The Red Line and Laboon soon faded from sight as the Straw Hat Pirates ventured forth into the Grand Line. The sky was blue, the winds tepid, not another ship in sight anywhere. It was a pleasant, almost soothing journey…
…Right until the ship was caught up in a sudden hurricane.
"WHERE DID ALL OF THIS COME FROM?!" Nami yelled, "The skies went from clear to pure clouds in seconds!"
"Be a weather geek later, help us now!" Kuina said, digging her heels into the deck trying to keep the sail from snapping. Everyone was either trying to keep the ship right or trying to not get blown away by the category five winds. Luffy had to help Alvida to get to the Mini Melody so she could stop it from either ramming Merry's stern or from getting carried away by the roaring waters.
And just as soon as it began, the clouds raced off and everything was calm. The pirates dried themselves off and got things back in order although Nami was whipping her head back and forth trying to figure out how the weather worked again.
The next several hours were not much better. Nami had to keep an eye on their course at all times or else the ship would get suddenly steered in the opposite direction. The weather went from perfectly pleasant to utter chaos at the drop of a hat. Hail, heat waves, downpours, fog banks, and none of that counted the water itself!
A pack of aggressive birds had to be chased off with Sally's bees. Desire had to make a barrier to stop a flying swordfish the size of a rowboat that would've skewered Nojiko. They had whirlpools to dodge, then had to resort to Luffy using a Gum-Gum Battle Axe to destroy an iceberg the size of Kaya's house on a collision course with them minutes later.
Soon, as the sun began to dip below the horizon, the Straw Hats were all exhausted and shaking from a mixture of frostbite, heat stroke and pure dread. No wonder this place was called "the Pirate Graveyard" if you had to sail in these conditions!
And to make matters worse, they had to do all of this while those two bounty hunters watched and laughed at their struggle. Mr. 9 even offered to help if they kindly undid their restraints only for one of the Straw Hats to threaten to throw them in the brig. Carmen and Honey Queen swore they didn't have a brig but Alvida figured locking them in the bathroom would suffice.
Now that nighttime had come, Makino had pitched in to help Reiju and Carmen prepare dinner while the others unwound in the galley or the cabins. Nami sat on her hammock, staring morosely at the Log Pose still pointing north by northwest.
"Any idea where all the nutty weather came from?" Carina asked her in the midst of walking a beri coin across her fingers.
"My only guess is what Crocus and Brook said about the islands having strong magnetic properties. The clashing fields from the various islands could cause weather anomalies, kind of like how two strong magnets would fly at each other or repel each other depending on the charge."
"Huh, I never did how you grasped that stuff so easily… I was always the better pickpocket at least."
Nami gave her a side-eye and a smirk. "Oh? Then where's your wallet?"
Carina just rolled her eyes but went to check underneath her hammock for her personal stash only to find her coin pouch empty. She just giggled, impressed considering she knew it was full when Nami entered the room after her. They both looked over at Moodie, slowly reassembling one of her guns after cleaning it.
"You seem awfully calm," Nami noted, "No offense, but you seemed less used to rough weather than most of us."
"Oh, trust me, I was terrified. I was struggling to stand up during that and thought I'd get crushed by one of our one provision barrels. You just get very used to putting on a poker face in my old line of work."
"Amen, sister," the thieves both said, lightening the mood as they all began to chat about life before meeting Luffy. Out on the deck, Desire, Kuina and Alvida were working out their stress with a sparring session in the sunset. As sword, pipe and mace clashed, Kuina could not help but look back at the still subdued whalers. While Mr. 9 was slightly sweating and clearly eyeing the bats they had confiscated from him, his partner was as cold as ice. Kuina imagined that same steely gaze was what she had when staring down Hawkeye or enduring that blonde bastard's little game back in Shells Town.
"Yo, anybody home?!" Desire knocked on Kuina's forehead, making the bluenette flinch only to notice the former gangster staring at her, "There you are! What's up, those two looking at you funny?"
"No, just let me check something…" Kuina walked over and knelt down to stare one of the prisoners in the eye.
"Y-Yes?"
"You're called Mr. 9?"
"What's it to you?" Miss Wednesday butted in, "We don't go around harassing all of you!"
"Mostly because we can just chuck you into the sea if you get too mouthy," Alvida warned, "Be very grateful that our captain is a merciful man."
Makino peaked outside to let the trio of fighters know that dinner was ready. Kuina gave the pair a suspicious glare as she headed in only for Reiju to walk past her with two bowls of stew.
