Okay, everyone, here's my first attempt at original antagonists in One Piece! I'll be honest, Wapol's not my favorite baddie so I wanted to spice things up a bit with the agents of CP3. And along with them, of course, comes everyone's favorite reindeer doctor and drinking doctor lady!
Miles of open blue water. A pleasant breeze from the west. Along the waves was a common trawler, no doubt looking to catch some valuable fish in its nets. Just another fishing vessel full of humble workers making their living off the bounty of the sea…
And that was exactly the point. As the side of the ship opened up to reveal a half-submerged compartment where a high-velocity speedboat roared to life before skipping across the waves. The black boat was cutting edge, but unmarked. Passersby would assume the three onboard were just daredevils or perhaps explorers with too much money to burn.
The trio inside were strange as well. Two men and one woman, the latter being the driver of the high speed vehicle. She had both hands on the controls, heedless of the sea spray splashing across her high cheeks and pink lips, or her long fire-red hair flapping behind her in its ponytail. Her black sunglasses kept the glare out of her eyes, her focus never wavering.
The two men was looking much more casual. In the left seat was a man with his dirty blonde hair neatly tucked into a black fedora to match his jacket and slacks. He looked like he was fit for a night on the town. The only giveaway was him casually poking the air with enough force to create tiny sonic booms. The other man was a head shorter than both, only around five and a half feet, with his bald head gleaming in the sun. His cardigan was a muted navy blue with long pants to fit the Winter Island they were heading to.
"So, looking forward to this one, Belle?" the fedora-clad one asked with a smirk, "Been a while since we got a distress call like this."
"Hey, you guys seeing this?" the other man asked, holding up a stack of bounty posters, "What's up with this crew? It's all women except for the captain."
"The boys at HQ sure want to find out, now that he's nicked another royal from her throne," Belle chuckled, "But I can't wait to meet the guy and get an answer outta him. Oughta make the questioning session fun…"
The bald man quirked an eyebrow before reaching into his pocket, carefully taking out a wire brush before cleaning the barrel of his pistol. "You seem jazzed this morning. It's usually all business on a job."
"This isn't just the usual dead-brained plunderer we have here, Wick. We got us some random kid from the East Blue, planted his foot up the back end of every pirate there, made his way to the Grand Line with a queen, and now has a second one all the while raising holy hell for Black Cage Hina herself. It's been a long time since I've gotten a good catch…"
The other agent rolled his eyes before glancing up at the sky, noticing the gray clouds creeping up above them. "Something tells me you're gonna cause a scene…"
"Oh, shush, Shiro! I won't break this one… Too much!"
"Oy…"
Wick said nothing but just rolled his eyes. Their leader might have been one of the most recognized CP agents outside of the current CP9, but she needed to get her head on straight. Today they were after Monkey D. Luffy and had to protect the king of their destination. It was only fitting for the closest thing to a private security branch the World Government had.
As Luffy put on a spare coat from Dalton's closet at the man's insistence, he ran through the plan one more time. He would be responsible for carrying Reiju up the Drum Rockies with a few of his crewmates to escort him. That team would include Kinderella (the only one familiar with the island's topography and wildlife), Moodie (able to stop and incapacitate any attackers) and Desire (the best to protect Reiju with her barriers).
The rest of the crew would split up amongst this village and the two closest ones. They would flag the doctor down and then report via Transponder Snail that Kureha was on her way. Once Luffy climbed the mountain and got Reiju up there, he hoped that this doctor had a snail so he could reach his crew and keep everyone in the loop.
Soon, the Straw Hats headed outside. Luffy and his crew were equipped with some snow shows and were bundled up in their warmest clothes. The only ones unbothered by the weather were Luffy and Kinderella, while several were already shivering.
Heading up the first crew was Makino who would be heading west to Cocoa Weed alongside Kaya, Carmen, Honey Queen and Ban. Leading the group east to Gyasta would be Kuina with Carina, Sally, Alvida and Mikita following along. Staying here in Bighorn in case Kureha showed up here would be Nami, Nojiko, Clarisse, Custard and Vivi.
"Now remember, be wary of the Lapins," Dalton warned the captain, "They like to gang up on any prey they see."
"Thanks!" Luffy nodded before marching out of Bighorn with his escorts behind him. They trudged through the snow, soon leaving the cozy houses and potential warmth of the village for the expansive winter. The only sounds were the snow crunching under their feet, the frigid winds blowing through the plains, and the gentle rustling of evergreen branches lining the path.
