As Luffy and Ban continued down one of the many promenades along Kyuka Island, the young pirate was surprised. This Ban was quite the regal, upper class woman talking about how she loved opera, fine dining and modern art yet she was completely approachable. He only wished those snobs in Goa could learn that you could be rich without becoming a total asshole.
"Oh but listen to me prattling on!" Ban chuckled, "I'm terribly sorry to have monopolized the conversation. Luffy, what brings you to this island?"
"We're looking for some people while I'm trying to get a friend of mine back home. She's had a really rough time for the last few years…" Luffy was beyond grateful for the likes of Makino and Nami who told him that you could lie without telling a falsehood.
"Oh, is that so? Where is she from?"
"Alabasta, you ever heard of it?"
"Oh, yes, the poor soul. The civil war there I've heard is just dreadful. And to think the noble King Cobra could do such a thing…"
Luffy's eyebrows shot up. From what Vivi had told him, and how much of an upstanding leader she was, Cobra sounded like the epitome of a wise, selfless ruler. "What did he do?"
"You haven't heard? A scandal broke out months ago when it was discovered that Cobra was shipping Dance Powder to his capital city's port on the royal trading ship! And all in the middle of increased sandstorms and several cities going through a prolonged drought and its no wonder a rebellion cropped up!"
"Dance Powder? What's that?"
Now it was Ban's turn to raise her eyebrow. "You don't follow many current events, do you?"
"Hehe, sorry, been pretty busy lately."
Ban thankfully explained that Dance Powder was chemical concoction designed to bring rain to desolate islands, but it was almost immediately outlawed by the World Government. Rather than create rain, it simply siphoned away rainclouds in a fixed radius.
"Ooooh, I get it!" Luffy realized, "So if this Cobra guy uses the powder for himself then he gets all the rain…"
"…While the rest of Alabasta withers away, yes," Ban nodded, "You can imagine the populace weren't too happy to discover this, especially since its completely unprecedented for the Nefertari family at large. They're one of the oldest royal families in the world and known for being generous and reasonable rulers."
Luffy could only agree. If he had no idea about Baroque Works, he would have assumed this Cobra was a total jerk. He grits his teeth knowing that all of this was just so Crocodile could get his hands on a superweapon, damn however many lives he has to ruin.
Before he could get too upset, however, his Observation Haki picked up an aura somewhere strange. He turned right as he and Ban were walking past one of the many lodges and hotels, a single person kneeling against the rooftop railing. A single glint of light caught his eye…
"BAN, GET DOWN!" Luffy wrapped her in his arms just in time as a deafening bang broke through the street, making everyone panic and run while Luffy grunted at the piercing sniper round bouncing off his back.
"Goodness, you saved my life again…" the woman gasped.
"Don't worry about it, just find somewhere to hide while I deal with this!" Ban scurried off into the nearest shop while Luffy spotted the building the sniper was perched on.
"Well, there was no hiding that…" he sighs before stretching his arm back.
"Gum-Gum Rocket!" Luffy flung himself onto the rooftop, terrifying the gunman before his rifle was slapped aside and pinned by the neck.
"W-W-Wait! I'll talk, I'll talk!"
"Then start talking! Where's Mr. 3 and his partner?!"
"Th-They're planning something, in the Arbor Crown, it's a super-ritzy hotel on top of the Taiju Palm!"
Luffy looked up at the miles-long frond that shadowed the island above them. It would take him far too long to climb it himself. "How do I get up there?!"
"H-Here, use this card! Give it to the guy in front of the elevator!" The terrified grunt handed him a piece of plastic which Luffy tucked under his hat before hearing panicked yelps coming from down the street. He peeked over the roof and spotted dozens of people running down the street or ducking into stores.
"What the…?" Luffy could gasp when he saw a giant rhino barrel down the streets with several people riding the beast's back, firing various weapons and causing complete chaos.
He wondered if there was a zoo the animal broke out of, until he noticed the frizzy pink hair on its head. "CLARISSE?!"
Luffy leapt off the roof in front of his stampeding crewmate only to have to dodge aside from Honey Queen blasting him with syrup.
"Outta the way, rubber-brain!" Nojiko yelled as they ran past, Makino even flipping him off in the process.
"What the hell's gotten into them?!"
"Luffy… Huff… There you are!" Nami ran up from a nearby ally, her face matted with sweat and trying not to faint, "That… Mr. 3 guy… He's got Sally… and Custard…"
"WHAT?! He took them?!"
"Yes… We walked… Into a trap… Who knows… Where they are now… Oh God, I still need more training…"
Luffy could feel his blood boil. Not only did something drive part of his crew crazy, but Baroque Works had the gall to kidnap two of his crewmates. He'd rather take a thousand of those sniper rounds than let any of them be in danger. He needed to find Vivi and make sure she wasn't taken as well.
He hoisted Nami onto his back and charged down the street, stretching his Observation Haki as far as possible to find the Alabastan princess before anything happened to her.
(Break)
Now in a large group of eight, Vivi felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. If it weren't for the Straw Hats, she'd have been poisoned twice over in the span of five minutes!
The rest of her little group simply passed by stores, keeping an eye on any suspicious characters. To anybody else, they would look like any other bunch of tourists with a bit of an eccentric fashion sense in the cases of Carmen and Reiju.
Unfortunately for them, the island's police had identified several of the Straw Hat Pirates already so it was only a matter of time someone would blow the whistle. As the eight ladies turned a corner, they were suddenly met with dozens of police officers pointing their rifles and holding nightsticks.
"Well shit…" Desire, Alvida, Mikita and Kuina all went at once.