The mysterious pair was quite surprised when the pinkette kneeled down to present their dinner. "What? I won't allow anyone to go hungry, but do not take advantage of my hospitality."
Both wisely decided to not push their luck even after she went inside with the rest of the crew. Once they sat down to eat, Kuina finally remembered something.
"About a month before Luffy found me, I was approached by a guy calling himself Mr. 7."
"So, someone who knows these two?" Sally asked.
"Most likely. He was a bounty hunter who wanted me to join an organization called Baroque Works. He made it sound like a sweet deal with high pay and protection against the government, but when I refused, he tried to kill me."
"How long did that last?" Carmen amusedly wondered.
"About fifteen seconds. The guy had a bounty of his own, he was my last major payday before that stupid Helmeppo got me imprisoned."
"So, we're dealing with some kind of underground crime ring," Desire scratched her chin, "If they've got codenames then they're really obsessed with staying incognito. When that's the case, it means they've got something to hide."
"Think this whole thing could be a trap?" Honey Queen mentioned, "We all have pretty high bounties…"
"I keep sensing something off about that girl," Luffy noted, "The guy just seems like a cocky asshole but her… She's seriously determined about something, but she can't fully hide her fear."
"Wow, your Observation is still way above ours…" Kaya said in admiration.
"Nah, it isn't that. I can just see it in her eyes. It's the same one whenever Kuina talks about being the world's greatest swordsman, or Nami about mapping out the world. She's got a dream on her mind, and she won't let anyone stop her."
"Hmm, curious that you mention it…" Sally said in between spoonfuls of stew, "I can't help but remember one past Reverie whenever I look at that young lady. She bears a striking resemblance to a princess… What was her name again?"
"What would any member of royalty be doing in some criminal gang?" Carmen asked. The former queen of Goa Kingdom sitting on a pirate ship just cocked an eyebrow and the chef conceded the point. After that, the crew simply ate and chatted until Luffy retired to his room with Sally, Moodie and Carina all following him. Honey Queen seemed tempted to join in on the sexy fun times but held off. Today had plenty of excitement already and a nice night's sleep in her hammock sounded much more appealing right now.
The next morning thankfully saw the weather staying stable, thankfully allowing Nami to sleep in a touch to recover from yesterday's madness. Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday told them that Whiskey Peak would be on the horizon soon but were still kept watch all day. Nobody trusted them farther than they could throw them.
Luffy spent a chunk of the day breaking in Honey Queen getting a better grasp on her Syrup-Syrup Fruit. He refused to let her waste her power, blindfolding her to practice both Observation Haki and to shift between solid and liquid on a dime. The trick was that he was occasionally coat his hand in Armament, reminding her that her fruit didn't make her invincible and she needed to learn how to fight as well.
The bounty hunters couldn't help but be impressed as they watched the crew about their business and practicing their skills. Seeing Carina summon sonic booms, Desire summon barriers to provide Kaya target practice, Makino using Tempest Kick to try and hit a gliding Carmen in peacock-form, and Nami practicing Moonwalk while using clouds for crash pads. Both could only look at each other and realize they were doing very wisely to not cause any trouble.
Just as the sun started to dip below the horizon, their first island of the Grand Line was in sight. They could make out barren mounds of rock with fog obscuring the rest. Kuina then sliced the ropes off of their passengers. "You two can swim from here."
"Heh, I suppose so," Miss Wednesday shrugged, "Very well, pirates! Feel free to enjoy everything Whiskey Peak has to offer!"
"Indeed! Parting is such sweet sorrow! Au revoir!" Mr. 9 bowed before diving into the sea along with his partner-in-crime. The pirates just shrugged and figured it let them enjoy a few moments of peace before they arrived. Luffy was practically bouncing with energy and soon the others were getting itchy feet. It was time to see their first island of the Grand Line!
As they pulled in closer, they swore they could hear a roaring crowd but that couldn't be right. Who in their right mind would celebrate an approaching pirate ship?
But as the Merry breached the fog, they witnessed something that almost made meeting an island whale look tame. Hundreds of people surrounded the small inlet and were applauding them!
"What the hell…?" the ladies all said, too lost for words. They could scarcely believe it as their ship dropped anchor right in front of Whiskey Peak, your average looking desert town with plain adobo houses and wooden cabins surrounding the only immediate water source. Kuina dropped anchor right in front of all of them and the cheering only grew louder as the Straw Hat Pirates stepped onto the island.