"So, what was that about Lapins?" Moodie asked, her pistols already in hand.
"Ugh, they're these giant carnivorous rabbit monsters that like to mob people," Kinderella snorted, "But given how easily you all fucked up Wapol and his goons, they shouldn't be too much of a problem."
As the crew traipsed ahead, Luffy couldn't help but glance at the scenery. Snow was a rare occurrence even at the peak of Mount Corvo, so seeing the white stuff blanket the landscape was new. The only reason he didn't stop and gawk was the feeling of Reiju on his back, her breathing steady but still too weak.
"L-Luffy…"
"Hang in there, girl," Desire said, "We ain't gonna let any overgrown bunnies stop us!"
As if right on cue, however, Luffy sensed a wave of hostile auras through his Observation Haki. From in between the trees ran several shadows the size of bears, furiously bounding through the snow until three of them rushed out right at Luffy and Reiju in a pincer maneuver plus one dead ahead. Moodie fired two shots at the one on the right, successfully shooting it down. A barrier stopped the left one, crashing to the ground with a bleeding head.
Kinderella then watched Luffy simply lunge under the last beast's claws before stretching up his leg. "Gum-Gum Battle Axe!"
With all the force of a guillotine, the captain's leg snapped down and instantly flattened the last Lapin. The former princess of Drum could only stare in shock as she saw the fearsome predator lie on the ground, already dead in a small crater.
"Heh, hunted bigger stuff than this back home…" he sniffed, completely unfazed before continuing ahead. Kinderella just gulped. Wapol and his stupid guards would've had their hands full with just three of them, never mind a whole pack.
"Damn, I really picked a good time to jump ship!" For the first time in ages, Kinderella was optimistic, and she continued behind the Straw Hats. She watched them defeat more and more Lapins with little trouble, Luffy not getting a scratch even having Reiju slung over his back the whole time. Once the beasts were handled, the pirates were about halfway to the base of the mountain when their guide had an idea.
"Hey, wait a minute! There is another way to the castle!"
"I thought Wapol took down the cable car?" Moodie asked.
"Yeah, but there is a manual back-up we can use! How do you feel about pedaling a bike?"
Luffy just smiled. That was how the water-filtration devices were powered on the Going Merry! He found it was a good warmup before any major training session. With something like that, he wouldn't have to worry about hauling everybody up the mountain with him!
Makino's group had good luck traveling through the snow, having run across a hunting party who saw five girls shivering in the cold and giving them a free ride to Cocoa Weed. As soon as they arrived, they tried asking around for Dr. Kureha but nobody had seen her recently. At the very least, someone was nice enough to give them Dalton's number so they could report back to Bighorn.
The girls now sat in a small bed and breakfast, embracing mugs of hot chocolate around a fire. While they had no leads now, there was the chance the doctor could show herself. So, unless they received a call that Kureha had been located, they would stay put and wait to see.
Since they had some time to kill, the conversation had turned to small talk. Ban was the most passive, simply chiming in and listening with interest as Kaya and Honey Queen traded stories of how their captain met them. She wasn't sure who to be more disgusted by; Kuro for his heinous plot or the Bear King for treating his own found family like garbage.
Makino then noticed how unusually quiet Carmen was. The flamboyant peacock-woman was staring into the flames, seeing a thousand miles away. The first mate could already guess the problem. "Worried about Reiju?"
"Yes… Every time I was in that kitchen without her, it felt so hollow. It's funny… I spent so long training to surpass her, and now we're practically sisters…"
"Hey, don't get so down in the dumps!" Kaya said, "If Luffy is with her, then she'll get to Doctor Kureha!"
"It's not him I'm worried about. The minute I saw him fighting a horde of Marines, I knew to never doubt him. No, it's just horribly ironic to me… Chefs are taught the dangers of food poisoning and cross contamination at the very start of our training… To think that all of us would be sick if not for her…"
A firm hand rested on the chef's shoulder. She looked over to see Ban, her glasses off for a change. "You know, Reiju and you both remind me of the palace chef back in Frauce. He was so determined to feed people that he manages to turn vegetable peels and gristle into stew to serve to the hungry."
"Flattering as that is, how does that relate to our situation?"
"Because he was one of the first people my 'esteemed' advisors insisted I fire. Instead I kept him, and looked into the advisors stealing from the pantry or redirecting food shipments to go to their houses. The level of dedication you two have for feeding others is an admirable trait, and I firmly believe that a strong sense of character will be repaid in due time."
