I do not own One Piece
It is owned by Oda
I just own the OC's
Enjoy!
Alabasta Arc opening: Again by Yui, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood OP 1
No POV
One day ago...
Mikita and Gem stepped off a caravan that stopped in an Alabasta town. The town wasn't as massive as the capital city, Rainbase, or Nanohana, but it was still a busy city. The two blended by wearing a shemagh to cover their faces to avoid being spotted by Baroque Works agents. As they walked through the town, Gem noted Mikita looking troubled, her arms folded over her chest.
"You okay?" Gem asked.
"Just a little worried..." Mikita said. "About Marianne."
"A bit too late to think about that now," Gem stated. "You're the one who thought it'd be a good idea to send her with them."
"Hey, they're good people," Mikita claimed. "Plus, her being with them is a better option."
"Don't know if it was any safer," Gem remarked. "The 'boss' and every other agent are after them."
"That's true," Mikita stated. "But they might be able to stop that plan. We may not have been with them long, but I trust them. That's why I left her with them."
"Pretty sure that commotion in Nanohana is because of them," Gem figured. "And I'm sure their captain was the cause of it."
"That sounds pretty accurate," Mikita agreed with a smile. They continued through the town until they felt a foreboding presence behind them. It caused the former agents to pause in their tracks. Their eyes were wide when they turned to see a massive figure walking among the crowd. The figure stood out in the crowd while covered in a black cloak. Under the dark hood, they could easily make out a metallic red and black mask.
"Keep walking," Gem said.
"Y-Yeah..." Mikita breathed. They continued through the town, hoping the bustle of people would mask them. But that didn't help because their pursuer was following them. The pursuer's lumbering footsteps seemed to become closer. Nervous sweat poured from Mikita and Gem's foreheads. This soon led to them running, not even caring about the stares from the bystanders, only the need to get away.
"Through here!" Gem exclaimed, and he and Mikita ran into an alleyway. They kept their pace, pushing through a man drinking in the alley.
"Hey!" the man shouted. "Watch it!" The man turned to find the dark-cloaked figure. "Hey, what-ugh!" The man gave out a short-lived scream when his head was crushed between the figure's fist and the wall. Mikita and Gem turned to find the man's body slumped over, his head gone and splattered on the wall painted in blood. The cloaked man shook off the blood and brain matter from his black gloved hand and kept sauntering toward the former agents.
"Mr. 5..." his calm yet daunting voice spoke under the mask. "Miss Valentine... you two are quite hard to find. I'm a little impressed. After learning of your failures for Baroque Works, I went to Little Garden to find you both. I couldn't find you, Mr. 3, or Miss Goldenweek. I thought the beasts on the island might've gotten you, but that wasn't the case. Now, as Enforcer, the boss has ordered me to-"
"Nose Fancy Cannon!" Gem sent an explosion at Mr. 00, a smoke billowing around the enforcer. Mr. 5 pointed another explosive, ready to flick it at a moment's notice.
"What are you doing?!" Mikita exclaimed. "We need to get out of here!"
"Go!" Gem told her. "I'll stall him!"
"That's Double Zero!" Mikita argued. "There's no way you'll survive!"
"I know..." Gem grunted. "So, get outta here!"
"But..." Mikita said as Gem pushed her away.
"Just go!" Gem warned. "And don't look back!" After Mikita was shoved away, she ran as far as she could, tears leaking from her eyes. Gem kept his attention on Mr. 00 appearing from the smoke.
"How noble, Mr. 5..." Mr. 00 said. "Makes sense you would protect her. She is your partner. But the effort is futile. So you might as well give up."
"No thanks!" Gem aimed again. "Nose Fancy—" Despite being as large as he was, Mr. 00 moved quickly and seized Gem by the face. His entire hand covered the explosion man's face, and he squeezed his head, putting pressure around it as Gem squirmed and scratched it desperately.
"You know, killing you would be much too easy," Mr. 00 said. "And I already shed blood today, and they weren't even my target." He gestured to the corpse in the alleyway. "I think you'll need to be re-educated about Baroque Works' mission."
Present...
In the desert was an establishment, a bar called 'The Spider's Cafe.' Within the bar, there were four individuals. One was a woman with a slim figure, wavy dark blue hair wrapped in a colorful bandana, and wearing glasses. She went by the name Paula.
There was another woman with a rotund body shape, puffy brown hair, and purple glasses who spoke loudly. This woman was called Miss Merry Christmas. Along with her was a man with a similar body shape who was taller than his partner, with dirty-blonde hair, and a large weapon on his back. This was Mr. 4.
Mr. 2 arrived at the Spider's Cafe next. Along the way, he danced with his men on their way to the cafe. The ballerina argued with Miss Merry Christmas until something had crashed through the wall. It was one of Mr. 2's crew. He was beaten down by Mr. 1. He was a tall, muscular man with dark skin, blonde hair in a short haircut, and had a tattoo on his torso that read "One".
Mr. 2 was angry that Mr. 1 attacked one of his men. This started a scuffle between the two, each of whom traded blows, which led to Mr. 2 kicking Mr. 1 out of the Spider's Cafe, though he didn't have a scratch on him.
"Do you want to die that badly?" Mr. 1 threatened Mr. 2.
"Hold it!" Paula intervened. "That's enough playing around, Mr. 1!"
"I'm not done," Mr. 1 said. "Move, Miss Doublefinger. I still haven't killed him yet."
"Stop it! Just get off me, fatty!" Mr. 2 cried while held down by Mr. 4 and thrashed about in his larger man's grasp. "You're killing me!"
"Mr. 2!" Paula exclaimed. "It's time for you to calm down as well! It's 8 o'clock." Mr. 2 ceased his struggle, and everyone looked at the woman. "All the agents that should be here are here. What's more..." Paula removed her bandana, revealing her curly blue hair, took off her glasses, and wore a new outfit. It was a bikini top with an unusual spider-like pattern across the abdominal area. "We're instructed to head to Rainbase, the 'city of dreams', in that city, we'll meet someone. A man we know but whose face we have never seen. We're heading to meet the boss."
Jou POV
Ace has joined them on the long journey after dealing with several issues while walking through the desert. After finding out Blackbeard isn't in Alabasta, Ace split from them. He gave Luffy a piece of paper before saying farewell. Luffy is concerned about losing it, but Nami decides to sew it into the ribbon of his hat.
Vivi told everyone they were close to reaching Yuba. For once, during this whole journey, Vivi seemed to have more hope, knowing they were close to stopping the Rebel army. Jou admits he was happy for the princess, knowing they were close to ending Baroque Works' plan. Vivi brought a bright light to everyone's attention. Jou viewed through his telescope, spotting the gleam she found.
"Yeah, I see it," Jou stated. "But what does it mean?"
"Does that mean we made it to Yuba?" Luffy asked. "I can't see with all this sand blowing everywhere."