From the throngs of celebrating people came an aged gentleman in a long dark robe with a massive set of blonde curls going down either side of his head.
"Welcome, brave explorers!" he said with a beaming smile, "I am Igarappoi, mayor of Whiskey Peak!"
"Thanks…" Carina said slowly, "Nice town you've got here…"
"Why thank you! We firmly believe that pirates are not criminals to be imprisoned, but heroes to be renowned! Please, make yourself comfortable until the Log Pose resets!"
"Uh-huh. And how long as that supposed to take?"
"No more than a week, but enough talk! We always welcome new crews with a grand party! Please, please, enjoy yourselves!"
"Sure!" Luffy nodded, letting the mayor get away before pulling Nami aside, "You can feel it too, right?"
"Their auras say they're full of crap, but what do we do? We can't leave until Nami's thing is ready!" Makino worried only for Alvida to chuckle.
"These people want to scam pirates? Then it's quite simple, kid. You scam them first…"
Even with the full knowledge that this whole town was a sham, the Straw Hats had to admit this party was a blast. These guys went the extra mile in selling that this was all a grand celebration of the pirates. Tables full of food were brought out, music had been playing nonstop and everyone found themselves bombarded with questions about their daring exploits and being praised as future conquerors of the Grand Line.
Carmen, Kaya, Sally and Moodie were all swept into a raucous dance as the townspeople twirled them around and were amazed by their grace and skill. Of course, a bunch of former noblewomen and an ex-queen were perfect to dazzle the crowd given how all of them had ballroom dancing drilled into them as girls.
Carmen and Reiju wanted to pitch in serving everyone but the kind people of Whiskey Peak insisted that they sit back and enjoy themselves. And so, they ended up next to Desire, Alvida and Luffy who all had no problem accepting their generous helpings. The captain himself astonished everyone packing away entire plates, the cooks scrambling to keep up with him and four other mouths to feed.
Kuina, Honey Queen, Nami, Nojiko and Carina were all caught up in a drinking contest with a sack full of beris on the line. The tangerine farmer found herself lying under the table, not because she was sloshed, but because she was terrified seeing her sister and crewmates down cup after cup of sake. While she could understand the former thieves ogling any cash, Kuina was on at least her tenth shot and wasn't even red in the face yet! The only one left facing them was the burliest nun Nojiko had ever seen… Wait, since when do nuns drink?
At least she knew Honey Queen was cheating, changing her hand to liquid and somehow distilling the liquor out of her body. She at least had the decency to act drunk. Nojiko sent her a wink, impressed at her quick thinking.
"Goodness, mayor, thank you so much for the party!" Makino, the only one not preoccupied with the festivities, said with a pitcher in each hand, "Are you sure you don't want any payment?"
"Hahahahaha! Don't be silly, miss! You all are bine… Excuse me, Ma! Ma! MAAAAA! You fine pirates are bringing so much life and energy to our little town! That's reward enough for all of us!"
And indeed, the ruse kept going until the moon was high in the sky, the Straw Hat Pirates strewn across the floor and snoozing off full stomachs, hangovers in the making and hours of dancing.
As soon as he heard footsteps leaving the building, Luffy's eyes snapped open. He quickly used Observation Haki to detect that all of his ladies were safe before tiptoeing around the sleeping conmen and making his way outside. He slowly climbed to the roof and watched as the mayor was busy meeting with the huge nun from earlier.
"Damn, what are those girls made out of?" she grumbled, throwing off the black robe to reveal herself as a goliath of a dark-skinned woman with frizzy peach hair tied into pigtails and a sundress leaving her muscular arms and legs exposed, "If I hadn't swapped my glasses for ginger tea then I'd be drunk for a week!"
"At ease, Miss Monday. You did a fine job selling your part, dubious costume aside. Especially since somebody didn't get us the meat we need!"
"Oh, pish-posh," Mr. 9 said as he leaned against another house, "We would've bagged that whale if it weren't for that dolt in the straw hat."
Miss Wednesday's hands tightened around her sleeves, seemingly pissed about her mission being foiled. But once again, Luffy sensed something off about her. He then caught the briefest glimpse between her and the mayor, a tiny nod signifying those two were thinking something private.
Right before the meeting could continue, he saw two more people walk up the lonely dirt avenue. A man dressed as a stereotypical stage magician, complete with a black top hat, velvet cape and a handlebar moustache over his lips which were in a true stage smile like he was approaching a loving audience. Next to him was the tallest woman Luffy had ever seen, easily seven-and-a-half feet tall and dressed in a huge white trench coat like she was desperately trying to hide her body. Her deep purple hair was styled into a short bob with a pink flower planted behind her ear, and unlike her partner she looked dead serious.