"Attention, Straw Hat Pirates! You are all under arrest for destruction of public property, assault, theft, and civil unrest! Surrender now, the Marines are already on their way to arrest you!"
"Well, at least we got a nice meal out of all this," Carmen sighed before transforming into her half-peacock form.
"Agreed, I would have liked to have some amaretto but oh well…" Reiju went into half-lion mode, making the policemen inch back in fear. A shame none of them bothered to look up until a shadow passed over them.
"Ten-Thousand Kilo Press!"
Mikita slammed down with the force of an asteroid, sending several nearby bobbies flying in terror as a shockwave raced down the street to destroy the blockade. The rest of the Straw Hats took that as their cue to run with Reiju going into full-lion and hoisting Vivi onto her back.
"Whatever you do, don't let go!'
"G-Got it!"
The princess clung for her life as Reiju took off ahead of the rest of the crew, dozens of armed policemen chasing after them. And if all of that wasn't enough, several members of Baroque Works clearly headed out of buildings and down streets to alert the agents. Any attempt at secrecy was officially over, it was time to start fighting back.
Alvida slipped off her shoes and skated alongside Reiju, smacking down any cop who got too close to the princess's escort. Carina let herself fall back only to unleash her loudest attack yet: "Forte: Crashing Clap!"
With a single meeting of her hands, a shockwave on par with Mikita's sent the pursuing police flying backwards through shop windows and on top of the palm trees lining the streets.
While the police were scattered, the princess and her escorts have another problem. The droves of Baroque Works filed out from the alleys, firing shot after shot at the princess. While Alvida and super-smooth skin kept her safe on one side, Desire and her barriers protected the other side. As bullets flew around her, Vivi, ducked as close to Reiju as possible before noticing Carmen was now running along the roof to send any would-be snipers plummeting face first into the streets.
But right before they could think they were in the clear, the Straw Hats noticed a whole crowd of civilians running towards them before scrambling down any other street. And it soon became apparent why as a rhinoceros was charging down the street.
"What the?! What the hell are you all doing?!" Kuina yelled, shocked to see her won crewmates were barreling towards them.
"Outta the way, losers!" Nojiko yelled only for a massive barrier to cover the whole street. Clarisse barged right into it, rattling the transparent pane and sending her passengers flying. They all crashed into the street, thankfully smearing the paint on Honey Queen's back.
"Oooh, my head… What happened? Hey, when did we leave the store?"
"Oh no!" Vivi shouted, "I knew it, it's Miss Goldenweek's paint! Quick, you have to rinse it off of them!"
Right before the other enraged ladies could get up, Honey Queen turned her entire body into syrup and unleashed a wave of the stuff that nearly swept all of them off their feet. The rushing gallons of sticky pink liquid thankfully did the trick, the paint rushing off their bodies and soon all three of them woke up.
"Damn, my head hurts…" Clarisse moaned as she changed back to human form.
"You and me both… I guess if my barriers get too much of a shock they hurt me…" Desire agreed, rubbing her temples to clear away her headache.
"Oh no, what about Kaya and Moodie?!" Makino realized, "We have to get back to the store!"
"Well, thanks to your little outburst, we've been chased by cops halfway across the island," Carmen tittered, "I suggest we all split up before the Marines arrive en masse."
Makino nodded along, Vivi sticking close to Desire in case anybody else tried sniping her. The twelve soon took off, sticking to side streets and flitting across the avenues only when necessary. But as they traveled, they kept getting distracted.
Mikita spotted what looked like Custard standing in an alleyway all by herself. When the blonde headed over to check on her, she found her hand stuck to the older woman's shoulder… Right before she melted into a living white puddle that swallowed the kilo-woman up to the neck. In a separate alley, the same thing happened when Carina spotted what looked like Sally. Over the next several minutes, the two of them alongside Clarisse and Makino ended up getting waxed-up and carries away by Baroque Works.
One by one, the women came to in a dimly lit room. From what they could see, it was some kind of storeroom with old furniture and wooden crates. All of them had solid bands of white over their mouths, including the real Custard and Sally who were along the wall farthest from the door. Mikita and Clarisse were both on the left wall, both clearly terrified. That left Makino and Carina off on their own to the right.
The door then opened, a light flicking on to reveal Mr. 3 admiring the six bound-up pirates. "Well now, I daresay I've outdone myself with you lot. Two traitors, two future additions to my collection, and two handsome paydays. Wouldn't you agree, Miss Goldenweek?"
A single grunt came, followed by a crunch as the diminutive artist bit into a rice cracker. All of them wanted to shout and flail but the solid-wax bands covering their mouths made that impossible. The Officer Agent paid their discomfort no mind, walking up to Makino and Carina with a darkly appraising eye.
"Hm, yes, the former barmaid will make for a more placid piece like a marble bust… The contrast of your demure poise with your terror will make for an excellent contrast! As for the thief, something more dynamic… As if she tried to run like the rat she is before succumbing…"
"Wuht de hell are yu tokkin abooh?!" Carina tried to muffle through her gag only for Mr. 3 to grab ahold of the wax band and pull it away, "Pfth, that tastes terrible! What are you talking about?!"
"Well, several of your companions are spoken for. The two traitors over there will naturally delivered to Mr. 0 to be properly punished…"
Mikita and Clarisse gaped before trying to struggle free only for Miss Goldenweek to put some Tranquil Green on their exposed ankles and the two instantly relaxed.