"It's there," Jou assured. "Though I'm having trouble seeing anything in my scope." The light sandstorm made it hard to spot anything. Jou had his red shemagh over his mouth to prevent sand from getting into his mouth. He looked through his telescope once more. There was something in the distance, and everyone could see it, too. It had to be a town. Jou looked at Vivi, her eyes showing apprehension.
"What do you think, Vivi?" Jou questioned.
"Something here doesn't feel right," Vivi answered. "There's something wrong down there! I can tell!"
Jou could tell this town had seen better days. It didn't look like anyone was here. Was the Rebel army even here? Could they be hiding in the buildings? Jou didn't know but hoped they could get some answers. The wind harshly blew through the town, causing the trees to thrash.
"Oh no!" Vivi exclaimed, worried about the destruction of the town. "The entire city is being struck by a sandstorm!"
The sandstorm soon died down. All around the city were dead trees, and the buildings were embedded in sand and no longer seemed to be used by people to even live inside them.
"It can't be..." Vivi mouthed, her body trembling.
"It doesn't look good," Zoro mentioned, an unconscious Usopp over his shoulder. "This place doesn't look much different from that Erumalu town from before."
"No kidding," Jou agreed. "This is awful."
"Water!" Luffy cried with his tongue out.
"Vivi, I thought this was supposed to be some sort of oasis?" Sanji wondered.
"Yeah," Jou nodded. "Like, what happened to it?"
"It looks like the oasis has disappeared," Vivi answered. "It's been swallowed up by all this sand." Jou and everyone found a lone person—an old man holding a shovel—digging in the sand. Jou was impressed by the old man's audacity to continue digging in this condition. He did not notice them approaching yet, but he continued shoveling into the sand.
"I'm assuming that you're travelers..." the man spoke, while he kept digging. "You must be exhausted from all the time spent in the heat. Sorry, but this town is a bit dried up, too. It doesn't have relief to offer." The man turned, his eyes serious and sure. "But still, you are free to rest here for a while," the old man continued to shovel. "We may not have much water, but there are plenty of inns here in town. It's what we prided ourselves on, after all."
"Thank you," Vivi said. But we came here because we thought the Rebel army was in this town." The old man quickly turned; judging by his bloodshot eyes, he must've not been sleeping, but he managed to send a vicious glare.
"What business do you have with the Rebel army?!" the old man exclaimed, throwing whatever he could at the group—buckets, barrels, etc. "Curse all of you! If you're here to join the Rebel army, you can just go to hell!" he tired himself out and relaxed to catch his breath. "If you're looking for those fools, look elsewhere! They're no longer in this town."
"Wait, they're gone!" Luffy exclaimed. Everyone gasped hearing the news that the Rebel army wasn't here.
"They left!?" Vivi wondered.
"I'm sure you noticed," the old man stated, returning to shoveling. "The town was just hit by a sandstorm, but that one certainly wasn't the first. After three years of no rain, the land has become increasingly dry."
"Why do sandstorms happen more around here?" Marianne piped up.
"Sandstorms became a regular occurrence here," the old man replied. "Little by little, the oasis we knew was swallowed up until the town became what you see now—a dying wasteland. With the fall of supplies to the town, the Rebel army couldn't maintain their burned-out struggle, so they packed up. They've moved on. The Rebel base is now located in Katorea."
"Katorea...?" Vivi repeated.
"Uh, where's that...?" Luffy wondered. "Is Katorea close to here, Vivi?" Jou noticed the old man had stopped digging and turned his head to stare at the princess.
"It's near Nanohana, back the other way we came from," Vivi mentioned with a frown.
"Katorea?!" Chopper exclaimed. "That's where I ended up when I got separated from Jou and Sanji and met Eyelash!" Eyelash mouthed a response. "That's right," Chopper replied. "When you helped me get away." Eyelash kept speaking as Chopper translated. "Wait a second! Eyelash said that he was carrying Rebel army goods to Katorea."
Usopp, Sanji, and Luffy started punching and kicking Eyelash, all while shouting obscenities during the assault.
"Whatever," Chopper translated for the camel, before the trio beat the annoying camel again.
"Well, great," Zoro groaned. "Coming all this way was just a waste of time." The old man slowly walked to them, focusing on Vivi.
"Vivi...?" he spoke, while walking up. "Wait, your name is...?"
"Wait, hold on!" Luffy shouted, waving his arms. "She definitely not a princess!"
"Captain, that's not helping!" Jou exclaimed with shark teeth.
"Princess Vivi...?" the old man said. "Is that really you?" he approached her and gripped her shoulders. "You're alive. I can't believe it. Thank goodness. It's me, Vivi." Vivi didn't recognize the old man, her eyes showing confusion. "Don't you recognize me? I look different. I have lost some weight, I suppose."
Realization finally came to Vivi, her eyes wide when she noticed who the old man was.
"Toto?" Vivi gasped, holding her mouth. "Is it really you?"
"That's right," Toto uttered, tears leaking from his eyes.
"It can't be..." Vivi said, her voice quivering. Jou and everyone stayed silent. Jou remembered Toto from Vivi's story about Kohza. He was Kohza, the Rebel army leader's father. It had been a long time since Vivi and Toto had seen each other. It was always good to see old friends reunite, so giving them their space for the reunion was best. Jou wished he could have that with Rana again, but Jou almost felt that was long past with them.
Jou folded his arms, recalling his last encounter with Rana in Loguetown. He found Nami beside him, her eyes giving him a suspicious look. Jou knew that look. She had to have figured out something was troubling him.
"Toto?" Luffy questioned. "That's this guy?"
"Whatever it's worth, Vivi dear...?" Toto stated. "I have faith in you and the King." Vivi's eyes started to water. "He's a good man. A true King who would never betray his country." The tears were now pouring down Toto's face, weeping and falling to his knees. "This rebellion is ridiculous! A bunch of faithless fools! True, our country hasn't seen so much as a drop of rain in 3 years, but I still put my trust in the King as I always have. Most of the country still has faith in him actually. So many times, I've tried to stop them so many times. But they won't listen to anything I say. The rebellion isn't stopping. Their strengths, supplies, and men have reached the limit, however. Their intention is to settle everything once and for all with their next attack. Their backs are against the wall, they're stuck in a corner." Toto gritted his teeth. "Prepared for death."
Vivi gave out a gasp, her eyes wide.
"Please, Vivi..." Toto pleaded. "You have to stop these fools from tearing our country apart." Toto continued to cry as Vivi held a cloth and handed it to Toto.
"Toto, old friend," Vivi said, smiling. "Please don't be worried."
"Vivi, dear..." Toto mumbled.
"We'll succeed," Vivi said, her voice confident. "We're going to stop this." Everyone agreed with Vivi's statement. Jou knew all of them were willing to help stop Baroque Work's plan. They were gonna stop it no matter how hard it was going to be.
"Thank you, Vivi," Toto said, gratefulness in his voice.
