Chapter 25: Changing Plans in Yuba
Carue ran.
Across the desert. Through day and night. Straight ahead. He ran until his legs screamed at him for so long and so loudly that they would give out, and he would rest until he could stand and run again. It was a perilous journey, and one which would undoubtedly have been the undoing of any lesser duck. The heat and dryness of the desert were constant, and there was no shortage of vicious predators that would have been delighted to make him their latest meal.
But Carue was not a lesser duck. The precious water which hung around his neck sustained him for as long as he needed it to, and he ran faster than any other living creature from Alabasta possibly could have. Nothing from Alabasta could touch him.
It was for that reason, that it was unfortunate that he had enemies that were not from Alabasta.
The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon when Carue caught sight of his goal. The light of dawn illuminated the city of Alubarna in the distance, and the fatigue which plagued his body was washed away in an instant. Being so close to reaching his destination, and completing the task which Vivi had entrusted him with, flooded him with newfound vigour. He ran at his top speed towards the city.
Though the sun's early rays had begun to illuminate the land, the nighttime veil of darkness was not yet completely lifted. Two nefarious animals flew under such a veil, less visible against the sky than they would have been during the daytime. The sunglasses-wearing duo of Mr. 13 and Miss Friday flew high above Carue's head, completely outside his notice as he remained fixated solely on reaching Alubarna. In the air, Miss Friday was more than a match for Carue's remarkable speed, and the pair of them managed to take the lead as she descended down towards the ground.
Not to land, though. Not yet. On her back, Mr. 13 had his clawed seashells in hand, and he struck them together to create a spark which lit the fuse for one of the bombs which they carried in tow. He waited until Miss Friday had flown further ahead, with a greater gap between them and their target, before he dropped the lit bomb.
Carue didn't notice the bomb landing in the sand ahead of him until it was too late. He ran directly towards the blast right as it exploded, and it sent him flying off his feet and through the air, to slam back down into the sand elsewhere. Luckily for him, he'd still been a fair bit away from the explosion, and so his injuries were minor. More importantly, the message on his person hadn't been damaged. That was a small comfort for the duck as he struggled to get back onto his feet, and frantically turned his gaze toward the skies. He wasn't able to catch sight of his attackers, though.
Miss Friday doubled back and came swooping from behind Carue. Mr. 13 jumped off ahead of her, and landed at Carue's rear. He threw himself at the duck's left leg, clamping the seashells around it like a vice to crush the limb, before yanking them back to let the blades slice it. A pained quack escaped Carue. He kicked the leg back, but Mr. 13 dodged out of the way of the attack and leapt away from him. Carue was too late again, this time in focusing on his surroundings, as Miss Friday swooped down on him. One of their bombs was clutched in her talons, though it wasn't lit, instead serving as an impromptu blunt force instrument which she swung up into his body as she attacked from the front.
The attacks were brutal, and Carue was tough. Not tough enough, though. Had he been more well-rested, hydrated, not at the last leg of his journey ready to collapse when his duty was fulfilled, he may have been able to endure the two-pronged assault and continue in spite of his injuries. But he was as he was, and the attacks were more than he could handle in his current state. The duck's body gave out on him, and he collapsed in the sand before his two enemies. Neither of them had any interest in finishing the job, however. Instead, what interested them was the message which he carried on his person.
Reaching into his jumpsuit, Mr. 13 extracted a sealed envelope. He snatched the message in Carue's possession and unfolded, before he and Miss Friday hastily read through its contents together. The two shared a nod once they had finished, and then it was crumpled up and tossed away for the desert to claim. Their envelope replaced it.
With that, the job was done. Both of them looked towards the city, and they saw in the distance a group of people carrying torches who were making their way over. It was impossible to see with how far away they were, but The Unluckies knew that at least one of the approaching men had a tattoo concealed on their body which denoted their allegiance to Baroque Works. Mr. 13 hopped onto Miss Friday's back, and the two of them took off. The beaten and exhausted Carue, with a forged message from Vivi, was left in their wake, to be found and taken to the palace.
It was still early in the day as the Straw Hats and their royal companion surrounded Luffy, who continued to sit leaning against the shrub. There were looks of exasperation, confusion and impatience to be found in their number, as well as slight embarrassment on Spruce's part. The scout tried to shuffle a couple of steps away, but had to exert so much effort to move the rest of the supplies with him that he only moved half a step before giving up on the gesture.
"Um. I don't quit, I just stopped because I wanted to make sure he didn't get left behind by accident." He said to the others, who weren't listening and were instead focused on Luffy.
"You quit?! Luffy, what are you saying?!" Vivi cried.
"We don't have time to waste on your nonsense, Luffy! Move!" Nami barked. Even that didn't shake Luffy in the slightest, who remained as he was, lounging about.
"You're going back, right?" He said.
"We have to go back." Sanji said, "To stop the rebels in Katorea. Otherwise this whole country will explode into bloodshed! This is for Vivi's sake, now let's go!"
"It's boring." Luffy replied. His words elicited confusion from Nami, while sending Sanji flying into a rage. The chef's outburst likewise failed to phase Luffy.
"Vivi…" He said, his tone quickly growing far more serious as he looked at the princess in question.
"Yes?"
"I wanna kick Crocodile's ass!"
A passionate declaration, which brought to Luffy's eyes a smouldering resolve. His words stunned Vivi, who let out a gasp. Nobody spoke up to protest or question him, leaving it open for him to continue and justify himself.