"Mr. 6? Miss Mother's Day? What are you two doing here?" The mayor asked.
"Ahahahaha! Oh, Mr. 8, we heard word of your newest quarry and felt it fitting to assist!" Mr. 6 said theatrically, complete with tipping his hat to reveal a stack of bounty posters. Mr. 8 took them and quickly paled at what he saw.
"What's wrong?" Miss Monday said, taking one poster and balking, "That redheaded chick is worth 33 million?! How?!"
"This can't be right!" Miss Wednesday gawked, "One of them is Sally Isntoinette?! That can't be! A royal joining a pirate crew is absurd!"
"Oh, they're all real," Miss Mother's Day nodded, "These guys are the talk of the East Blue. All the big shots around there have been taken down, plus the Marines are crapping themselves over this guy recruiting a queen."
Mr. 9 suddenly shrieked, flipping around Luffy's bounty poster and pointing at the 75 million beri price. "This guy, he's the one who stopped us in the whale!"
"Goodness, that is a tremendous sum," Mr. 6 admired, "Is that not what Mr. 1 is wanted for as well?"
"What kind of pirate could rack up such a huge price, especially in the East Blue?" his partner asked only to look up at the roof and pale, "LOOK!"
"WHAT?!" Mr. 8 yelled, "How are you still awake?! You must have eaten your weight in food!"
"Heh, and it was delicious. I actually feel close to full," Luffy chuckled, "And if you want to know about that, it's nothing. The Marines just freaked out because beat up some jerks."
"Several Marine captains, including the infamous 'White Chaser' Smoker, Buggy the Clown, the Pirate Admiral Don Krieg, and Arlong the Saw…" Miss Mother's Day warned them, "This is exactly why we're here. Your crew altogether is wanted for 384 million beris. You'll be the biggest haul we've ever had."
"Oh, so that's what you're after… Sorry, but my crew and I are leaving once the Log Pose is ready. I don't care who Baroque Works are."
All six bounty hunters flinched. Mr. 8 then stared the pirate down as he warned, "You know of our organization. That alone means we cannot let you leave."
From all around the town, people poured out of houses. The same happy revelers as before now bore knives, guns, swords, chains, and more as they all surrounded the house Luffy sat on top of. All of them had sadistic grins or grim determination on their faces as the six agents now smiled confidently.
"There are one hundred bounty hunters in Whiskey Peak. We have never let a mark escape us and we won't start now! Do you think you can possibly defeat us all yourself?"
Luffy just shrugged. "Yeah, probably. You all don't seem very strong."
A round of growls came before Luffy lowered his hat. "But just in case, I'm not going to fight you alone!" He suddenly blew a harsh whistle and from the house beneath him came all of the Straw Hat Pirates, weapons drawn and ready for battle.
"HUH?!" Miss Monday yelled, "How are you little girls still standing?! I watched you down several bottles of booze each!"
"Yeah, I cheated!" Honey Queen said, turning her hand into liquid for good measure, "These girls just have livers of steel!"
"And you!" Mr. 9 pointed at Sally and Kaya, "You all must have been dancing for hours! How are you still standing?!"
"A little light exercise like that is nothing compared to Luffy's training," Moodie tittered before drawing her pistols, "Now then, if you don't mind, we'd rather not be your meal ticket so if you'll be so kind as to let us pass?"
"Absolutely not!" Miss Mother's Day yelled, throwing away her coat to reveal a magenta bodysuit with a humungous rapier attached to her waist, "All of you except the Goa queen are wanted dead or alive! Even with the thirty percent cut to your bounties, you'll feed us all for a year!"
"Yeah, if you can catch us," Kuina smirked, "Nice sword. Let's see if you can actually use it."
"GET THEM!" Mr. 8 yelled, signaling the bounty hunters to rush forward. Many of the grunts laughed, assuming that outnumbering the Straw Hats almost eight-to-one meant this would be a breeze.
It was… for the Straw Hats.
Reiju and Carmen immediately transformed, the peacock-woman lashing out spinning kicks that left gouges in anyone she hit while the lion-woman pounced on two unfortunately gunmen and kept them pinned with her claws.