"…And as for the Goa queen, I believe your husband said he would pay triple your bounty for you to be personally returned to the East Blue…"
The blonde locked up in fear, knowing exactly why he'd be willing to fork over so many beris for her. If Mr. 3 noticed the other still-conscious Straw Hats giving him death glares, he paid them no mind.
"…That just leaves you, Ms. Charlotte. Your mother will pay a handsome sum to retrieve one of her precious daughters, I'm sure."
The former Big Mom Pirate turned whiter than the wax the agent controlled before her cheeks suddenly swelled up.
"Oh dear, getting a bit queasy? She will only pay for you to be alive, so choking on your own vomit would be a mutual loss…" He kindly removed the wax from her mouth only to back away when out came not throw-up… but several lemons and limes that rolled across the ground.
"What the…?"
"Ooh, I can use those for my tea!" Miss Goldenweek said with as much enthusiasm as she could flatly muster, grabbing two of the lemons for later. Mr. 3, beyond confused for once, picked up a lime and examined the fruit all over. Neither of them noticed the harvest-woman smiling as her gag was still gone, and she had spotted her sword resting against the wall by the door.
The fruits suddenly began to blink, making Mr. 3 drop his citrus immediately but Miss Goldenweek had set hers down on a table right in front of her while she was busy digging out a teapot from her carry-on bag.
"Hm? Do you hear something?" She looked for a second before they exploded, spraying juices in all directions. The agent wailed in shock as the yellow juice burned her skin and melted through her clothes.
"WHAT?!" Mr. 3 groaned as he fell to the floor, a horrible burning consuming his feet. He only then realized that the acid spray splashed up to Custard's body, melting the wax and soon she was able to pry herself. In a literal blink, she had retrieved her sword.
"Oh no you don't!" The wax-man lashed out his hands, his fingers turning to gooey white sticks that shot out only for Custard to coat her sword with Armament Haki and charge through. Her imbued blade sliced straight through his attack before slamming the hilt into his head to knock Mr. 3 out long enough to cut her friends free.
Makino cleaned the paint off of Clarisse, snapping her back to reality for the second time today so she could grab Mikita and run. The six girls tore out of the storage room and quickly found themselves in a luxurious lobby, with crystal chandeliers, glimmering wooden floors and a massive desk with ten clerks behind a forty-foot long counter, surrounded by bewildered hotel-goers all gawking at them.
"Uh, guys?" Mikita asked, fully lucid once again, "Where are we?"
"Stop them!" Miss Goldenweek yelled down the hall, "They're burglars, we caught them in the storeroom!"
That quickly brought out the top-ranked security at the Arbor Crown, all of whom surrounded the six Straw Hats. The ladies were all backed into a circle, staring down at the forty or so guards all pointing guns at them.
"You all should know that the Marines have already been called. You all can either come quietly, or you're all going to be in even bigger trouble."
"In that case, officer… You should all know I'm sorry for what's about to happen to your floors," Nojiko said before slamming her palms to the ground. The polished planks suddenly split apart as roots as thick as bridge cables ripped through, swirling around the guard and consuming their hands. Some fired in a panic only for the brambles to jam down the barrels, leading to several blowing off their hands.
The guests all fled and ran down the halls while the Straw Hats burst through the door. They could hardly believe the mile-long green fronds curving up in front of them before bolting away from the hotel, dozens of security guards still on their tail.
"STOP THEM! OPEN FIRE!"
"Cloud Cover!" A wall of fluffy white puffs suddenly came between the pirates and the bullets rushing towards them. The guards could only gawk as the clouds absorbed their shots and turned to see Nami, a furious glare on her face.
"Which one of you just ordered my sister to be shot?!"
"What are you idiots standing around for?! It's just another pirate, arrest her too!" The lead guard, the only one dressed in black compared to the other's beige, ordered only for a hand to curl around his throat with a force that threatened to rip it open. The grunts turned in terror to see a face they recognized from the wanted posters.
"Chaos" Monkey D. Luffy, the most wanted man in the East Blue, stared them all down with a fire in his eyes that threatened to roast them all alive. They all wondered if someone had to be really brave, stupid or both to be smiling for his bounty poster. Now they all wished he looked like that, instead of ready to massacre them all.
"Leave my crew alone right now, or I'm gonna flatten this whole damn place. Now, where's Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek?"
"W-Who?! We have no idea who those are!"
"Tall guy in blue, has his hair styled like the number three. Short girl in a blue jacket with a pink hat, usually carries around a painter's palette," Clarisse provided, "Now start talking or else our captain here is gonna lost his temper, and nobody wants to see that."
"They're in the penthouse, top floor!" one of them squealed, Luffy releasing the captain immediately as his arm snapped back to its normal length. He turned back to his crewmates, his expression much calmer. "Are you all okay?"
"We are, thanks to Custard here," Makino sighed, "If it weren't for her Devil Fruit, we'd all be wax statues by now! And he was talking about shipping Sally back to her husband and Custard to her mom!"
Luffy's knuckles tightened even more. Nobody threatened his friends like that. "You all get back to the ship. The Marines are on their way, and Kaya and Moodie went missing after that paint girl messed with you all at the store. Oh, and if you see a woman with silver hair and a real fancy red wrap on her head, tell her safe travels for me."
While the girls ran for the lift, Luffy just walked right into the Arbor Crown, heedless of the damage wrought on the fine lobby or the concierges kindly telling him that he needed to leave before the Marines arrived. He went to the nearest elevator, clicked the highest-most button numbered "14" and waited for the doors to close as even more guards poured in trying to stop him. One managed to shove their hand in to stop the elevator, only for Luffy to land a Finger Gun to his palm.
"AAAAAH! MY HAAAAAND!"
