over their shoulders…. and then in an instant, drew their blades.
"LION'S SONG!"
In a flash of light and flames, Zoro, Kuina, and Tashigi sheathed their blades as Mr. 1 collapsed in a puddle of his own blood.
"DUDE! You just killed him!" Eddy cried as he, Amingo, Gin, and Heart came over.
Zoro shook his head. "I doubt even a strike like that would kill him so easily. But he's definitely not getting back up anytime soon."
"Well then..." Amingo then placed his hands down on the ground and created cactus vines to restrain Mr. 1. "I have no doubt he could cut himself free, but just in case."
"What even is that, anyway?" Tashigi asked.
"My Devil Fruit!" Amingo proudly said. "TheCactus-Cactus Fruit, to be exact! It lets me manipulate all manner of cactus plants, even turn parts of my body into those things!"
-OP-
"Good sir, you seem like a reasonable figure! Can't we talk this out!"
Mr. 2 was being confronted by Sanji, Noire, Kirby, Ed, Double-D, and Fuu. He showed proficient use in hisOkama Kenpofighting style but Sanji'sBlack Legstyle proved more than a match for it. It also helped that Ed and Double-D were starting to get the hang of their Devil Fruits now.
"I'm sorry my friends!" Mr. 2 said as he deflected a kick from Kirby and leapt over Fuu, who released a smoke of some kind. "I need to do this! The world Mr. 0 seeks…!"
"WHAT ABOUT ALADDIN?!" Noire called out, using her cards to catch and then release a kick back at Mr. 2. "Is the world Mr. 0 wants one where he can be happy?!"
Mr. 2 froze in thought, recalling the little boy his master was holding hostage; a bright, happy boy who understood Okama's unwillingness to accept one gender over another….and who Barqoue Works was raising him to become a puppet ruler, political prisoner and if he refused….murdered for his devil fruit.
Noire then used a card to absorb Fuu's smoke as Double D, spying their foe's broken concentration to try a new attack:
"AQUA BARRIER!"
Double-D created a water dome barrier to block the kick. Mr. 2 quickly flipped out of the way of Noire throwing some cards like shurikens at him, then dancing when those cards exploded afterward.
"EARTHQUAKE!"
Ed stomped his feet and caused a mighty earthquake that caused Mr. 2 to lose his footing, allowing Kirby, who had donned a blue bandana, to grab him from behind and deliver a crushing suplex, leaving him stunned on his back.
"Well... It's not a bad way to lose... Having your friends knock some sense into you..."
Once Mr. 2 was uncouious, the others let out gasps for air and Sanji was quick to comfort Noire, who then used a card to heal Mr. 2.
-OP-
Nami was using her new weapon that Usopp and Double-D made for her, a staff called the Clima-Tact, to battle Miss Doublefinger. No easy task, since Miss Doublefinger turned out to have eaten theSpike-Spike Fruit, letting her sprout spikes from her body.
"I kind of pity you. That power must make it impossible to have sex." Nami said.
Nami wasn't alone, as she was backed up by Kaya, Double-D, Luna, Choi, and Rosa. Hearing her quip, the girls all snorted while Choi bellowing in a snort-like laugh.
"Weeweeweewee! I'd still take the chance!" The eyepatch-clad young man said.
Miss Doublefinger smirked. "You'd think that, but I am able to turn off the power as needed, so that's never been an issue."
"Well, that's good to know," Luna smirked before swelling up, Rosa absorbing the stone around to increase her strength so she could push her forward.
"Are you stupid? I'll just pop you!" Miss Doublefinger said as she prepared to strike, only for Nami to call out:
"MIRAGE TEMPO!"
Miss Doublefinger was left flabbergasted by being caught in a mirage, allowing Luna to roll over her without worry of the spikes. Kaya then turned into her Hybrid Form and ran on all fours across one of the nearby walls before pouncing down on Miss Doublefinger.
"TIGER GOD'S ROAR!"
Letting out a powerful roar, Kaya left Miss Doublefinger disoriented as Choi moved in to attack, scraping his rake against the ground before swinging upward.
"NINE-PRONGED ARCS!"
The force released nine wind blades that tore through the ground, forcing Miss Doublefinger on the backfoot to avoid getting torn apart. However, that left her in place for Nami's trap.
"TORNADO TEMPO!"
Nami launched a powerful whirlwind from her Clima-Tact, successfully sending Miss Doublefinger flying into a nearby wall, knocking her unconscious. Luna then hocked a glob of blue juice that splattered into a large web to keep Miss Doublefinger trapped.
"We did it!" Kaya cheered excitedly. "That was my first ever fight!"
Choi laughed. "If I wasn't saving myself for that lovely monkey friend of yours, I'd ask for your hand!"
Kaya rolled her eyes. "Sorry, but my heart belongs to Usopp."
"Word on that, sister!" Rosa said. "Keep your eyes on just one girl and things will work out for you."
-OP-
Meanwhile, Miss All-Sunday was helping Crocodile slip through the palace security using herFlower-Flower Fruit, which let her create extra limbs on any solid surface through the catalyst of flower petals.
"This is the only way we're getting in. My planned coup is going down the toilet fast, so we have to improvise." Crocodile said. "At least my backup plan to start the fighting is in place."
"What backup plan?" Miss All-Sunday asked.