Nami summoned a giant cloud for her, Moodie, Kaya and Carina to lift them over to the other side of the crowd. Several Baroque Works agents fired at the puffy platform only for their bullets to ricochet back down and almost kill several of them. From their vantage point, Kaya and Moodie started firing off the sides while Carina made small, controlled sonic booms to propel them through the air as Nami electrified her cloud staff to zap anyone who tried jumping onto their ferry.
On the ground, Alvida engaged Mr. 9 and quickly proved to be his match. The foppish bounty hunter's only weapons were two metal bats more suited for baseball than proper combat and Alvida's mace smashed them into scrap. A single hit to the gut was enough to floor him and sent his crown tumbling off his head.
"Oooh, is this solid gold?" she marveled with the headpiece in her hands, "You have fantastic taste in accessories!"
His partner wasn't doing much better as Miss Wednesday was scrambling from hiding place to hiding place only to be cut off by Sally. The former queen summoned a rain of hornets to circle around the blue-haired vixen and ordered her to stay still unless she wants to have a few thousands stings.
"You… You bunch of no-good pirates!" she squealed, "Just who do you think you're messing with?! You're no match for Baroque Works!"
"I cannot, will not, shall not say for certain, but I follow my captain wherever he goes. You'd do well to have the same conviction, young lady."
The bounty hunter suddenly bit her lip and looked half-ready to melt down, much to Sally's surprise. Even still, she sent some of her swarm to distract the enemy fighters while she stayed and kept this one contained.
Back on the main avenue, houses were getting demolished as Luffy tore through anyone stupid enough to get in his way. His Gum-Gum Pistols and Stamps smashed down the walls and ceilings of any bounty hunter after the cash on his head, leaving dozens of them unconscious and begging for a new career. He turned just in time to see dozens more rush in from the dock.
"Oh great, those other two brought back-up…" he sighed, "Can't these guys learn when they can't win?"
"Don't cry for the stupid, you'll be weepin' all day," Desire said, whacking the nearest chump upside the head, "Hey, Makino! Let's handle these rubes!"
"Got it!" The greenette rushed in from the side, firing off bursts from her hands. She ran alongside them from the left, then behind them, then ducked into an alleyway before they could notice a ten-foot tall barrier blocking the way behind them.
"Got ya! Barrier Block! These chumps aren't going anywhere, Captain!"
Luffy then rushed in front of her, his hands stretched back with a grin on his face that made all of them sweat. "Gum-Gum Bazooka!"
His arms shot forward in an earth-shattering strike that left all forty of the second wave groaning in pain either from his palms or getting rag-dolled into each other. Desire released the barrier and turned just in time to block a playing card that sank into her pipe.
"Marvelous job, I must say!" Mr. 6 cackled from atop a barrel, complete with a regal bow, "But while your little display was entertaining enough, let me show you what the highest of the Frontier Agents can do!" He held a full hand of cards in his right grip, throwing them as a ninja would shuriken. The Straw Hats all dodged aside as the projectiles were all lodged into the ground and any building they landed.
"Now then… Showtime!" With a snap of his fingers, the six scattered cards suddenly glowed red. Desire threw her pipe aside just before the card embedded in it exploded and blew it to smithereens. The other five blew up a barrel, a small portion of a nearby house, and several inches-wide craters in the ground.
"You bastard, that was my favorite beating pipe! Do you have any idea how hard it is to find another one?!"
"Desire, I think we have bigger issues here!" Makino yelled, "This guy has a Devil Fruit!"
"Indeed I do! Thanks to my Deck-Deck Fruit, I can summon up to fifty-two of these detonating cards at once!" He demonstrated by reaching into his pants pockets and coming back with five cards in each hand.
"Guys, keep your focus!" Luffy told them, "Don't let him make you panic!"
Speaking of not panicking, Miss Monday proved to be a match for the two Zoans of the crew. Carmen had resorted to her full-beast form to become a seven-foot tall peahen only recognized by her bright pink hair and clothes. Reiju was still in half-lion mode but she considered going to all fours at this point. This woman was a walking tank, barely flinching no matter how many strikes and slashes they landed. The only sign she was even affected was letting her frizzy hair down around neck.
That changed when Nojiko placed her hands on one of the wooden lodges lining the street. She willed the timbers to sprout anew and the muscle woman was shocked as dozens of thick branches wrapped around her arms and waist to immobilize her.
"Grr, damn you freaks!" Miss Monday growled, trying her damnedest to rip herself free, "You all wouldn't be so tough without your powers!"