Luffy just shook his head. What was their problem? He's not the one who dragged his crew here and held them prisoner.
After a few seconds to catch his breath, the elevator opened with a "ding" straight into the finest room in all of Kyuka Island. The entire top floor was the suite, a spiral staircase in the middle leading up to a separate level. The floor was a gloriously soft light-blue carpet that fit the breezy wicker furniture with vibrant cushions positioned all over the room. One whole wall was a massive window mostly shielded with bright curtains, positioned on the west so the lucky VIPs would get a gorgeous sunset every night.
Before Luffy could truly look around, something caught his ear. "Peru-Peru-Peru-Peru!"
"Huh? A Transponder Snail?"
Luffy walked past the fully stocked kitchen and doors leading off to guest bedrooms and the jacuzzi to reach a large mahogany desk, polished to a perfect shine. The only thing on the glimmering surface was a purple snail, still ringing. Figuring this could be a good chance, he sat down and picked up the line.
"Hello?"
"Have you captured that damned brat yet?" A gruff voice demanded from the other side, the snail's voice mirroring a cold sneer with every word.
"The brat?"
"Yes, the brat from Whiskey Peak! You know I hate repeating myself, Mr. 3!"
"So, you're Mr. 0… Or should I say, Crocodile."
"WHAT?! Who is this, and how did you get ahold of this snail?!"
Luffy could only grin. So, this was the infamous Warlord making Vivi's life hell? He probably wouldn't get another chance to rile him up before getting to Alabasta.
"This is Monkey D. Luffy, Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. Nice to finally meet you!"
The snail briefly flinched in utter rage before leveling a flat look at him. "You're every bit as foolish as they say. Only an idiot gives up their real name to a stranger."
"And only an asshole hurts one of my friends. I'm gonna warn you, you better knock off your little plan with Vivi's dad and country or I'll kick your ass!"
Crocodile couldn't help but burst into laughter. "You're even more demented than I thought! You're an upstart from the most insignificant corner of the world, who got his reputation trouncing the biggest fish in your tiny pond! That bounty is a pittance compared to the real pirates of the world!"
Luffy could only smirk. "Maybe, but it'll get bigger. Just like my crew. Thanks for letting me meet Clarisse, Mikita and Custard, by the way!"
A slight growl from the snail only made the straw hatted troublemaker grin wider. Looks like somebody was bitter about his own agents jumping ship.
"Don't get cocky just because the Unluckies refuse to go after you, brat. Baroque Works stretches farther than you can imagine, I have hundreds of men in my back pocket along with the protection of the World Government! Approach me as a pirate or a soldier, and you'll be buried either way! If you value the life of your 'friends,' then surrender the princess and maybe I'll let the rest of your brothel survive."
Luffy just grimaced. "Don't insult my crew, and that includes Vivi! I don't give a fuck who you are, you make one of my friends upset then you're gonna pay for it!"
"I might just let you try, just to wipe the insolence off your face! You're nothing compared to me, 'Chaos.' If you want to die so badly, I'll put you and all of your friends in the ground."
Luffy slammed the receiver back down, the snail returning to its normal blank expression. Right as he stood up, the elevator door dinged open.
"That freak of a woman, daring to burn me…" Mr. 3 grumbled, "As soon as I get that burn salve, I'm going to turn her and that cavalcade of whores into my own personal-!"
"GUM-GUM PISTOL!" Luffy's fist slammed into the agent's gut, sending him crashing into the elevator doors with a bloody gasp. The wax-man only barely knelt to his knees only for Luffy to shoulder-tackle him hard enough to snap the lift's cable.
"AAAAAAAAAAH! ARE YOU INSANE?! YOU'LL BE PULVERIZED WHEN WE HIT THE BOTTOM!"
"WHERE'S MY FRIENDS, YOU BASTARD?! WHERE'S KAYA AND MOODIE?!"
"I DON'T KNOW, THEY GOT ARRESTED WHEN MISS GOLDENWEEK GOT THEM WITH HER COLORS TRAP!"
Even as they slammed into the elevator's ceiling, Luffy's crushing grip never left Mr. 3's neck. Tendrils of wax desperately turned into spikes to try and pry him off, but Luffy's Iron Body meant they just pricked off of him.
"I-IMPOSSIBLE! MY WAX IS HARDER THAN STEEL! WHAT THE DEVIL ARE YOU?!"
"I'M THE MAN WHO'S GONNA BE KING OF THE PIRATES! LIKE I'D EVER LOSE TO A SCHEMING COWARD LIKE YOU!"
With a meteoric crash, the elevator slammed into the resort's basement. Several housekeepers screamed in shock before surrounding the smushed remains of the lift. Right as they were about to call for a medic, the top of the crumbled metal chamber was punched through.
"Urgh, okay, that did hurt…" Luffy groaned, feeling like a walking bruise as he tore himself free before stumbling out onto the floor. The maids all gasped in shock before one of them recognized him.
"Oh my god, it's that brand-new pirate worth 75 million beris! Someone get the Marines up here!"
"Well, trip's over…" Luffy ran past the gawking ladies to reach the stairs leading back up to the ground floor. He barged his way out into the lobby… where dozens of white-coated Marines all leveled their rifles at him.
"Guys, come on, we all know those don't work on me! Can't you just let me through if I promise not to steal anything?"
"Sorry, but the word of a pirate means very little to Hina…" The circle of Marines parted to reveal a red-suited woman, puffing out the last of a cigarette before stepping into view. Luffy raised an eyebrow. Even with the heels and bright pink hair, she commanded the respect of the entire room.