Carmen's mood brightened at her words. Makino then chuckled, "You know, I can't help but Luffy losing his favorite chef might motivate him too…"
She then promptly had to duck a fan before it hit her face, making the others laugh until the door to the bed and breakfast opened. The girls all turned to see a man in black business casual, a fedora on his head which he hung up before fully entering. The only clue he registered the cold were the snow boots he walked in, also black.
"Excuse me, ladies, could you help me locate someone?" he asked cordially.
The five all shared glances. Honey Queen slowly stood. "That depends on who is asking…"
"Oh, there's no need to be so jumpy! Me and a few friends of mine were just passing through, wanted some directions. They're off checking some of the other towns. We know someone who wants to get their hands on a straw hat."
The pirates just to see the man vanish before their eyes. He reappeared inches from Honey Queen before his finger effortlessly pierced her chest. He then slowly turned to the rest of the Straw Hats, suddenly glaring at them.
"'Buckshot' Makino, 'Sparkling' Kaya, 'Wildfire' Carmen, 'Heartless' Honey Queen, and 'Royal Rounds' Ban Dedessinee. All of you are under arrest. Come quietly, I have been authorized to use lethal force on all of you except the Queen of Frauce Kingdom."
"Um, excuse me?"
The agent turned in shock to see Honey Queen just spoke to him. He then looked down and noticed her chest was made of translucent pink syrup. Before he could gasp, the former Trump Pirate blasted a pink geyser directly into his face. As he rolled across the floor, now covered in sticky pink liquid, the other Straw Hats leapt into action. Kaya summoned a storm of gem shards and Ban fired multiple rounds from her pistol.
"Paper Arts!" the man shouted before bending and weaving between all of the projectiles like he was made of rubber. The Straw Hats all gawked until the rain of fire stopped, giving the man enough time to stand up straight before launching a furious volley of attacks that eventually forced Kaya through the bed and breakfast's main window. As she stood up from the shards of glass and snow, she had to roll aside to dodge a Tempest Kick.
The five girls then booked it down the street and out of Cocoa Weed, trying to prevent any more collateral damage. The man in black rushed behind them, the fedora once again on his head to keep out any falling snow. As he ran, he reached into his pocket to grab his concealed portable Transponder Snail.
"This is Shiro of Cipher Pol 3! Spotted five of the Straw Hat Pirates, in active pursuit! No sign of King Wapol or Monkey D. Luffy."
"Roger that," a voice crackled from the other side, "Remember, your first priority is to assure the safety of the island's ruler."
"Understood. Over and out!"
Gyasta was the largest settlement on Drum Island, with multiple snowy plazas and sidewalks carefully treated to avoid freezing over. When Kuina's group of the Straw Hats entered town, nobody paid the five much mind. After grabbing some hot cider to recover from the hike, they split up and asked if anyone had seen the eccentric doctor they needed.
It didn't take long, however, to spot a commotion forming outside one of the many stores. The pirates gathered outside and gasped. They watched as a young boy went from shouting in pain to resting peacefully on a makeshift cot, a pair of worried parents watching as a woman raised now empty bottle from his lips.
Despite the frigid weather, she was dressed in only a waist-long purple leather jacket over a belly-bearing top. Barely more sensible were the purple and pink bell-bottom jeans and loafers. Despite having a youthful body, her face was wrinkled all over with long dirty blonde hair that they couldn't guess if it was dyed or natural.
This woman grinned like a shark about to feed as she stared at the parents. "Alright then, for your payment, I'll be taking all of your food and toilet paper."
"What?!" the father yelled, "You can't just demand something like that!"
The Straw Hats were about to intervene only for the little boy to raise himself off the bed, looking like he just had a pleasant nap. "Wow! My stomach feels all better! Thank you so much, Doctor!"
The doctor woman's smile softened just enough. "Don't mention it, squirt. It's just what I do."
"That's her!" the five of them thought, watching as the woman waltzed out of the building with her arms full of packages of supplies. She then walked to a nearby reindeer, one with a bright pink top hat in between its antlers and a blue nose, and set them down in a large sleigh. She turned just in time to see five ladies run up to her.
"Whoa, whoa, slow down!" she said, a bottle of plum wine already in hand, "You girls can get my beauty tips some other time!"
"It's not that, we need your help!" Mikita begged, "A friend of ours was poisoned and is on the verge of dying."
Kureha immediately was all business, demanding a full rundown of Reiju's condition. The only shocker was hearing that her newest patient was en route to Drum Castle.
"What?! You mean on top of the mountain?! Is this guy insane?!"