"You want to test that theory?" Reiju yelled, charging right at her on all-fours before covering her head in Armament Haki and headbutting the bounty hunter. Miss Monday's vision swam as all the breath left her at once, even feeling all that ginger tea threatening to come back up.
But seeing as she wasn't out yet, Carmen leapt off a nearby roof and pulled off a Tempest Kick directly down on Miss Monday's head, sending her off into unconsciousness. The three then split up to clean up the rest of the small fries.
They made sure to steer clear of the swordfight between Kuina and Miss Mother's Day, both locked in place. The bounty hunter was gritting her teeth in frustration. Despite the woman in front of her being half her age and over a foot shorter than her, Kuina would not budge. And even more infuriating than that, she was smiling!
"What's so funny? Hoping to die on a godforsaken island?"
"Nope," Kuina grinned, "I always look forward to facing real swordsmen!"
"You think this is a game?! I'm after the 50 million beris on your head!"
"And good luck getting it!" Kuina pivoted her body suddenly to break the blade lock. Miss Mother's Day went in for another swing only for the bluenette to Shave backwards t ogive herself some space. The bounty hunter growled as she charged ahead, refusing to let up. Kuina sheathed her sword and closed her eyes, letting her Observation Haki take over to make sure no one would blindside her.
"Flying Cut!" Kuina whipped out her blade so fast it sent a shockwave that tore up the ground. Miss Mother's Day could only gasp before using the flat of her sword to block. While she stumbled backwards, she was still in one piece. But that changed when she suddenly realized Kuina was behind her and her front exploded in pain.
"One Sword Style…"
"…Lion Song…" the Baroque Works agent finished before collapsing to the ground. And while Kuina walked away, she picked up on something.
"Just like with my brother…" she whimpered, "Mother… Help me…"
She made a mental note of that to tell Luffy later before noticing Mr. 8 simply observing the entire situation. Despite being the one who sicced the mob of bounty hunters onto them, now the aged man was looking around as if contemplating something. So lost in thought he was that he didn't notice Kuina walking behind him until the Wado Ichimonji was poking the back of his neck.
"GAH! What are you-?!"
"You seem way too relaxed for a man whose entire operation has gone tits up. You're coming with me to answer a few questions."
And with that, Mr. 8 was brought alongside Miss Wednesday who was still nervously sitting in Sally's ring of insects. The other pairs were brought alongside them, all nursing various injuries. The rest of the bounty hunters were now laid out groaning on the ground, completely beat.
"How could this happen?!" Mr. 6 groaned, his right eye swollen shut from a Gum-Gum Pistol, "I had you brats in the ropes!"
"Oh, stuff it," Carina argued, "You're just bitter I snuck up behind you and pushed you off the roof. Lesson learned? Stop talking for five seconds."
Miss Mother's Day glared at her partner, having warned him that his stage routine should come second to actually collecting bounties. The Straw Hat Pirates stood over Baroque Works, ready to question these goons about their operation only for several of them to pick up two new auras. Everyone else noticed the bounty hunters starting to sweat and turned to see the problem.
A man and a woman, like all the other agents, strolled up through town. One of them was a man with dark skin and black hair braided into dreadlocks, a brown duster flowing behind him with his eyes obscured by reddish-brown sunglasses despite it being nighttime. His partner was the opposite, a fair-skinned lady with short blonde locks peeking out from a spherical yellow hat with an orange brim. Her yellow sundress was decorated with lemons while her short heels were white, leaving most of her legs bare. She also carried a long green umbrella with a dark blue spiral design on it.
As they approached, Luffy noticed Mr. 8 and Miss Wednesday tense up even more.
"Well, isn't this a fine mess?" the man said as the duo came to a stop, "We're just here for a little pickup and we find the whole place is in shambles. The boss won't like this at all."
"Kyahaha!" the woman cackled, "Well, Mr. 5, I guess we came at the right time!"
"Who are you both? More Baroque Works creeps?" Nami asked.
"Oh, and some loose bounties to pick up! This will be fun!"
Mr. 5 just sighed. "Geez, Miss Valentine's Day, we gotta job to do first. To weed out a nosy little spy…"
He then lazily pointed at Miss Wednesday, the blue-haired girl going as white as a sheet.
"…Or should I say, Princess Vivi of Alabasta."
Duh-duh-DUUUUUUUUUUUUUH! Except, you know, the manga chapter with this reveal came out over 20 years ago. Gods, what would a One Piece fic from that far back look like? Anywho, the cat's out of the bag for Vivi! Tune in next time to see Luffy and the girls take on the first of the Officer Agents!