"Huh, never seen you before. Let me guess, a captain?"
"That's right. Captain 'Black Cage' Hina, leader of one of the most revered naval divisions of the Navy. Monkey D. Luffy, you are surrounded and the rest of my five hundred men are scouring the island for your crew. You have one chance to come quietly, or you'll be in even deeper trouble."
"Sorry, I've gotta be somewhere later."
"Then you are even more foolhardy than I thought. The Black Cage Fleet has the ports blockaded. If either of your ships move a foot away from the coast of Kyuka Island, you'll be blown apart in a moment. You have no backup, no chance of escape, and nothing to gain by resisting!"
"That's not true. I have plenty more places to go…" He leapt up and above the ring of Marines, Hina gaping as he grinned down at her, "…You're gonna have to catch me first!"
"STOP HIM!" The Marines opened fire but once again the bullets just bounced off the pirate's rubbery body as Luffy ran back outside. He followed the path out of the Arbor Crown, ducking past many panicking guests and guards trying to stop him only to notice that the elevator was completely filled with Marines waiting for him.
"Not one more step, pirate! It's over two hundred feet to the ground and you aren't getting down this lift!"
Luffy, even as his legs burned, just grinned before leaping over the railing next to the elevator as all the Marines screamed in horror as he jumped over the side of the Taiju Palm.
"He's insane! He'll never survive the fall!"
"What are you dolts waiting for?! After him!" Hina yelled, jumping on top of the extra-large gazebo that made up the lift. One of her men hurriedly flung the lever down, leading Hina back to Kyuka Island while Luffy used Moonwalk about ten feet from the ground so he didn't go splat.
The pirate looked around and saw that indeed the peaceful resort town had devolved into madness. Cops and sailors alike were running around trying to find any and all pirates, but there was also Baroque Works agents looting stores and causing mayhem. Looks like somebody got jumpy or got recognized. Luffy just ran off, still sore all over from the elevator fall but determined to find his crew.
(Break)
"'Enforcer' Desire and 'Iron Mace' Alvida, you are both under arrest! Surrender or-!"
"Yeah, right!" Alvida rushed through the hail of bullets as the glided off her skin while Desire used anything she could get her hands on, including other Marines, to beat back anyone who got close. Nearby, Vivi was scrambling under the display stands of the shop they were trapped in trying to avoid being seen. The last thing her father needed was to see her mugshot on the front page of World Economy News.
Right as she managed to reach the back door of the store, a gun barrel was leveled at head. "Aah, please, don't shoot! I-!"
"Wait a minute… Princess Vivi, is that you?!"
The bluenette looked up to see a silver-haired woman in regal attire, peeking over her red sunglasses to see her face. "Queen Ban?! What are you doing here?!"
"I could very well ask you the same thing! The rumors about how you hadn't been seen in two years were getting so outrageous!"
"Hey, there she is!"
Both royals turned to see half a dozen normal-looking tourists all brandishing knives and pistols. "Well, just our luck! The missing queen and the princess we're after in the same place!"
"Actually, there's something you're forgetting…"
"Oh yeah? What's that, 'your majesty?'"
The sly smile made the crooks pause. "…That alleys means you never know who will burst in."
Desire summoned a barrier between the two ladies and the Baroque Works goons before Alvida cut off the way back to the street. Ban and Vivi turned to the hustler, the latter bowing in thanks.
"So, you're that queen who ditched her castle?"
"Yes, and you're that band of pirates from the East Blue that have the World Government quite nervous. Isn't your captain Monkey D. Luffy?"
"Indeed, he is!" Alvida nodded, standing among the crumpled bodies of the crooks now crying for mercy, "Knowing him, he's probably hunting for the agents responsible for these hooligans."
"He also happened upon me being accosted by these thugs hours ago and was a delightful escort to me earlier before he intercepted a sniper!"
"Yeah, that's definitely Luffy," Vivi sighed, "But, more importantly, what are you doing on Kyuka Island, Ban? What happened to the conference you were attending?"
"Hah, that wasn't a conference! It was a gallery of sycophants who were all throwing themselves at me because they all want to be the next King of Frauce! The minute I try to discuss tariffs and trade agreements, they all just nod along and then compliment me for being so 'regal' and 'gorgeous' and 'your beauty rivals that of the Celestial Dragons!' Ugh, I slapped the one who said that and snuck out that night!"
Vivi could only wince. That was exactly what she was afraid would happen once she was officially coronated, but Alvida soon grabbed her and led her out onto the street. There, Kaya, Moodie and Kuina were all running from a giant horde of policeman demanding them to stand down.
"What on Earth happened?!"
"Busted these two out of jail! Pretty easy when you can slice the cell door open!" Kuina yelled, the rest of the Straw Hats and Ban following behind. The queen couldn't help but giggle. These pirates just did whatever they wanted, apparently! How refreshing!
As they tore through the streets, the Straw Hats slowly filtered onto the street. Nami and Carina were happily carrying sacks of loot lifted off of Baroque Works, the former agents were all still raving about the Mr. 3 getting a surprise citrus attack, and soon Luffy himself joined in with almost a hundred Marines baying for his head.
"Oh, there you are!" Luffy waved to Ban, "What are you doing here?"
"Luffy, that's Queen Ban Dedessinee!" Moodie yelled, "The newspapers have been covering her absence for weeks! How did you not recognize her?!"
"Whoa, you're a queen?! Cool!"
The queen could only laugh. "Trust me, being recognized everywhere you go is such a hassle! I think I much prefer this company!"