No POV
Toto allowed Vivi and everyone to rest in one of the few inns that weren't sunken in the sand. Many of the crew had settled into their beds, ready to turn in for the night to get ready for another day of travel.
"Well, great job today, everybody!" Usopp declared. "Really! We did some good work! Now let's all lie down on these comfy beds and get some well-deserved rest, okay? We'll need our strength!" Usopp curled onto the bed, closing his eyes. "Good night, you guys."
Whack!
A pillow hit the sniper over the head courtesy of Zoro.
"Please..." Zoro stated. "The whole trip, you've been nothing but lazy."
"Why, you!" Usopp growled. "Quite comparing me to you and all the other superhuman freaks!" In retaliation, he threw a pillow into Zoro's face.
"Now, you're annoying me," Zoro muttered.
"Zoro's got a point, Usopp," Jou commented, sitting on one of the beds. "Our whole trip here, you've been asking Zoro to carry you because you were tired of walking."
"Oh, yeah?" Usopp said. "The whole trip, you've been too busy making googly eyes at-" Usopp was met with another pillow hitting him in the face.
"Jackass," Jou glared at the sniper before bringing his attention to Nami who'd taken one of top bunks. They made eye contact before a pillow struck Jou in his face, and the pillow fell to reveal Jou narrowing his eyes. "Do that again."
"Okay!" Usopp said before throwing another pillow. This time, Jou dodged it, but it hit Chopper instead, knocking the reindeer off the bed.
"Hey!" Chopper shouted at Usopp and was hit with another pillow.
"I think Bluenose here wins an award for laziest talking animal in the desert!" Usopp mentioned.
"You start walking around in a fur coat!" Chopper shouted, getting the sniper's face.
"Uh, Sanji, I think that's my bed?" Vivi said as Sanji was in the bed, offering the princess to join him.
"I know," Sanji smirked. "I thought you might have trouble sleeping all alone tonight, Vivi..." This time, a pillow struck Sanji in the face from Usopp.
"And the award for biggest perv goes to Sanji," Usopp commented as Chopper snickered.
"All right, slingshot boy," Sanji remarked. "I'm gonna shove that pillow so far down your throat you'll choke on it!" Between the guys, it turned into a giant pillow fight.
"What do you guys not understand the concept of-" Nami took a pillow to her face and soon sent it back at the boys. Marianne, who was lying down on a nearby bed, leaned up and, unfortunately, was hit with a stray pillow and knocked off the bed. Nami, concerned, leaped off the bed to check on the young painter. "Marianne! Are you okay?"
"Uhhh..." the young painter groaned. The pillow was thrown fast, putting her in an unconscious state, the colors of the rainbow circling above her head.
"I hope you're ready," Sanji growled, cracking his fist and charging into the fray. Vivi took a pillow to her face, leaving her face red while watching everyone throw pillows at each other. Jou was about to toss another pillow in their direction until he sighed, letting it drop on the ground.
"This is pointless," Jou said. "I'm going outside." He walked past the tussling and went out the door.
Nami, who ensured Marianne was alright, watched him leave as the door closed. While everyone was occupied, she followed him out. Marianne blinked her eyes and quickly shot up. Her face was blank when she suddenly grabbed her color palette out of nowhere. She dipped her paintbrush and, with a few quick swipes, painted on each of the boys, their moods going to calm states.
"Tranquil Green," Marianne stated proudly.
"Marianne?" Vivi wondered, but smiled at the painter. "Thanks."
"That should calm them enough to put them to sleep," Marianne said.
Jou POV
Jou closed the door to the inn behind him, the noise of the guys in their pillow fight becoming suppressed. He walked a reasonable distance away, picking a good spot on the sand. He felt he needed a quiet moment and wouldn't get that in the inn. He looked at the sky and saw the bright full moon gleaming, its light shining along the Alabasta sands.
Earlier, the reunion between Vivi and Toto was nice. It was nice seeing good friends see each other after so long. It was like that with Rana before. They were happy to see each other in Loguetown—at least until she learned he was a pirate. Rana told him to turn himself in, even telling him she would arrest the others. Jou let out a sigh, leaning his face against interlocked fingers.
Now, Rana was in Alabasta, looking for him. Why else would she be in the Grandline? She did tell him she was going after him. It was no shock, but was Rana really going to arrest him? Would Jou feel he needed to keep running from her? Jou heard the door to the inn open behind him. He heard it close and listened to who was approaching. He had a guess who it was. Instead, he knew exactly who it was.
"That you, Nami?" Jou spoke.
"How did you know it was me?" she wondered.
"Just figured it was," Jou shrugged.
"Oh, whatever," Nami said, standing beside him, a hand on her hip. Jou knew it was better to have company right now, considering his mood and who better than Nami, who just happened to be the girl he had feelings for.
"You wanna sit down?" Jou asked. Nami smiled with a nod before carefully sitting beside him, her knees in front of her, her arms resting on top.
"I can tell something is obviously bothering you," Nami said.
"I guess there's no point hiding it," Jou commented, folding his arms. "Well, I've been thinking... about Rana."
"Oh..." Nami paused. "I guess it makes sense you would be. Considering we just saw her a few days ago."
"Heh, yeah..." Jou said, rubbing his neck. "What a surprise, huh?" Jou shook his head. "To think she came all the way out here. Looking for me. Things are hard enough, especially trying to help Vivi save her country, and with Baroque Works after us. Now the Marines are here, and my old friend is with them." Jou let out a groan. "If we can even be friends anymore..."
"I guess that would make being friends tough..." Nami replied. "A pirate and a marine. That's almost like oil and water."
"Instead of an old friend..." Jou said. "All she'll see in me is a pirate. And I get it. Pirates raided Bouy Village. It was my fault..."
"Your fault?" Nami questioned. "What do you mean it was your fault?"
"Let's just say I trusted someone and it led to the pirates coming to my island..." Jou mentioned. "And that led to my mom dying. My point is that pirates do horrible things to innocent people. People who don't deserve it. My mom was a pirate, but she wasn't one to raid islands, just enemy pirate crews."
"Jou, where are you going with this?" Nami asked. Jou turned to her, her eyes wanting the truth. He wants to assure her he wasn't just spouting nonsense. He wasn't sure how she would take what he was about to say.
"Nami, am I a bad person?" Jou asked.
"What?" Nami wondered. "Are you a bad person? Why would you ask me that?"
"Because to Rana, a pirate is a pirate," Jou said. "She truly hates them. To her, there's nothing good about pirates. Hell, she'd probably hate my mom if she knew about her pirate past, which I never told her. So, I think Rana would-"
"No!" Nami exclaimed, causing Jou to widen his eyes and stare at her. "Why would you think you're a bad person? Just because Rana wants to capture you for being a Pirate? You are not a bad person. I know you're not. You saved the East Blue by defeating Arlong. Everyone in Cocoyashi knows that, and more importantly, I know that!"