"Right, I didn't tell you yet. In precisely thirty minutes I've set up an explosive to destroy the square at Alubarna." Crocodile said. "The shell launched can destroy anything within a five-kilometer radius."
"But that won't leave any survivors," Miss All-Sunday pointed out.
"Well, what better way to stop the fighting? Now come on. We have to hurry and find what we're looking for."
He didn't notice that Miss All-Sunday had used her powers to hide away a Transponder Snail, which was recording everything he said….
-OP-
"This is it." Marianne said, pointing to the building in question; an expensive and luxurious looking brothel that she, Vivi, Kohza, Calvin and Hobbes were about to invade.
"Crocodile's been keeping the prince here?" Kohza asked. "Oh, that can't be good for him."
"Why, this place looks ritzy." Calvin noted.
"Actually, the girls here are treated quite well." Marianne says. "whether or not Miss All Sunday and Mr. 2 had any say in that is up to debate; the matron once offered me a job here…."
That made everyone irk, minus one; Vivi remained silent
"…Princess?" Calvin asked.
"Aladdin has….a way with the ladies." Vivi sighed
"….I think I both respect and ahte this kid." Marianne said.
"Um, we may not have to break down the doors." Hobbes said as he pointed to someone, covered in a luxurious looking cloak, try and enter. When she was denied, she drew a blade and 'convinced' the guards to move aside. She then kicked them where…
"OOOOH!" Kohza and Calvin winced, Hobbes just applauded..which alreted the woman to them.
"Eamati Sherzade!" Vivi called out, rushing to greet the woman.
"Vivi? Vivi!" The woma, initially startled and rearing to strike, softened as she hugged her niece. "Thank Nika you're sa….wait, why;re you here?"
"To save Aladdin with some friends." Kohza said, dropping to one knee, with Calvin, Hobbes and Marianne quick to follow in suit. "Your majesty."
But Sherzade and Vivi were already inside, the mother with her knife at the matron's throat as the woman tried and failed to shoot the royals, getting ANOTHER knife in her hand for her troubles.
"Where. Is. My. Habibee?" Sherzade ordered with a growl, letting the others rush inside, startling many of the girls, who otherwise cooed at Kohza, who remained strong but clearly enjoyed the affection, and Calvin, who…..
"BEGONE, TEMPTRESSES!" Calvin shooed the women away. "I AM A MANLY HERO OF THE SEAS WHO HAS NO TIME FOR YOUR HARLOT DESIRES!"
…Well, he did that.
"Give it three…four years and you'll be singing a different tune." Hobbes smirked for a second before pausing. "…Also, where did you learn 'Harlot?'"
Calvin said nothing and Hobbes' question was soon forgotten when Vivi swung open a door, revealing Aladdin in the company of several girls…and nestling very comfortably in a spot many would envy.
"ALADDIN!"
The princess' shout, startled many, including the young boy.
"Vivi?" Aladdin asked, then beamed, "Vivi!"
The Princess hugged her cousin, elated he was safe and missing the fact his legs were now a wisp of smoke and his skin took on a blue tint.
"Are you okay?" Vivi asked, then frowned. "How long have you been here?! WHY did you eat that fruit?!"
"I was hungry and the Sand-man looked at it funny!" Aladdin whined, his cheer turning to annoyance.
SLASH!
All turned to see Kohza slaying the matron as Sherzade stormed in, ignoring all in her path before…
"Al'umu!" Aladdin beamed.
Instantly, the woman's frown vanished and tears of relief burst from her eyes as she took her son and hugged him.
The sheathing of swords and the summoning of several colored orbs interrupted the moment, and the women in the room (sans the royals and Marianne) cowered as several guards entered.
"You just killed the boss and screwed over our ticket to fame and fortune!" The apparent leader sneered. "Kill the brats but keep the women for now…Might as well have some fun before.."
"GET 'IM, HOBBES!" Calvin suddenly ordered and the tiger grinned, taking delight in the fact everyone could now see him as he pounced on the guards, who were ill-equipped to deal with a six-foot-tall anthropomorphic tiger.
Vivi and Kohza, for their part, averted Marianne and Aladdin's eyes.
"Hey, I'm sixteen, remember?!"
"Blood is everywhere! The vicious tiger shows no mercy!" Calvin cackled.
Sherzade simply smirked and applauded the scene
"Hey, do you think you could also help out the nice ladies too?" Aladdin asked. "They treated me really nicely besides Miss All-Sunday."
"Okay...but Calvin, Hobbes, and Marianne need to stay with you," Kohza ordered.
"Awww, come on!"
"Aladdin." Sherzade and Vivi glared, just as, the nearby Transponder Snail blared out words from Jafar, which everyone else in the Straw Hats could hear from where they were as well.
"Crocodile's planted a bomb somewhere in Alubarna! We need to find it in thirty minutes or it will destroy the entire square!"
TO BE CONTINUED….
Mrotrax A/N:
This chapter is epic and taking long to do justice, so I spit it into two. Hopefully, Monday will see us witness Crocodile's down fall! Will Alabarna be saved in time? Are justice and revenge in Mifune's grasp?
Tune in next week to find out! Until then, stay safe and warm!
Some translations for the Arabic words used this Chapter:
al'umu = mommy
tifli= my baby
eamati= auntie