"Come on, the docks are just around this corner!" Nami announced only to stop just in sight of the docks where an entire blockade at been set up. Waist high concrete barriers were interspersed between the ports and the edge of the resort town. Hundreds of Marines glared back at them, the ones behind the walls with their rifles already aimed at them.
"Well, well, well…" Hina stepped out from behind the backmost line of sailors, "The Straw Hat Pirates in full. Care to tell me why you have Queen Ban Dedessinee among your party? Decided to abduct another royal?"
"Why does everybody keep saying that?!" Sally moaned.
"Because Marines can be real hard asses when something doesn't line up," Carina shrugged, "Besides, our captain is the one who saved this woman's life twice today. Where were all of you when this lady was getting assaulted in an alley or almost shot by a hitman?"
"Actually, there's a better question I'd like to ask," Ban stepped forward, the Marines all putting their guns down in the presence of a World Government-affiliated royal. Hina even patiently waited for her approach, only to blink when the queen's finger came an inch from her face.
"Where were you when the Frauce Kingdom could barely afford the tribute?"
"I… I beg your pardon?"
"Oh, the annual tribute to the World Government which to my knowledge goes directly to the World Nobles? The one that costs hundreds of millions of beris a year? Our crops haven't been doing well for years now, and so we had to sell off most of our produce just to afford it! My citizens have been starving in the streets, and all my requests for stipends and subsidies have been met with wading through dozens of committees and mountains of forms and that need to be mailed to Marineford in triplicate!"
"Um, ma'am, I'm sorry to hear that but-!"
"And as if all of THAT weren't enough, the poverty has meant drug use and crime has been running rampant. Unless you're in the capital of Partis, the people are stealing from each other to survive! Do you know what it's like to have farmers and market vendors begging at your feet for any food from the royal larder?! I've had to look families in the eye and turn them away because we simply don't have enough for everyone on the island!"
"O-Okay, your majesty, I'll call my superiors right after we're done here and-"
"You don't think I've tried that?! I've spent HOURS, nay, DAYS trying to be reasonable and negotiate with government stooges but every single time it's 'That isn't according to protocol' or 'You need to speak with THIS subgroup instead!' I've lost track of how many layers of bureaucratic bullshit I've dealt with just trying to get my citizens fed! And while I'm wiling away through enough red tape to choke a Sea King, what am I supposed to do for the mass graves full of corpses that are literally just skin and bones?!"
"Uuuuummm…" The other Marines could scarcely believe it. Captain Hina, one of the most no-nonsense sailors around, could only raise her hands and try and placate the furious royal. What was she going to do, attack the leader of an allied nation? They never knew she could look that pale.
Before she could go on, a gentle hand rested on her shoulder. Ban turned to see Sally, looking at her with sympathy. "I felt the same way about all the impoverished people in Goa Kingdom. While the citizens of High Town were perfectly happy to be feasting every night, I could only feel sorry for the poor struggling to feed themselves. Had it been brought to my attention, I would have gladly made some sort of trade agreement with you."
"As touching as all this is, it doesn't change the fact that these people are wanted criminals who constantly leave damage and destruction in their wake," Hina argued, "It's truly a shame to hear about your island, Queen Ban, but running around with pirates won't solve anything."
"Oh yeah?" Luffy stepped forward, "What about Morgan? Buggy, twice? Kuro? Don Krieg? Arlong? Pretty sure he had a captain of yours in his back pocket and you all didn't do jack shit for eight years and it cost two of my crewmates their mom!"
"Morgan is currently in prison, and Nezumi has been executed. You may have a point that there are bad seeds in our ranks, but for every one pirate like you there are a hundred that rape, pillage and destroy everything in their path! Now then, enough talk! Men, capture the Straw Hats!"
And with that little declaration, the port officially became a battleground. Desire put up a huge barrier to block the oncoming onslaught of bullets. Only when they ceased firing did the wall come down and the pirates charged.
Dozens of Marines charged at them, but they were met with a wide volley of attacks. Clarisse and Reiju led the charge, with Moodie and Sally on the former and Makino and Kaya on the latter. A charging rhino and lion combined with a spray of bullets, hornets, shotgun blasts and flying gems broke up the initial assault. Carina's sonic punches, Mikita doing lightning-fast Tempest Kicks by dropping her weight to one kilo, Nojiko throwing seeds to grow timbers in the middle of the port, and Custard throwing more exploding cherries to force the Marines out from behind cover scattered the rest.
But amidst all of this chaos, there were two scuffles nobody else got involved with. First and foremost was Hina herself walking up to Monkey D. Luffy. Everybody knew the order to avoid the captain unless they were her rank. The pirate just stood there, fists at the ready.
"What's the matter? Have reservation about hitting a woman?" Hina taunted.
"Nah, I usually let someone else attack first unless they've done something to tick me off."
"Tch, cocky brat…" The captain dashed ahead, closing the twenty feet between them in no time at all. Luffy found it strange that she went straight for a clothesline attack at his torso. He leapt to the side anyway, impressed when she immediately changed course and went a for a sweeping kick to his legs.
As he jumped up, he spun in the air so a Gum-Gum Whip would smack her aside. The pink-haired Marine dodged again and as he came back to earth, she made her move. Luffy landed briefly on his left arm and leg and before he could flip back onto his feet, she landed a sweeping kick to his feet.
"What the?!" Luffy gasped as her leg seemed to bend like rubber and stretch around both his limbs before turning grey. Only a second later, she stood once again as his arm and leg were now bound by a long iron band and shackles.