"Nami, listen, I'm about to tell you something..." Jou stated. "Something I felt I never needed to mention." Jou looked into Nami's eyes. "Back at Arlong Park, in that cartography room, I stabbed Arlong through his eye."
"R-Really?" Nami gasped. Jou turned to Nami, her eyes widened, her mouth cupped over her mouth. Telling her what he'd done to that bastard, while in her 'room' must be a shock to her. Jou wouldn't be surprised if Nami started to see him another way.
"It was all I could think to get his jaws out of my shoulder again..." Jou mentioned. He looked away, but felt her hand resting on his shoulder.
"But that doesn't make you a bad person!" Nami declared. "Look, Arlong was a tyrant and deserves every punishment imaginable for what he's done, and you didn't kill him."
"But that's the thing..." Jou said. "I wanted to end Arlong. I felt he deserved it after everything he put you through, especially for killing Bell-mère in front of you. It was the first time I've ever felt the need to take someone's life." Jou turned away from Nami, taking an interest in the sand. "Because of these thoughts, I never wanted to kill anyone. Would that make me a bad person if I had these thoughts?"
A pair of hands snatched both sides of Jou's face. He was pulled close to Nami's face, expression stern. Her brown eyes bore into his. Jou didn't think he could pull away; he doubted Nami would let him even if he tried.
"How can you think you're a bad person when you've done good things for others?" Nami claimed. "You helped Chouchou by returning his pet food and fighting a lion for it. You stood by me and Usopp to defend his village from Kuro's pirates. We helped Apis reach and find the Dragon Nest for Grandpa Ryu. You took on Arlong on your own and destroyed Arlong Park, which only brought pain to me and everyone I care about in Cocoyashi. And now here we are in Alabasta, helping Vivi save it. You're not a bad person, but you're acting like a coward."
"Nami... I..." Jou stammered out.
"If Rana can't still see the good in you and just see's another pirate she needs to arrest..." Nami's eyes glared. "Then she's an idiot." Jou blinked in surprise. "Everything I said shows that you're still the same. No matter what you've done, you're still a good person. The kind of person I've come to l-" Nami seemed to have realized she'd been holding his face too long and let go. She returned to holding her knees. "Admire. The kind of person I've come to admire."
"Oh..." Jou said, turning away and rubbing the back of his head. He didn't know why he felt deflated that she had to correct herself, but he gave her a nod.
"I'm not telling what to do, but next time you see Rana..." Nami said. "Try to get through to her. Figure out whether or not you can still be friends." Jou stared at Nami again. He knew Nami was right. The next time he saw Rana, he would talk to her to see if they could still be friends. Luffy still considered Coby his friend, and they were both a pirate and a marine. Who's to say it's impossible, and he couldn't give up on any possible friendship with Rana?
"You know what, Nami..." Jou smiled at her. "You're right. This is how I can make this right with Rana. Has anyone ever told you you're amazing?" Nami smirked, winking and joining her thumb and index finger in a circle, her other fingers straight.
"Yeah?" Nami laughed. "Tell me something I don't know!" This time, Jou laughed, feeling his mood suddenly lift, all thanks to Nami.
"One thing though..." Jou said. "Remember the night we left Loguetown?"
"Of course," Nami nodded.
"Well, you told me that even if Rana doesn't see me as a friend, I still have you and the others," Jou mentioned. "Thank you for everything." Jou gave the navigator a grateful smile before returning to the full moon in the night sky. Jou tensed when he felt something soft press against his cheek. Nami planted a kiss there before wrapping her arms around his arm and resting her head on his shoulder. Jou relaxed, resting his head atop her knees, each staring at the moon.
"It seems like no matter where you are in the world, the moon is always beautiful," Nami sighed, her voice cheery.
"Yeah," Jou agreed. "It is."
No POV
In the resort city of Alabasta, Rainbase, the Baroque Works officer agents were in a room below the Raindinners casino. They were set to meet the boss, Mr. 0, face to face. Each sat at a long table, and behind them was a massive aquarium with huge Banana Gators swimming inside.
"Gimme a break!" Mr. 2 complained. "You gotta be kidding me? How long are we gonna have to wait around like this?! I could be practicing my dancing instead of sitting here!"
"Hahahaha!" Mr. 4 laughed.
"Stop complaining, Mr. 2," Miss Doublefinger said, her arms folded. "Just sit still over there and wait quietly."
"Yeah, shut up, you stupid man!" Miss Merry Christmas, pounding her hands on the table.
"You calm down, too, Miss Merry Christmas," Miss Doublefinger declared.
"I guess it isn't too surprising that you don't all get along," Miss All Sunday chuckled. She stood at the top of the monumental staircase that led down into the room, wearing a white cowboy hat, a matching coat, and boots. "Oh, well. It isn't necessary that you do anyway."
"Miss All Sunday," Mr. 1 said.
"Thank you all for coming so far to attend this gathering of ours in Rainbase," Miss All Sunday mentioned, walking down the steps. "The city where gambling is the only king and every man and woman dreams of going home rich. Welcome to Raindinners. The largest casino in the whole city."
"Miss All Sunday, could we skip the formalities?" Mr. 1 stated. "And get to the point."
"Yes," Miss All Sunday replied. "I was just getting to that, Mr. 1."
"Let's start already!" Miss Merry Christmas exclaimed. "Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Start! Start! Start! Now! Now! Now!"
"Of course..." Miss All Sunday smiled. "But there's something that needs to be taken care of. It's time to meet our boss whose face you've never seen. I've been acting as his face and voice for some time now. Delivering orders as we saw fit. There's no longer any need for such secrecy, however..."
"Finally, the time has come," a voice said behind a chair. The chair spun around to reveal a man with pale skin and nape-length black hair neatly slicked back. He had a scar stitched along the bridge of his nose that stretched across his face. He wore a long, dark, pelted fur coat, a bright orange, black-striped button-up vest over a long-sleeved shirt, a blue scarf, a dark blue suit, and pants and black shoes with gold buckles. "For 'Operation: Utopia'."
All the Baroque Works agents were stupefied by the surprise of their boss being 'Sir' Crocodile, one of the 7 Warlords of the Sea. Even the stoic Mr. 1 seemed baffled by this very fact.
"This will be the greatest and the finale operation that Baroque Works carries out," Crocodile grinned. "Miss All Sunday?"
"Yes?" Miss All Sunday wondered.
"Did you get in touch with 00?" Crocodile asked.
"I did," she replied. "I'm surprised he answered. He mentioned he'll be a bit late for this gathering of ours. Said he needed to follow up on a loose end." Miss All Sunday turned to the rest of the agents. "It seems you're familiar with our boss? Or his identity, anyway."
"Yes, of course, we are..." Miss Doublefinger said. "But why is one of the 7 Warlords leading us?" Each agent still had this question in mind even after the reveal of the leader of their organization.