"No, he's Luffy!" Carina assured her, "And odds are, he's halfway up there already. So, please, just help our cook! We'll pay you whatever you ask!"
"Chopper! Double-time back to the castle!" She hopped into the sleigh without another word and sped off, though they could have sworn the reindeer nodded as if he could understand her. The girls all breathing a sigh of relief. That was half of their mission accomplished. All they needed to do now was call the others and let them know Reiju's doctor was on her way.
Just as they were about to ask around for the nearest Transponder Snail they could use, they noticed a bald man in formal wear walking towards them. He stared at them with such determination that all the pirates felt a chill down their spine. And yet, despite his harsh glare, he was perfectly civil as he stood before them.
"Excuse me, I need to find someone. His name is Monkey D. Luffy."
Kuina and Alvida kept a hand on their weapon as Carina said, "You should stay away from him, sir. He's a very dangerous pirate."
The man in black chuckled. "Is that so? Then maybe you all should find a different career in life."
Mikita leapt hundreds of feet in the air, Sally and Carina leapt back as Kuina and Alvida rushed at him with their weapons. Both had to duck in a split second before a pair of black pistols nearly shot them both in the face. They noticed that, rather than metal bullets, the guns shot concentrated bursts of air that whizzed by with the same speed as a bullet.
The people of Gyasta ran inside while the Straw Hats split up to force the gunman to choose who to go after. Unfortunately for them, it turns out he didn't have to.
"TRIPLICATE!" he shouted before two identical copies appeared beside him and rushed off after Alvida and Sally. Mikita jumped across multiple rooftops as another assassin chased her. Kuina and Carina ducked into a nearby alleyway to escape the third.
"This is Wick to base, I have encountered the Straw Hat Pirates in Gyasta. Neither Luffy nor King Wapol is in the area."
"Copy that, Wick. Shiro is pursuing more of the crew, it seems the captain is giving us the slip. Continue after those pirates, and please be more careful with our experimental firearms. We don't need another lecture from Vegapunk!"
"I'll do my best…" the agent said with a coy smirk. He was a trained gunman given the only guns in the world that fired hyper-compressed air for ammo. And thanks to this Triple-Triple Fruit, he had six of them to play around with. How could he not show off a little?
Back in Bighorn, Nami and the rest of the crew happily waiting inside of Dalton's news by the Transponder Snail for any word. The armchairs around the fire made for a perfect place for the ladies to unwind after all the worrying over Reiju.
That is, until a voice bellowed from outside. "ATTENTION, MY LOYAL SUBJECTS! YOUR KING HAS RETURNED!"
"Oh crap, not this guy again…" Clarisse muttered as she set down her tea, "Come on, let's kick his ass again."
"Vivi, you stay here," Nami insisted, "No offense but we don't need him recognizing you."
The Alabastan heiress nodded. She wasn't exactly keen on seeing Wapol again, either. The four Straw Hats headed out into the snow to see the tubby tyrant himself along with dozens of his gun-toting goons. At his sides were Chess and Kuromarimo, smirking even in the face of the pirates who whooped them already.
The people of Bighorn were all flinching at the sight of their king again. Dalton stood up front with a massive spade in his hand as a makeshift weapon.
"Wapol, you've finally returned," he grimaced before the tiniest grin appeared on his face, "Apparently, you ran into some pirate trouble on your return voyage."
The king snarled, especially as he turned to see Nami's group. "Yes, and it was thanks to these broads and their rubber-headed captain! Hand them over, right now!"
Custard and Nojiko stepped forward, sword and seeds in grasp. The former Big Mom Pirate stood firm, "We have no desire to fight you again. The result would be the same."
"Oh, would it now?"
The pirates turned to see a woman in red march through the snow. The whole assembly was frozen as she locked eyes with Wapol before reaching into her pocket for a Transponder Snail. "This is Belle to base, monarch has been located. Several of the Straw Hat Pirates are antagonizing him, but no sign of Luffy."
"Copy that. Engage the pirates and discern their captain's location… Preferably alive."
"If you insist…" she chuckled, making the pirates nervous. Anyone who was that confident walking into a fight was a problem.
"Who are you supposed to be?" Dalton asked, "This man is very dangerous, you need to-!"
"At ease, Mr. Dalton. This is officially World Government business. I'll be handling this now…"
Nami and Clarisse just shrugged. This was clearly no ordinary member of the Navy, and she was apparently talking directly to Marineford. None of them noticed that Vivi was staring through the windows, biting her nails. She already had a hunch who exactly this woman was with…
"Alright, ladies, listen up! We can make this whole ordeal a whole lot easier if y'all tell me what I wanna know: Where's Monkey D. Luffy?"