"Nice try, pirate. Nobody can get around my Cage-Cage Fruit. You might have been able to match Smoker, but this is as far as you-"
Luffy completely ignored her speech, too busy trying to pull the chain apart. "Dang, this is really tough…"
"Jeez, this is the idiot the higher-ups are scared of?" Hina sighed. Looks like this was a serious case of overselling him. She knew the East Blue Marines were all new stock or washouts but this was embarrassing… Until she noticed Luffy managed to stretch his right hand around his body and use Finger Gun to shatter the chain.
"WHAT?! How did you poke through it?!"
"Sorry, can't tell you! Gum-Gum Pistol!"
His elastic fist smacked her in the face, the nearby Marines floored to see Hina sent flying. She slowly stood up from the fruit stand she crashed into, spitting out the cigarette she almost swallowed and grit her teeth.
"Well… At least you aren't all talk!" And while Hina charged back in, another duel was already in progress. The Shigure clashed with the Wado Ichimonji again and again as Tashigi and Kuina had their rematch.
"So, you actually followed me all the way here… You must really want this sword, huh?"
"Is this all a game to you, pirate?! Let's see how cocky you are when I throw you in jail!"
Kuina had to admit, the petty officer had gotten better. Her stance was more firm, her technique had less holes in it, and the ferocity of her attacks meant she had to keep her guard up at all times. But Tashigi soon learned that the pirate wasn't resting on her laurels. Every swing was precise, aimed to exploit even the tiniest gap.
As they clashed again and again, Kuina was facing the streets leading back into the resort town. And standing along the way back to Kyuka were dozens of the Billions, all brandishing their pistols.
"Heh, this'll teach you to screw with us!"
"GET DOWN!" Kuina broke the latest sword lock and then pushed Tashigi to the ground. The Marine was about to yell at her rival for cheating only for multiple gunshots to ring out. Kuina's arms blurred as she tried to slice through the bullets but two hit their mark, one in her left shoulder and the other in her upper right leg.
"Ghrk, damn it… Still need to work on Observation…"
"What the?! Who the hell are you guys?!" Several of the Marines looked up to see a whole bunch of hoodlums with threatening weapons, and clearly weren't friends of the Straw Hats.
"It's Baroque Works!" Nami yelled, "The criminal organization that's been tearing up the place! We wouldn't have done a thing here if it weren't for these creeps!"
Before another one could fire at the navigator, Captain Hina blindsided him with a blow to the neck that left him stuck trying to pry off the handcuffs that suddenly appeared on his arms.
"Did you just point that weapon at one of my men?"
"Screw you, bitch! We're just trying to-!" That was as far as he got before a right hook from the captain knocked him out flat.
"So, you want to cause trouble too? Fine! Arrest these blowhards too!"
The Straw Hats breathed a sigh of relief as several of the minutemen now turned their sabers and guns on Mr. 3's goons. That also meant that dozens of hoodlums were now going in for the kill. The dock descended into utter madness as two separate armies tried to crush the Straw Hats while also clashing with each other.
Several Baroque Works goons made the horrible mistake of going after Captain Hina, some even shouting about avenging their comrades or family whom she apparently arrested in the past. The cage-woman barely even blinked as she slammed her fists and legs into them, all left bound on the ground in metal bands, cuffs and anklets.
"Tch, what a bunch of idiots… Why does Baroque Works sound familiar?"
"Everyone, back to the ship!" Luffy ordered, literally throwing Marines and crooks into each other to make both mobs back down. Before the pirates could reply, however, a huge wave of white exploded out from the street.
"It's Mr. 3!" Vivi shouted in horror, "Don't let that wax touch you!"
Several Marines tried to fire at the liquid but their bullets were just soaked up by the attack. They were all soon covered from head to toe in solid wax, the wave washing over them before stopping on a dime. Hina and Tashigi gaped in horror seeing dozens of their men no doubt suffocating in their wax prisons.
"Did you think a bunch of children were going to get away from me?!" he ranted furiously, even rolling up in a wax wheelchair, "And you, Monkey D. Luffy, you could have killed me with that little stunt in the elevator!"
"You started it! Just let us go or I'll kick your ass again!"
"Oh, but I have several sculptures to deliver, one of which needs to be all the way to Totto Land in the New World! A true artist must pursue their vision at all costs!"
Custard tightened the grip on her sword, ready to vomit up more lemons to melt this creep. But before she could, Kuina was literally red with rage as she stumbled forward.
"I have had… Enough of you fuckers today… We are leaving.., Right now!"
"Oh? And what do you think your little sword will do to me? My wax is harder than steel!"
"Oh yeah?! Wanna test that?!" Kuina channeled all the pain from her gunshot wounds, plus all of the nonstop running and fighting she's done for the past several hours. The power of the Wait-Wait Fruit swirled around her, covering her entire body in a scarlet blaze that made her sword look like solid blood.
"One Sword Style…" She raised the Wado Ichimonji, glinting crimson under the tropical sun as her demonic stare made the Officer Agent flinch, "…Horizon Guillotine!"
The very ground trembled as she unleashed all her power and fury into one clean overhead slice. A massive red Flying Cut, several times the width of her own body, roared to life before cleaving through the wax coated the ground like tissue paper. Mr. 3 hollered as he summoned a massive wall of wax dozens of feet tall in seconds.
To his credit, the barricade held… For all of ten seconds before Kuina sheathed her sword and dispelled her fruit. The wax monolith split clean in two and soon revealed that the resultant force of the attack still sent Mr. 3 flying through several buildings.
"Holy shit…" Tashigi muttered, "That power… You have a Devil Fruit…"
"Of course I do."
The petty officer flinched as Kuina stood over her, grumbling about her wounds before walking back towards the dock. "You've improved. Keep it up and you might beat me someday, kid."