"Yeah, we didn't expect to have such a big shot guy for our leader?!" Miss Merry Christmas wondered.
"Let me get this straight..." Mr. 2 chimed in. "We've been working for a pirate for our first day?!"
"So, then you are actually our boss?" Mr.1 asked. Crocodile's eyes, which were closed, shot up quickly, giving a glare.
"That a problem?" Crocodile said with a threatening tone. The Baroque Works agents were quiet, no longer going to question their boss being a pirate and warlord to boot, even if it was still a huge surprise.
"It's not a problem," Miss Doublefinger said. "But it is a bit confusing. The 7 Warlords are pirates sanctioned by the government. Why would you need a company like this one?"
"I do not seek money or status..." Crocodile answered. "It is something more." He said, looking at each of his Officer agents. "Military strength."
"Military strength?" Mr.1 inquired.
"Allow me to explain myself," Crocodile answered, lighting his cigar. "Let me tell you my true objective. My goal and my final operation that Baroque Works will be conducting." Crocodile went on to explain his plan to the officer agents. Once finished, he doused his cigar in an ashtray on the table before him.
"You mean something like that really exists on this island?" Mr. 2 wondered. "And we're going to steal the whole country along with it. This assignment is making me tremble all over!" The ballerina-clad man exclaimed with excitement in his voice.
"So these new orders are the final pieces of one giant plan that Baroque Works has been working towards?" Mr. 1 questioned.
"Yes, that is correct," Crocodile replied. "Every assignment performed as an agent, every mission that was founded has been part of the single operation. And those letters there..." The agents took hold of the letters placed in front of them. "Are the final orders that you'll receive?" Crocodile grinned. "The time has finally come. For Alabasta Kingdom to disappear. Once each of you has completed the assignment before you, this desert kingdom will destroy itself from the inside out." After reading the instructions, the agents burned the letters from the fire on the candelabrum. "The Rebel and Royal armies will have nowhere to go. Nowhere to turn. As a result, they'll fall neatly into the hands of Baroque Works. If all goes according to plan, in a single night, Alabasta Kingdom will become our Utopia. This mission is the final and most important act that Baroque Works will carry out. Failure is not an option. We begin tomorrow at noon."
"Yessir!" the Baroque Works operatives exclaimed together. Crocodile grinned, knowing his plan would come to fruition and no one could stand in his way.
"I wish you luck," Crocodile stated. From the stairs, footsteps approached and got closer until they suddenly stopped.
"About this Operation: Utopia...?" a voice said. "May I ask you to postpone it for a while?" Everyone turned to find that it came from Mr. 3, standing on the stairs.
"How did you get here?" Miss All Sunday glared. "The location of this room is a secret."
"So what little hidey-hole did you crawl out of to get here, Mr. 3?!" Mr. 2 exclaimed, leaping out of his seat and into a fighting stance. "Now, I will finally complete my mission!"
"Stay seated, Mr. 2..." a voice behind Mr. 3 said. "I say we at least give him a chance to explain where he's been this time." Everyone looked up to find Mr. 00 behind Mr. 3. The candle man gasped quietly at the large man before him.
Mr. 00's POV
Mr. 00 was on his way to the meeting the boss held for his 'Operation: Utopia'. Of course, he already knew the plan, being his enforcer, and mainly needed the officer agents to learn this plan. He hoped the boss wouldn't mind that he brought a 'guest' with him, tossed over his shoulder. What was peculiar to Mr. 00 was that he caught Mr. 3 at the meeting. The man bandaged from a recent fight was sneaking down to the Boss's quarters. Mr. 00 approached him from behind, the man not even noticing he was there. Mr. 3 let out a gulp, seeing 00 staring down at him through the eye-holes of his mask.
"Mr. 3, you're a hard man to find..." Mr. 00 mentioned. "I wonder where you have been hiding, considering I couldn't find you on Little Garden."
"I-I wasn't hiding..." Mr. 3 gulped.
"You weren't?" Mr. 00 asked. "Well, then, you should explain why you decided to show your face."
"Yes, I was about to get to that," Mr. 3 said, walking down the steps. "I merely followed you all from your little meeting at the Spider's Cafe. It was easy enough to do, I just hitched a ride on the back of Banchi's car unseen. Boss, at least we meet." he gave a bow. "I have come here to humbly beg for your forgiveness and to ask that I be given a second chance. You see, Mr. 2? I knew it was only a matter of time before someone was sent to eliminate me after I failed to complete the assignment that I was given. That was why I decided to change my course slightly and head directly for our headquarters at the Spider's Cafe."
"You said to have failed to complete a mission?" Crocodile wondered. "What're you talking about?"
"Well, you know..." Mr. 3 said. "How I was, unfortunately, unable to prevent the Straw hat brat's and Princess Vivi from escaping, remember?" Crocodile wasn't amused hearing that, so he crushed the handle of his teacup and stood up. Why would he be? It was said Mr. 3 dealt with those pirates and it appears that report wasn't correct.
"You're telling me that they got away?" Crocodile growled. "All of them? You're saying they're still alive?! What we're you talking about on the Transponder Snail?! You said that they were dead! Princess Vivi and her bratty little pirate friends! You did deal with them, didn't you?!"
"A Transponder Snail?" Mr. 3 questioned. "I don't know what you're talking about? I never used a Transponder Snail the entire time I was on Little Garden."
"WHAT?!" Crocodile exclaimed through gritted teeth. "This isn't good news. Although it explains why the unluckies haven't returned from Little Garden. I assume you at least got rid of one or two of them?"
"No," Mr. 3 said, his voice low. "Not exactly." Crocodile glared at Mr. 3, rage in his eyes. "Wait! The information I was given wasn't entirely accurate! There were 5 pirate escorts with Princess Vivi, and then on top of that there was this really funny-looking man with a long nose!"
"Dammit!" Crocodile snarled, getting out of his seat.
"If I might interject..." Mr. 00 spoke up. "I think we'll need confirmation from an eyewitness for Mr. 3's story."
"Who the hell is that, Mr. 00?" Mr. 1 asked. "I wasn't aware we could bring along a guest."
"I couldn't help but wonder, as well," Miss All Sunday said. "This was supposed to be a private affair. No guests. Unless you brought in a dead body."
"This isn't just any guest, Miss All Sunday," Mr. 00 mentioned. He set his 'guest' on the ground and pulled off the sack from their head.
"What in the- Mr. 5?!" Mr. 3 stammered. "What are you doing here?!"
"Surprised to see me still alive?" Mr. 5 muttered.
"It is a surprise?" Crocodile stated. "Mr. 00, I told you to kill this failure. Please tell me you at least dealt with Miss Valentine?"
"Miss Valentine appears to have escaped," Mr. 00 said. "With the help of Mr. 5, it makes sense he would, considering they worked together. Mr. 5 and I had quite the chat on the way here. It seems he can shed some light on Mr. 3's story about his failure to kill the princess and those pirates." He shoved Mr. 5 forward, the man falling on his knees. "Well, go on."
