"Jack! What's going on?" shouted Luffy, his head popping out from the side of the Merry.
"There are strangers over there," Jack replied, narrowing his eyes. "And they don't look friendly."
Everyone turned toward the ship approaching Laboon. Two figures stood on deck, a man with a crown-shaped hairstyle and a young woman wearing a duck-feather hat. Both were armed with strange weapons, their gazes fixed on the giant whale ahead.
"Who are those weirdos?" asked Usopp nervously.
Zoro rested a hand on his sword. "Doesn't matter. If they're hostile, we deal with them."
Before anyone could move, the crowned man raised a harpoon gun.
"Die and become our food!" he yelled.
The harpoon fired through the air, slicing the wind but stopped just inches before striking Laboon's side. Jack appeared in front of it, gripping the steel shaft between two fingers.
"That's enough," Jack said coldly. "You just tried to attack a creature that hasn't done anything to you."
The man stumbled back in shock. "W-What the—?! Who are you?!"
Jack leapt from the whale's back and landed smoothly on their boat. The impact made both strangers freeze. "Let's start with names," Jack said, voice calm but heavy with authority. "Who sent you here? Why attack Laboon?"
The girl stepped back but quickly masked her fear with a smirk. "We're agents of Baroque Works," she declared. "And our mission is none of your business!"
"Baroque Works?" Nami frowned from the Merry's railing. "Never heard of it."
Jack eyes narrowed slightly. He knew exactly who they were.
The man, trembling but stubborn, pointed at Laboon again. "That whale's supposed to be our catch! We wanted to make it our food!"
Jack sighed. "So, you'd hurt a creature who's been waiting years for his friends… just because you're hungry?"
Before they could react, Jack moved faster than they could see and slammed Mr. 9 to the deck.
"Wha—what is this?!" Mr. 9 gasped, struggling. "Why are you stopping me?!"
"Shut up," Jack said simply. "You'll stay put until we're done talking."
Luffy tilted his head. "Jack, can I punch them now? You're taking all the fun."
"No," Jack replied firmly. "Let's hear them out first."
The girl glared. "You'll regret crossing Baroque Works."
Jack smirked. "Maybe. But right now, you're the ones trespassing." He gestured toward Laboon. "This whale has a promise with our captain. Attacking him means you're attacking us. Now, tell me who's behind Baroque Works? And what do you really want with this whale? Planning to eat it or sell it?"
The girl's eyes flickered before she slumped to the ground.
She's scared, Jack realized. But not for herself, for something bigger. He already knew who she was.
"Fine," she muttered. "We were just looking for a way back to our base. We got lost and… hungry. The whale was just there."
Luffy's face twisted in anger. The crew's expressions darkened.
Jack's tone softened slightly. "Then you picked the wrong target."
He stood and turned toward the Merry. "Luffy, let's bring them aboard. We'll talk to Crocus about this."
"Shishishishi! Sure!" Luffy laughed, waving them over.
Zoro sighed. "You really plan to bring the enemies we catch onto the ship?"
"Maybe," Jack said with a faint smile. "But trust me, this one's special."
As they escorted the captured agents toward the Merry, Jack's eyes lingered on the girl's face.
The two intruders sat tied back-to-back against the mainmast, ropes tight around their torsos. Usopp stood guard with his slingshot while Luffy paced in front of them, cheeks puffed with anger.
The mast had been destroyed earlier by Luffy, of course and Jack had refused to repair it. "I'm not a shipwright," he'd said. "I'm a scientist, not a carpenter." So Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, and Luffy had repaired it themselves.
"So you two were gonna hunt Laboon?! Laboon's my friend!" Luffy shouted, veins bulging on his forehead.
Mr. 9 stammered, "W-We weren't gonna kill it! It was just—uh—a plan gone wrong!"
"A plan gone wrong?!" Luffy roared. "You shot a harpoon at my friend!" He raised his fist, ready to punch.
Jack quickly stepped between them, stopping Luffy's arm mid-swing. "Calm down, Luffy. They're not a threat anymore. If we hit first, we learn nothing."
Luffy grumbled but lowered his fist. "Fine… but I really wanna punch him."
Zoro crossed his arms. "Can't say I'd blame you, Captain."
Nami leaned forward, eyes sharp. "So, Baroque Works, huh? What is that? Some kind of bounty group?"
Mr. 9 gulped. "We're… a secret organization," he said nervously. "We take missions for pay — capture beasts, gather info, deliver items, stuff like that."
"And who ordered you to hunt Laboon?" Jack asked.
"Orders came from higher-ups," the girl replied curtly. "That's all you need to know."
"Girl," Jack said evenly, eyes on her. "You just said you stumbled here. Which one's true?"
Mr. 9 froze, realizing he'd slipped. He stuttered, but the truth spilled out and the girl, Miss Wednesday, looked panicked.
Dragon, leaning quietly against the mast, watched her carefully. His eyes narrowed. Something about her seemed familiar.
"You've got royal manners for someone in a crime group," Dragon finally said.
Everyone turned to him. "Royal manners?" repeated Nami.
Dragon's sharp gaze didn't waver. "The way she talks, her posture, even how she tries to hide her tone. That's not a spy, that's a princess."
The girl froze before forcing a nervous laugh. "W-What are you talking about? I'm just Miss Wednesday, a simple agent—"
Jack exhaled. "Enough pretending." He looked straight at her. "Princess Nefertari Vivi of Alabasta, right?"
The deck fell silent. Dragon had suspected as much, though he couldn't quite recall her face only her poise.
Luffy jaw dropped. "EHHHH?! PRINCESS?!"
Usopp nearly dropped his slingshot. "Wait... what?! She's royalty?!"
Nami's eyes widened. "No way… the princess of Alabasta? The desert kingdom?"
Vivi's lips trembled. "How… how did you know?"
Jack smiled faintly. "Let's just say I've read more than one history book."
Bartolomeo expression darkened. "If she's Alabasta's princess, that means Baroque Works is deep inside the kingdom."
Vivi sighed. "No, Baroque Works isn't part of Alabasta. I joined them to uncover the real culprit trying to destroy my country."
Dragon's face tightened. As a revolutionary, he had met many royals, few with courage like hers.
Luffy blinked, still confused. "So… you're a princess who joined bad guys to stop other bad guys?"
Vivi nodded. "Pretty much."
Luffy grinned. "That's awesome!"
Zoro raised an eyebrow. "That's your takeaway?"
Jack untied her ropes. "You can relax. No one here's turning you in."
Vivi looked stunned. "You're… letting me go?"
Jack nodded. "If your goal is to protect your people, then we're not your enemies. Besides…" His gaze flicked toward Luffy. "I've got a feeling our captain will want to recruit you."
Luffy's eyes widened that look in Jack's eyes again. The one that always came before something big. Many times when Jack hinted about his ability, he gave that look to him.
So he understand that recruiting this girl might bring back Jack ability.
Author Notes: There is 10 advanced chapter on my patreon.
-patreon.com/zerelix