"Like we're gonna tell you!"
Clarisse transformed into her half-rhino form and barreled ahead only for Belle to step just out of the way before something flew out of the agent's sleeve. The pirate was soon held in place as a thick sash wrapped around her waist.
"What the…?! Fabric?!"
"Aww, you ladies ain't the only ones who got Devil Fruits…" Belle chuckled, revealing that the bands were now coming out what should be her arms. From the sleeves of her jacket came a massive stream of shiny white silk that held Clarisse in place as it came out of one arm, wrapped around the rhino-woman's torso, and then back through the other arm.
Belle then shocked everyone by immediately spinning around on her heels, Clarisse yelling in shock as she was held firm by the silken sash until it suddenly disappeared. The woman was sent flying for hundreds of yards, well past the border of Bighorn and felled several trees in the process.
"Well… Crap…" Nami swallowed.
"That's right, honey. I ate the Silk-Silk Fruit, and I know how to use it. Now then, are you more inclined to point me in the direction of your captain? My superiors are just aching to get to know him."
The navigator glanced at her sister, a resolute nod being her only answer. They both stared at Custard, seeming to toy with something in her mouth.
"No? Aw well, guess I'm just gonna have to persuade you!" Belle rushed at them like a rocket, a red blur sticking out from the stark white all around them. The trio of pirates scattered, only for Belle to have the perfect answer.
"Silk Crochet: Panopticon!"
Once again, her arms disappeared as columns of silk exploded from her sleeves, this time wrapping around the outer railings of various houses and the trees hundreds of feet away to create a silken ring that encircled them all. Several of the locals wanted to help only for Wapol's guards to point their guns at them.
Custard immediately went for the nearest sash and swung her sword down only for the blade to bounce off. It took the woman doubling her grip to make sure it didn't fly away!
"What?! How is it this tough?!"
"Not just tough, but elastic," Belle bragged, "This stuff has the tensile strength better than any rope but has enough give that it can bounce back from any impact! And I can make as much as I want and control it as easily as I walk or blink! Now to show you all my real specialty: close quarters combat!"
Belle moved with all the speed and tenacity of a predator, the snow or her heels doing nothing to slow her down. Nojiko tried readying her seeds but the agent's foot collided into her left ankle with the force of a gunshot. The bluenette was down on the snow about to shout only for vicious blow to her solar plexus to render her unconscious.
"GET AWAY FROM MY SISTER, YOU BITCH!" Nami roared, a huge wall of clouds twice her height spawning around her. The puffy nimbus barrier soon turned black, as if responding to Nami's rage. Belle just smirked as bands of silk suddenly burst from her waist and started wrapping around everything except her eyes.
The navigator unleashed a wave of lightning, but the bolts just bounced off Belle. Nami stopped her attack in shock, letting the agent Shave in front of her and coating her hands in Armament Haki before sucker punching Nami in the gut followed by a left hook that knocked her out.
"Oh, did I mention that silk is an excellent insulator against electricity?" she bragged, "Now then, you fancy yourself a swordsman?"
Custard raised her blade in anger only to see Belle summon one of her own, one of silk so tightly wound that it looked like a solid white sword with the curved blade of a cutlass. Belle waggled her eyebrows and said "En garde."
The Charlote woman grit her teeth as their swords clashed, the silk somehow holding up against solid steel. Belle's swings were wide and blunt, not much in terms of skill but she had plenty of power behind every attack. She also proved to have reflexes that put even Custard to shame, even as she tried using Observation Haki to predict her movements.
"If only I could've spent more time with Katakuri…" she sighed before Belle decided to cut the fight short with a Finger Gun straight into Custard's wrist. She dropped her blade in pain before she was wrapped up in silk from the neck down and left to thrash in the snow.
Before Belle could move on, a loud stomping came from the woods. Clarisse, now in full rhino form, burst out of the treeline and actually ripped through the silk blocking her path. The agent only barely leapt out of the way but the rhino-woman wasn't done. Halfway through her charge, Clarisse shifted back into half-rhino form before swinging her leg in a Tempest Kick strong enough to bring up a wave of snow.
The agent did the smart thing and leapt above it only for a fully-grown pine tree to almost slam into her. She had to hurriedly morph her leg into a silk chainsaw to slice it apart, looking down to see Nojiko back on her feet and glaring at her.