"Mr. 3 wasn't able to kill the Straw Hat pirates or princess..." Mr. 5 began. "He was close, but those pirates sure are resourceful. Mr. 3 is a failure just as much as we are."
"How dare you call me a-" Mr. 3 said.
"Mr. 3," Miss All Sunday spoke. "Don't interrupt."
"But-" Mr. 3 mouthed.
"Shut your mouth," Crocodile glared at the candle man. "You can try to plead your case once Mr. 5 is done."
"After we failed to kill the pirates, they let us stay aboard their ship, Miss Goldenweek's idea," Mr. 5 mentioned. "A deal she made with 'Dual-Chain'..."
"'Dual-Chain' Jou?" Miss All Sunday questioned.
"One of the pirates from the East Blue," Mr. 00 stated.
"You almost sound interested, Mr. 00?" Miss All Sunday wondered. "Thinking you've found yourself a challenge?"
"I doubt a lowly pirate from the weakest sea can provide me a challenge..." Mr. 00 commented, folding his arms. "Mr. 5, keep talking."
"You were aboard their ship the whole time?!" Mr. 2 exclaimed.
"As much as I hate to agree with Mr. 2, you were aboard their ship and didn't make any moves to kill them?" Mr. 1 remarked.
"How could we?" Mr. 5 said. "They were taking a risk bringing us aboard, considering the Princess was on their ship. No way they'd leave us alone with her."
"Wait a minute!?" Mr. 2 cried. "Then that little girl hiding behind this one!" He pointed at the drawn photo of Jou. "Was Miss Goldenweek?! I knew she looked familiar!"
"What's become of Miss Goldenweek?" Miss All Sunday asked.
"When I found Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine, it was just the two of them..." Mr. 00 mentioned. "I didn't see Miss Goldenweek?"
"She's with the Straw Hats." Mr. 5 stated. "Miss Valentine's idea. Figured she'd be safe."
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say these pirates were making you all too soft," Mr. 00 stated.
"I suppose you can say that," Mr. 5 declared. "Especially in Miss Valentine's case. She spent more time with them than I did. In doing so, she'd been brain-washed, turned into a starry-eyed dreamer like all of them. We were lucky Mr. 2 didn't spot us when encountering the Straw Hats."
"I met all these people!" He gestured to drawings of Luffy, Zoro, Jou, and Nami, and a photo of Vivi. "Yes, I ran into them on my way to the Cafe!"
"Really?" Crocodile wondered.
"There was this guy," Mr. 2 said, turning into Luffy. "And this guy," he changed to Zoro. "And this guy." He shifted into Jou. "And this girl." He turned into Nami. "And this guy." He morphed into Usopp. "And this thing, too." He changed into Chopper. "Plus, one more," he slammed his hands on the table. "So, Miss Wednesday is really the princess posing as an agent?! You mean these people are all actually the enemy?!"
"That's correct," Crocodile said. "These people have uncovered who I really am. They need to be taken care of, or they'll interfere with the plan. Mr. 3, you were right about one thing. It does seem like they've added one person, one animal, and Miss Goldenweek. Their group is increasing in number as they continue to move forward. Setting the pet aside, I think there is something that I can safely assume at the moment. Princess Vivi and her six little friends are likely in Alabasta already. Now to prepare, Mr. 2, make photos of those faces you displayed."
"But-but, boss, I promised that I would eliminate Vivi and her friends with my own two hands...!" Mr. 3 insisted.
"Just shut up, you damn fool!" Crocodile exclaimed, grasping Mr. 3 by the throat. Mr. 3 clawed at the hand around his neck, but it didn't help the vice-like grip from the boss. "Now, Mr. 3, listen very carefully... do you have any idea why I gave you your rank? Why you're an officer agent? Hmm?" he pressed harder on the thin man's throat. "In terms of fighting skills alone, even Mr. 4 has you beat. Do you understand that? I promoted you because of your underhanded tenacity when it comes to completing an assignment. You almost rival Mr. 00 when it comes to that." Mr. 3's body started to shrivel, his skin drying while all the moisture left him. "You have gravely disappointed me."
Mr. 00 had seen this on some occasions, but for the officer agents, it was likely horrifying. The only one not at all perturbed was Mr. 1, which wasn't surprising considering his background.
"What's happening to him?!" Miss Merry Christmas cried.
"He's just shriveling up?!" Miss Doublefinger exclaimed. Mr. 3 was released, falling on his knees, gasping for air. His body dried and was left wrinkled.
"Water..." Mr. 3 begged, his voice hoarse. "I need water... some water..."
"You can have all the water you want," Crocodile commented. "Down there." He pressed a button on the arm of his chair, and Mr. 3 fell through a trap door, his screams fading while cascading into the dark depths. Crocodile alerted one of his many Banana Gators. "It looks to be feeding time. Nothing but trouble." The remaining officer agents were left blue after watching what their boss had done. "But no longer." Chocodile slammed his hand on the table, causing some agents to flinch. "Now the rest of you listen up, take a good look at these six." He gestured to the pictures of Zoro, Jou, Nami, Usopp, Vivi, and Luffy. "They are determined to stop the rebellion in Alabasta. If we leave them alone, they are bound to come to us."
"I understand that," Mr. 2 agreed. "But boss, even if the girl is the Princess of this country, do you think that she can prevent the rebellion at this point?"
"Unfortunately, she has a connection that she can take advantage of," Crocodile declared. "Princess Vivi Nefertari and the Rebel Leader Kohza were apparently friends when they were children." He pierced his hook into Vivi's photo. "The Rebels have 700,000. Even if the Rebellion can be stopped now, Princess Vivi is certainly capable of bringing real confusion to their ranks. I've already sent Billions to join with Kohza's Rebel forces. The fact that I haven't heard anything from our men must mean that Vivi and her friends have not taken any action. This is good. Whatever the costs, they must be prevented from not making contact with the Rebel army before the operation is complete, and we have one. Miss All Sunday?"
"Yes, sir...?" she replied.
"Given the current circumstances, we should use Transponder Snails," Crocodile claimed. "Contact the Billions who are in Nanohana. Tell them to kill on site without any hesitation. Do not Princess Vivi and the Pirates into Katorea!" He ordered with a pound of his fist. "Vivi must not be allowed to meet with the Rebel Leader Kohza!"
"Yes, sir," Miss All Sunday said and moved along to get the preparations ready.
"Now, the rest of you get going as well," Crocodile addressed the other agents. "You don't want to miss the fun, do you?" They stood to leave the room. "We are very close to realizing our Utopia. Mr. 5?"
"Uh, yeah...?" Mr. 5 gulped.
"Seeing as how Mr. 00 decided to give you a second chance, surprisingly..." Crocodile said. "You can join Baroque Works once more. Be a part of what I like to call our final operation. Operation: Utopia. If you don't, then I have no use for you, and Mr. 00 will do anything he wishes upon you." Mr. 00 cracked fists, causing Mr. 5 to nearly jump out of his skin.