"I'm the same age as you! Don't you dare patronize me! How are you so much better than me?!"
Kuina turned back, her gaze as strong as the steel her sword was forged from. "Because I need to become the greatest in the world. Just like I promised…"
"Enough monologuing, let's go!" Carina yelled, pulling her along back to the Going Merry and Mini Melody. Captain Hina watched the Straw Hats depart, a chuckle escaping her lips.
"They're even worse than Smoker said…"
"Captain! What do we do about this wax?! It's completely covered their mouths and nose, they can't breathe!"
"We need to chip it away as fast as we can before… Hm?" The Marines all watched before noticing something flying towards them. Hina squinted and realized it was a bright magenta fruit with all sorts of green fronds covering its surface.
"A dragonfruit… And why is it blinking?!"
She ordered her men to fall back just as the fruit landed in the middle of the wax pool that covered a chunk of the port. The fruit exploded into a massive ball of flames, melting the thick, white coating all over the Marines. The freed man all gasped in relief before readying their guns to fire at the escaping Baroque Works grunts.
Hina, however, was completely preoccupied with examining the out cold Mr. 3. She lit up another cigarette before remembering where she'd seen him before.
"'Loan Shark' Galdino, wanted for 24 million beris… What the heck's he doing with a gang like this?"
"Ma'am, we have another criminal here!"
Two of the sailors brought over a blasé-faced young girl, in spite of the massive red welt on the top of her head. One of her guards was holding a painter's palette and a brush coated with black paint. "She came flying off of the Straw Hat's ship. According to 'Iron Mace' Alvida, this is Miss Goldenweek and she tried to stow away on the Straw Hats' ship before she sent her flying back here. We were also told to keep this paint away from her, since it seems she can use it to manipulate people's emotions."
"And you're 'Flag-Bearer of Freedom' Marianne, wanted for 29 million. What in the world are these two doing together, and what's with the code names?"
"Ma'am, what about the Straw Hats? They left with Queen Ban! We need to alert the East Blue branch immediately!"
"Send a notice to HQ, let them know the queen has been located. We also need to assess the damages to Kyuka, and it'll be pricey especially since they made a mess of the Arbor Crown."
Both of them saluted, dragging Miss Goldenweek back to the same prison where Kaya and Moodie were held on the other side of the island. Hina ordered a few others to send Mr. 3 there as well, along with some Seastone cuffs so his "art" wouldn't hurt anyone else.
"Guess they're going to learn I was bluffing about the blockade…" Hina sighed, resigning herself to getting an earful from the higher-ups for this one. But even still, she couldn't help smiling. Luffy was the first pirate to give her a real challenge in ages, and it was clear to anyone looking he was a far cry from the ruthless criminal HQ painted him as.
But there were still several questions she had. Who were these "Baroque Works" and what were they after? She could've sword she saw a young woman with bright blue hair among the Straw Hats and someone yelled something about "Alabasta" in the middle of the fight. What did that have to do with all this?
One thing was for sure: she was going to have a hell of a story for Smoker when they had their next round of drinks.
So, that makes two royals who've abdicated their thrones to live a pirate's life, two more Baroque Works agents behind bars, and many more headaches for both Crocodile and the World Government! Next time, we take a little breath with the Straw Hats as they sail towards their next destination: Drum Island.
The Straw Hat Pirates:
"Chaos" Monkey D. Luffy
Wanted for: 75,000,000
Captain
DF: Human-Human Fruit - Model: Nika (Publicly known as the Gum-Gum Fruit)
"Buckshot" Makino
Wanted for: 25,000,000
First Mate/Bartender
DF: Burst-Burst Fruit
"Steel Tide" Shimotsuki Kuina
Wanted for: 50,000,000
First Swordswoman
DF: Wait-Wait Fruit
'Meteorologist' Nami
Wanted for: 33,000,000
Navigator
DF: Nimbus-Nimbus Fruit
"Shrieking" Carina
Wanted for: 29,000,000
Treasurer
DF: Volume-Volume Fruit
"Sparkling" Kaya
Wanted for: 8,000,000
Nurse
DF: Gem-Gem Fruit
"Frigid" Moodie
Wanted for: 20,000,000
Deckhand/Seamstress
DF: Chill-Chill Fruit
"Hive Mind" Sally Isntoinette
Wanted for: 18,000,000 (ONLY ALIVE)
Deckhand
DF: Hive-Hive Fruit
"Pride Queen" Reiju
Wanted for: 45,000,000
Head Chef
DF: Cat-Cat Fruit - Model: Lion
"Bonnet Blue" Nojiko
Wanted for: 14,000,000
Groundskeeper
DF: Grow-Grow Fruit
"Iron Mace" Alvida
Wanted for: 25,000,000
Helmswoman
DF: Smooth-Smooth Fruit
"Wildfire" Carmen
Wanted for: 9,000,000
Sous Chef
DF: Bird-Bird Fruit - Model: Peacock
"Enforcer" Desire
Wanted for: 20,000,000
Street Hustler/Fighter
DF: Barrier-Barrier Fruit
"Heartless" Honey Queen
Wanted for: 12,000,000
TBD
DF: Syrup-Syrup Fruit
Clarisse
Wanted for: N/A
TBD
DF: Rhino-Rhino Fruit
"Courier" Mikita
Wanted for: 7,500,000
Patissier
DF: Kilo-Kilo Fruit
Charlotte Custard
Wanted for: N/A
Second Swordsman
DF: Harvest-Harvest Fruit
Total Bounty: 390,500,000-