"Damn, these girls really are somethin'…" she thought, using Moonwalk at the last second to break her fall. She was face-to-face with a small circle of Clarisse, Custard and Nojiko all looking tired but still raring to go.
It was only when she turned around that she noticed someone keenly watching from inside Dalton's house that she finally found an idea.
"Silk Shot!" From her wrist came a single, compact bullet of fabric that flew through the window in seconds. Vivi had to duck or else it would have shot through her face. But by the time she was crawling away from the window, the door burst open and Belle had her wrapped and bound in a silk cocoon.
"MmMMph! Hlllmmmph!"
"VIVI!" Nojiko cried.
"Oh, this is a friend of yours?" Belle smirked, "Well now, lemme try asking again. Where can I find Monkey D. Luffy? I'll be more than happy to let her go if you'll comply…"
The Straw Hats looked from one to the other. They promised Vivi they'd get her to Alabasta, but Reiju would still be in bad shape. Could they risk their chef's safety just to get Vivi free?
In the end, someone made the decision for them. Dalton dropped his head and said, "He's on his way to Drum Castle."
"Thank you very much, sir! I'll be back to resolve this dispute once I bring him in." And true to her word, Belle tore the princess's binding open and set her down on the ground where a still-shaky Nami checked on her. Before the pirates could retaliate, Belle zoomed off like a rocket. The Straw Hats were then met with several guns cocking in their direction.
"Ahahahahaha! That oughta teach you no-good pirates not to cross King Wapol! Kuromarimo, restrain them! Chess, go check on their ship to recover my valuables!"
"Like hell you will!" Dalton growled, "We've had enough of your tyranny, Wapol! These pirates were minding their own business when you started this! And now you've gone and brought the Cipher Pols in this!"
The legions of goons turned their guns on the burly man, even though several of them stepped back. Wapol, however, just wore the same grin on his tin-plated face. "Oh, Dalton, always the bleeding heart! Why don't you learn that going against me is a mistake!"
The man's response was to activate his own Devil Fruit, the Ox-Ox Fruit: Model – Bison. His already burly frame expanded as deep brown fur covered skin, his feet turned to cloven hooves, and his face became a bovine muzzle with curled horns emerging from his dark hair.
"And as long as I stand, I will never let you rule again!"
"So, you'll defy me even now?! Very well, it's your funeral!"
Dalton was about to charge ahead only for Nami's group to stand alongside him. He only nodded before they charged together, united in the common goal of knocking this tinpot tyrant off his high horse.
The last thing Reiju remembered clearly, it was spewing a few gallons of poison at a talking hippo that was trying to eat Luffy. Now, as she came to, she felt something cold against her forehead. Warm linens kept her snug in a fluffy mattress that felt heavenly. She moved her hair aside and realized she was in a room of stone, shelves of books and beakers of all kinds lining the walls.
For the briefest second, she was terrified until she heard a voice through the door. "How is she, doctor?"
"Luffy…" Her eyes almost overflowed with gratitude. The mad lad had actually saved her life.
"She's stabilized for now," an older female voice answered, "But I'm questioning her when the time comes. By all accounts, her organs should be soup."
She gulped at that, before something cracked open the door. She watched in surprise as a small reindeer, only about three feet tall, walked in on two legs.
"Okay," the reindeer talked to itself, making Reiju wonder if she was hallucinating, "Blood pressure stable, need to remember those special nettles for next time. Can't believe how Doctorine just knows these things off the top of her head…"
"Um, hi?"
The little deer spun around, dropping the stack of books in its hooves. Reiju then noticed the creature was wearing a fluffy pink top hat, had a bright blue nose, and was in fact fully aware she could hear it. It then tried to hide behind the nearest table… By hiding only his arms behind the leg while most of its body was fully visible.
"I think I heard something," Luffy said from elsewhere, walking in only to rush up and hug his cook.
"L-Luffy! W-Where are we?"
"This is Drum Castle, at the top of the mountains Dalton told me about. I brought up a cable car with some of the crew and Wapol's ex, so we could make sure the doctor could treat you."
"I… I can't believe it… You saved me, again…"
"Heh, don't sweat it! I'd do anything for my crew!"
He just gave a giant grin, the joy so infectious that Reiju's face lit up in a blush. She then noticed the walking reindeer trying to subtly gather the books and walk away. She moved her eye down to follow it and Luffy noticed.
"Oh, and this is Chopper! He's the doctor's assistant! He's awesome!"