"I'll gladly join the ranks of Baroque Works again," Mr. 5 remarked.
"Then, since Mr. 3 is no longer with us..." Crocodile said. "From this day forth, your new codename is 'Mr. 3'."
"Mind if I keep being called Mr. 5 for now..." Mr. 5 said. "The new name will take some getting used to."
"Whatever you want," Crocodile said, taking a drag of his cigar. "Just as long as you don't fail again. Your assignment is to assist in killing Princess Vivi and the pirates. Including your former comrades, Miss Valentine and Miss Goldenweek."
"Yes, sir," Mr. 5 nodded.
"We are very close to realizing our Utopia," Crocodile claimed, lighting his cigar. Behind him in the aquarium were the remains of Mr. 3's cloak. "I hate to be disappointed by any of you. You understand?"
"Just leave it to us," Miss Doublefinger declared. "Boss, sir."
"And we're off~!" Mr. 2 chorused, twirling into a pose.
"Go enjoy yourselves," Crocodile smirked.
Mr. 00 was glad that the boss's plan would come to fruition. The goal he'd been working toward while in the Alabasta country was within arm's reach. They had to complete their jobs and remove any obstacles standing in their way: Princess Vivi and those pirates. Considering what they've been through, the princess's group seemed to have a lucky streak so far. But the boss decided to bring in the officer agents. Some were somewhat unorthodox, some already had a dangerous reputation like Mr. 1, but there was a reason why they were gathered for this mission.
And failure wasn't an option.
Jou POV
The sunlight gleamed through the window as Jou's eyes opened. Jou turned to his right and found Nami curled up against him. They didn't go back to the room with the others, so they went to sleep in a different room. Jou took in Nami's face while she slept. He lightly brushed the hair from her face. Even while she was asleep, Nami was beautiful. Nami soon woke up, yawning into her mouth and rubbing her eyes.
"Hey," Jou smiled. "Looks like it's morning already."
"Yeah..." Nami smiled back. "Shame."
"Why is it a shame?" Jou wondered, quirking a brow. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're becoming attached to me." Nami's face reddened. "Don't tell me you're-Mmpf!" Nami hit him in the face with a pillow.
"Don't even start," Nami told him.
"Or what?" Jou wondered with a smirk.
"Or else this!" Nami said before going to hit him with a pillow once more. Jou, this time, caught the pillow, took Nami by the wrists, and put her flat on her back. She let out a gasp and looked up at him. Nami didn't show any struggle and stared him in the eyes. Jou kept eye contact with her, but they did not move. Jou felt time slow, and boy, did he hope it did.
"Jou..." Nami murmured. After she said his name, Jou started to lean down slowly. Was it the right time to try this? He's been wanting this for a while now. Jou wasn't oblivious. There is something between him and Nami. He knew his feelings for her and shouldn't deny them anymore. Jou's lips were close to touching Nami's, her eyes closed, and she was waiting for him to make his move...
Or he was until he heard noise outside the room. Jou picked up his head at the commotion outside.
"Hmm?" Nami wondered, pouting at him. "What's wrong? Don't ignore me!"
"Believe me, I don't want to..." Jou assured her. "But we got company." Jou let go of Nami. She let out an annoyed groan before the door was kicked open, revealing their captain.
"I found them!" Luffy called as Vivi and, Usopp appeared with him at the doorway.
"Oh, good," Vivi sighed in relief, a hand on her chest. "I was worried something might've happened to you guys when you didn't return to the room last night."
"We didn't want to wake anyone, considering how late it was," Nami mentioned, sitting up and folding her arms.
"Yeah," Jou nodded in agreement.
"So, did anything happen at all between you guys?" Usopp asked, a mischievous smirk playing across his face. "Pretty convenient you decide to sleep alone and in the same bed-oompf!" The sniper was soon hit with a pillow tossed at him, knocking him to the ground. Nami was the one who threw the pillow to silence him.
"Nothing happened," Nami said. "We were just sleeping."
"Yep," Jou agreed, standing from the bed. "Just sleeping." He gave Nami a hand to help her off the bed.
"Now, I think we should get moving," Nami suggested. "We need to get to Katorea to stop the Rebel army, right, Vivi?"
"Yes," Vivi agreed. "I'm hoping we can reach them by the end of today or tomorrow."
"Well, then let's go," Nami said before clapping Vivi on the shoulder and leaving the room. Everyone gathered up and got ready to go. Toto was there to see them off on their continued journey into the desert.
"I'm so sorry I didn't have more to offer you, Princess Vivi," Toto apologized.
"No, please don't worry about it," Vivi reassured her old friend. "Well, we should be off now, Toto."
"Luffy," Toto got Luffy's attention. "Here, take this with you." He'd given Luffy a small barrel, a straw protruding from the top.
"Wow! Water!" Luffy cheered. "You found some then?"
"Yes, it was last night," Toto smiled. "A bit after you fell asleep while digging that huge hole of yours. I finally reached a moist layer under the dry stuff. That water there was from what I was able to extract from the damps-"
"Woah, that sounds pretty complicated, but thank you!" Luffy said, cutting Toto off from explaining anymore.
"That right there is genuine Yuba water," Toto mentioned. "It's not much. But it was all I was able to get."
"Right," Luffy smiled. "Then I'll drink it with care."
They waved farewell to Toto, and the old man waved goodbye as they left. The goal was simple. All they had to do was reach Katorea so Vivi could meet the leader, her old friend Kohza, and stop them from starting a war with the Royal army—something Crocodile wanted. With how long it took them to reach Yuba, it will take them a while to reach Katorea, which was over by Nanohana. Jou wondered if all this traveling through the desert would get them anywhere.
While walking, Jou looked at Marianne, riding on Eyelash behind Nami. The young painter's attention was drawn to something behind her.
"What's up, Marianne?" Jou wondered.
"I think something's wrong with Luffy again?" she said. Jou raised a brow and noticed his captain had stopped following the group and was sitting against a lone, thin tree. Was he feeling tired again? He didn't seem like it, but his arms were raised behind his head.
"Hey, Luffy!" Usopp called. "What are you doing over there?!" Everyone's attention was drawn to Luffy, sitting against the tree.
"Captain?" Jou wondered. Luffy didn't say a word, only closing his eyes.
"Luffy?" Nami said, hopping off Eyelash.
"Um, is everything alright?" Vivi questioned. Luffy opened his eyes and stared at everyone.
"I quit," Luffy stated. Jou frowned, not knowing what was going on in Luffy's head. But knowing him, there was always a reason why Luffy did what he did.
"What do you mean?" Nami asked.
"What's that mean?" Vivi added. "Quit what, Luffy?"
"Oh, come on," Usopp voiced. "We don't have time to put up with every weird little mood you have right now, Luffy. Let's go."
"Yeah, shouldn't we get going?" Chopper questioned.
"Yeah, we should, and fast," Sanji agreed. "If we don't get back to that Katorea place, we can stop the rebellion that's about to begin. Then a million Alabasta citizens are about to start fighting; then things are about to get ugly real quick! We're doing this for Vivi. So, let's go." He took Luffy by the shirt. Luffy grabbed Sanji's hand and effortlessly tossed him aside.
"What is wrong with you?!" Sanji exclaimed.
"Vivi..." Luffy said.
"Yes?" the princess wondered.
"Right now, all I wanna do is kick Crocodile's ass, you understand?" Luffy said, his eyes narrowing. "Maybe we can keep people from starting a rebellion, but that won't stop Crocodile. Besides, we won't be able to accomplish anything in Katorea. We're pirates. Everyone knows things are better without us around."
"You gotta admit, he's got a good way of getting straight to the point whenever he wants to," Sanji agreed.
"Well, yeah..." Usopp nodded. "But not often."
"No," Vivi shook her head. "That's not true."
"You want it to work out so that nobody dies in this fight," Luffy declared. "Isn't that right, Vivi? None of the citizens, none of us either. We're up against one of the 7 Warlords of the Sea and a million of your own people on top of that. And you still want everyone to end up all safe and sound. You'll never win that way."
Jou crossed his arms, hearing Luffy's speech to Vivi. However, Vivi wasn't agreeing with it, judging by her clenched hands.
"C'mon, Luffy!" Nami called. "Can't you at least show Vivi a little sympathy?!"
"Nami..." Jou shook his head at the navigator, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Stay out of it."
"Why should I?!" Nami wondered, pushing his hand off her shoulder. Jou didn't send a glance her way and kept his attention on Luffy and Vivi. Vivi approached Luffy, her hood moving off her head.
"And what's wrong with that, huh?!" Vivi seethed. "What is so wrong with not wanting to see people die or get hurt?!"
"Cause people die," Luffy claimed. "That's why." And there it was. Luffy had to be feeling that this was a waste of time. All of this walking back and forth through the desert. Jou also agreed with what his captain just said. People die. Most of the time, it was out of anyone's control. There was no stopping whether there would be losses for the people of Alabasta. Vivi had heard enough from Luffy and slapped him, the strike causing him to drop onto the sand.
"Stop talking like that! I won't listen to it!" Vivi exclaimed, shaking her head. "Say that again, I will really hurt you! That's the whole point of what we're doing here! Don't you understand? No one here in Alabasta... not the Rebel army or the Royal army or the people are not the blame for this! None of them have done anything wrong! Why should any of them have to pay for what's happened?!" Vivi's eyes went into a glare. "When every last bit of it is Crocodile's fault!"
Luffy got up, kneeling on the sand. He raced toward Vivi and struck her in the face. Jou didn't expect a fight to break out between the two. But this was Luffy's way of getting Vivi to see sense.
"So, you're saying it's only alright..." Luffy said. "For you to die?!"
"No, Luffy!" Usopp cried. "You've gone too far!"
"Dammit, Luffy!" Sanji growled. Vivi stood up, wiping her lower lip. Vivi may have been a princess, but she can take a punch. Now it was her turn to dash at Luffy and tackle him.
"Just being in this country one day and taking a look around, even I can tell!" Luffy argued. Vivi raised her fist until she brought it down, punching Luffy in the face. She didn't stop at just one; Vivi started to pummel the straw hat captain with both fists. Luffy's words clearly irritated Vivi, judging by the unrelenting strikes she gave the captain.
"Tell what?!" Vivi shouted between her punches.
"What this country needs more than anything?!" Luffy shot back while taking the punches. "You think that putting your life on the line is enough to stop this from happening?!"
"Well, what else exactly should I be putting on the line that would be worth it then, Luffy?!" Vivi cried. "What, Luffy?!" Luffy halted Vivi's strikes by grasping her arms. "I don't have anything else I can put on the line... just... just me..." Luffy shoved Vivi off him and leaned up.
"Well, you could at least try putting our lives on the line together?!" Luffy questioned. "Aren't we friends, huh?!" Vivi was stunned by Luffy's words. What he said struck a chord as tears flowed down her face. "Well, aren't we friends?!" Vivi didn't answer and continued to sob. "There. Now, you see. Now you understand. Hey, you can cry." Luffy picked up his straw hat, which had fallen off during the scuffle, and dusted it off. "I know how much you hate this. You wanna get Crocodile the most."
Nami crouched beside Vivi, comforting the princess with a hug, and Vivi cried into her chest. Marianne even gently laid a hand on Vivi's shoulder. Luffy placed his hat on his head, looking at Vivi.
"So, now tell me..." Luffy said. "Where can I find Crocodile?" Vivi didn't answer straight away, she was still crying until she stared at all of them.
"You all..." Vivi said. "Luffy was right. I've made up my mind now. Change of plans. We're going to go find Crocodile."
"Yeah," Luffy nodded.
"That does seem like the quickest way of stopping the fighting happening," Nami commented.
"I agree," Jou said. "We tried things the 'safe' way. But the only way to help Vivi and Alabasta is by going after Crocodile."
"And we can stop wandering around the desert, too," Zoro added. "That was beginning to get old."
"So, where is he anyway?" Sanji asked. "That damn Crocodile guy."
"Let's see..." Vivi said, kneeling and pulling out a map, and everyone joined her around it. "So, this is the capital city 'Alubarna' where my father rules and the Rebel army is camped here." Vivi pointed at Katorea. "Getting ready to invade Alubarna."
"So we just need to get to Crocodile so the Rebels can get to Alubarna," Sanji figured.
"This is where Crocodile is," Vivi pointed to another spot on the map. Jou looked at the spot Vivi showed, noting the name shown.
"Rainbase?" Jou read aloud.
"It's a city to the north of us," Vivi explained. "About a day's journey from here."
With Vivi's new resolve, the crew is ready to help her. It was time to take the fight to Crocodile and stop his plan.
I'm gonna say at the rate I'm going, Alabasta will be done in 5 or 6 more chapters if I had to make an estimation. And it'll be done in May if I had to guess.
Also, related to One Piece, did you guys know we finally got the name of the planet on which the series takes place? It's called 'Blue Planet'. I imagine it looks similar to Earth, with mostly ocean and continents scattered about.
To Eric Williams: I have some ideas on Jou's father. Also, Jou's mom hasn't disliked pirates since she was one. Now, Shanks being Jou's father could be possible. Jou's strength comes from Becky's training, but if Jou is Shanks' son, he likely inherited his alcohol tolerance from him, haha. The only way it may not be true is if Makino's baby turns out to be Shanks' kid, but even that's still a theory with how Vague Oda is.
It probably will be pretty minor when it comes to Jou's father, whoever it turns out to be.
That's all for this one.
I'll see you guys next time!
Later!