"Huh?! Cut it out, you stupid pirate! You aren't gonna sweet-talk me!" the reindeer blushed profusely through his fur, dancing in place with a huge dopey grin on his face. The chef just chuckled. If he helped look after her, then she would thank him too once she was better.
"Alright, alright, give my patient some space," Kureha ordered as she walked in, a bottle of plum wine in one hand, "Chopper, go study for a bit. This could take a while."
"Yes, Doctorine!" With that, the reindeer walked out leaving Reiju with her captain and the woman who cured her.
"So you're Doctor Kureha? I cannot thank you enough for saving my life."
"Ah, don't get mushy on me, girlie. I handle shit like this every day." The doctor took a deep swig of her booze before sitting down in a nearby chair, "What you can do is explain what happened. The straw hat here only told me you all started falling ill after some bad booze and you somehow siphoned all the poison out of everybody so only you got sick."
Reiju only nodded, telling mostly the same story. Kureha looked straight in her eyes, clearly searching for any sign of confusion but sighed when she couldn't find any.
"And here I thought it was just an exaggeration. Kid, if anybody else did what you did, you wouldn't have lasted five minutes."
"We only know it was some kind of poison," Luffy said, "But when we drank the grog, it tasted fine."
"That was exactly the point. Your liquor was laced with an extremely rare toxin called Alkoholine. On its own, it's completely inert and harmless. When exposed to any alcohol, it becomes a parasitic microbe that attacks the nerves and vital organs like cancer hopped up on steroids. It's only grown on one tiny island in the North Blue and fetches close to ten million beris an ounce. But that tiny amount is all you'd need to put an entire ship of people six feet under. Someone wanted you dead, someone with deep pockets and connections to the highest levels of the underworld."
"Well, we already knew that part…" Reiju sighed. It makes sense that Crocodile, as a Warlord, would have access to the entire black market. Luffy just ground his fists, swearing he'd beat the bastard even harder for doing this to his crew.
"It makes sense those MDs you got from Wapol wouldn't recognize the stuff. They only grow a couple bottles of the stuff per year because of just how illegal it is. It's among the top of the Marine's contraband list. Even having it on your boat is a one-way trip to Impel Down. But enough about that…"
She stared right at Reiju and pointed a bony finger at her. "I've seen some insane things thanks to Devil Fruits, and according to this brat, yours is a Zoan that turns you into a lion. So if that's not it, how the hell does a girl suck poison out of people and prove resistant enough to chugging dozens of doses of grade-A biotoxin that would make anyone's insides melt?"
Reiju could only sigh. She knew it was only a matter of time. "It all started… When I was born. In the North Blue, there was once an entire empire called Germa that stretched for hundreds of miles with dozens of islands. Now, though, it's a single mobile island called Germa Kingdom. It's renowned for its scientific advancements… And as the premier source for criminals to hire men for their ranks."
"My father, Judge, continued his family's desire to reform their empire and expand even further. To that end, he wanted to create a serum that would turn any ordinary person into a superior breed of soldier. One that was stronger, fearless, completely obedient to their commander. And to do so, he tested this serum on my mother."
Luffy just gaped. "WHAT?! That's disgusting! What kind of sick bastard does that to his own kid?!"
"He does, and sure enough I was born with the enhanced physiology he wanted. I could bend metal as a child, solve complex equations before I could walk, and I even had a special ability to not only ingest any poison with next to no consequences but I could produce a toxin of my own. I was 'Poison Pink' Reiju, and I was sure to fetch a high price once I was old enough to serve in our family's army."
"But, there was one small problem. Physically I met his expectations. But I was too 'soft', too 'outspoken' and so he got to work perfecting the serum. And to make sure this one worked, he had my mother artificially inseminated with as many children as she could carry. She gave birth to quadruplets, but at great cost to her health."
"The four sons were exactly what Judge wanted. All four of them were cruel, selfish, violent little terrors who had all of my physical enhancements and more with none of the 'weakness' that held me back. But since I was still a possible commodity, he didn't abandon me. No, he did far worse as he put me through the same grueling training as them and belittled me at every turn for not measuring up to them. And all of them would tease and bully me mercilessly, calling me a worthless failure…"
Luffy moved next to her and placed a comforting hand on hers as she went on, eyes watering in pain. "One day, we were all eating when I noticed that the girl serving us was nothing but skin and bones. I offered to share my food with her, and Judge ripped me away from the table, locked my head in an iron mask, and left me in a dungeon for days to 'punish my foolishness.' That was the last straw. I begged to my mother, now practically bedbound, that I wanted to die. I'd rather be anywhere else than here."
Her resolve finally gave out as she remembered Sora, the kind blonde who somehow stood by her even through all of Judge's experiments and abuse towards their children. Sora just looked at her suffering daughter and swore that she wouldn't fail her like she failed her sons.
"I found a tunnel that led out of the castle and so I ran, never looking back. I hopped on a ship bound for the East Blue, and that's when I became a chore girl on a little passenger ship to survive. Then Zeff attacked with his pirate crew, but then a storm hit and washed us both onto a rocky plateau in the middle of the ocean. He saved my life by giving me all of the food we had, and so I planned to help him build and run his dream restaurant to repay the debt I owed him… The real father who gave me a passion for cooking, who didn't mind that I wasn't a killing machine… For giving me a reason to live…"
"Reiju… I'm so sorry you had to go through all that…" Luffy let his cook's head rest on his shoulder, "I swear, I'll never let that bastard hurt you again."
"I… I hate him so much, Luffy. Germa Kingdom may be part of the World Government, but it wants to conquer the North Blue. My mother tried to make an antiserum that would stop my brothers from becoming the little monsters they were, but it didn't work! That's why I never use the poison powers I have, because I refuse to use what he forced into me! I only broke when Don Krieg made it clear he wouldn't stop coming after the Baratie… And I felt so ashamed of it…"
Luffy nodded. Seeing his cook so broken and distraught only made his resolve stronger. If anyone from this Germa crossed him, he would make them pay.
"What about your brothers?"
"They're now the loyal heads of Germa 66, the kingdom's army and underworld hands for hire. As miserable as they made me, I don't blame them. It's all thanks to Judge, stripping them of their free will while they were still zygotes. That's what my real dream is, Luffy. To kill Judge and free my siblings from his control…"
He nodded, letting the last of her pain come out. Kureha just left to give them the privacy they needed. Even she didn't feel like discussing payment for her services after hearing all of that.
But little did she know that she had another problem on its way. At the foot of the cable up the Drum Rockies, Belle casually reapplied her lipstick. A pile of dead Lapins laid behind her before she pulled out her Transponder Snail.
"This is Belle to HQ, I am about to engage Monkey D. Luffy."
"Copy that. Your comrades are presently engaging others of the Straw Hat crew. If we don't hear back in fifteen minutes, we're sending backup. It is absolutely imperative we capture this man and put a stop to his piracy before he upends things like he did in the East Blue."
"Understood, but I believe I've run into something else. What can you tell me about Princess Vivi of Alabasta?"
A bit of typing later, the operator replied, "Her whereabouts have been unknown for almost two years now. King Cobra has remained silent on the topic when questions. Why bring this up now?"
"Can you give me a physical description of the princess?"
"In her last known photo, Nefertari Vivi was about five-foot-four, though she was only about fifteen so she's bound to be taller now. Bright cyan hair, round face, very slim figure."
Belle just smiled, knowing she recognized a royal when she saw one. "Well now, that looks exactly like a friend of the Straw Hat Pirates who happens to be named Vivi."
"WHAT?! You saw her with those pirates?! What the flying fuck is she doing with them?!"
"Don't get your panties in a bunch. I've got a bit of a climb to make now, so I'll tell you all about it on my way up."
Rather than wait for the cable car, she formed a makeshift harness around her torso and commanded a sash of silk to wrap about the cable connecting to the ground. As she began to debrief the operator at Marineford, she could only smile. She was just as eager to learn where Luffy found a third princess to pilfer for his crew.
"Monkey D. Luffy, I haven't had a good fight in ages. You better be ready for little ol' me!"
Well, folks, looks like we have quite a bit of action on the docket next time! The Straw Hats finally have some opponents that will push them a bit. I also want to thank the commentor on AO3 who provided a list of potential Devil Fruits, among them being Belle's Silk-Silk Fruit. Tune in next time to see how Luffy combats this femme fatale!
.
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
Janitor
DF: Syrup-Syrup Fruit
"Stampeding" Clarisse
Wanted for: 23,000,000
Bodyguard/Fighter
DF: Rhino-Rhino Fruit
"Graviton" Mikita
Wanted for: 30,000,000
Patissier
DF: Kilo-Kilo Fruit
"Harvester" Charlotte Custard
Wanted for: 36,000,000
Second Swordsman
DF: Harvest-Harvest Fruit
"Royal Rounds" Ban Dedessinee
Wanted for: 17,500,000 (ONLY ALIVE)
Gunner
DF: Curve-Curve Fruit
Total Bounty: 489,500,000