"Stopping the rebels isn't going to stop Crocodile. There's nothing we can do in that Katorea place." He explained, "We're pirates. It'd be better if we didn't even go there."
There was some sense to what he was saying. At least as far as the rest of the crew were concerned, as they silently mulled over his words. Spruce, though, looked conflicted. He had something on the tip of his tongue, but didn't let it go any further than that. With his own silence, the Straw Hats seemed to reach a consensus of agreement with Luffy. For the time being, at least. Vivi was the only one who opened her mouth to protest.
"But-!"
Only for Luffy to cut her off.
"You think you can stop the rebels without anybody getting killed?! That none of us, and none of your people are going to die?!"
He remained seated, even as the energy in his voice rose with each word and his gaze grew even more intense. A hint of anger flashed in Vivi's eyes in response to what he said, but she remained silent as he said his piece.
"We're up against one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. A million people are itching to fight, and you expect everybody to live? That's naïve."
Still, Vivi remained silent, as anger slowly simmered beneath her surface. She wasn't yet at the point of bursting, but the same couldn't be said for Nami.
"SHUT UP, LUFFY! OF COURSE VIVI CARES ABOUT HER PEOPLE!" Nami yelled. She stepped forwards, only for Sanji to raise an arm and block her.
"Nami, wait." He said.
"But…" Nami said.
"What's wrong with that?!" Vivi snapped, "What's so wrong about not wanting anyone to die?!"
"People die." Came Luffy's flat, matter-of-fact response. And that was the last straw for Vivi. Her hand flew out and struck Luffy across the cheek with such tremendous force that it sent him skidding back through the sand.
"SHUT UP! DON'T SAY THINGS LIKE THATT I'M TRYING TO PREVENT BLOODSHED! I'M TRYING TO SAVE THE REBELS, AND THE ROYAL ARMY! NO-ONE IN THE KINGDOM IS TO BLAME! WHY SHOULD ANY OF THEM HAVE TO DIE BECAUSE OF CROCODILE?!"
Her fists were trembling with rage as she screamed herself almost hoarse. Meanwhile, Luffy pushed himself up off the ground. She approached him as she spoke, eyes blazing with fury that left her blind to what was right in front of her. It caught her entirely off-guard, and the rest of the Straw Hats off-guard as well, when Luffy sprang up from the ground and punched her in the side of the face.
"BUT YOU'RE RISKING YOUR OWN LIFE!" He roared as he attacked. The two quickly fell into a brawl, grappling with each other in the sand, but it was just as quickly disturbed by Bonbon's Pokeball bursting open from where Vivi had it on her person. White light materialized into Bonbon right beside where the two were wrestling, and the blazing emotion in her eyes matched her trainer.
"SUDOWOODO!"
She swung both her hands as one and slammed them into Luffy's face. The blow knocked him off of Vivi, though it didn't seem to hurt him that much. Bonbon positioned herself between the two of them with her arms raised defensively, a glare on her face directed at him that was practically begging for him to try throwing another punch like he just had. Vivi, for a brief moment, felt her anger melt away to make place for surprise at the Pokémon's intervention. Only for a brief moment, though, and then it was back in its full intensity, and she was standing behind Bonbon and glaring at Luffy as well.
"STAY OUT OF THIS, TREE!"
Luffy retaliated with an extended fist that struck Bonbon in the centre of her body. It knocked her back, causing her to topple over into Vivi and send both of them falling to the ground again.
"LUFFY, STOP!" Usopp cried, sharing a look of panic with Chopper at the sight of the rapidly escalating violence.
"VIVI, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Spruce bellowed immediately after, with even Luffy seeming surprised at the fact that it was her name being uttered and not his. Vivi and Bonbon froze where they were, and looked back to Spruce standing where he was. Rather than the rage which Luffy and Vivi wore on their faces, or the panic on Chopper and Usopp's, Spruce instead looked terribly sad at the sight of the scuffle between them both. When he realised their attention was on him for the moment, he let himself sit down on the bags of supplies he had been lugging behind him since they left.
"Fighting each other isn't accomplishing anything."
"Were you listening to what he said?!" Vivi raged, "That I should just let my own people die-?!"
"People are gonna die no matter what you do!" Luffy retorted.
"They shouldn't have to!"
"Neither should you!"
Vivi recoiled, as if slapped, while Bonbon stood in place, frantically turning herself around towards whoever was speaking in the moment. Luffy continued.
"You can't do it all by yourself!"
"I have to! I don't care what it costs!" Vivi bit back, emotions flaring up within her once again. Her voice had risen to be louder than Luffy's.
"THEN LET US HELP YOU!" He bellowed, storming past Bonbon to plant his hands on her shoulders and look her in the eye, "We're your friends, aren't we?!"
"Sudowoodo…" Bonbon murmured. She looked up at her trainer, to see that Vivi was bowing her head. One hand covered her mouth, while the other remained clenched at her side, fingers digging into her palm. She didn't say anything. After a moment, Luffy lowered his hands from her shoulders. When he spoke again, his voice was deathly calm.
"The truth is that you want to kick Crocodile's ass more than anyone, right?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she turned her head away. Her fingers dug deeper into her palm, and her other hand dropped to mirror it. Bonbon reached out, brushing a ball against her hand, and Vivi tensed up before letting out a deep breath and unclenching both hands.
"Woodo…"
"It's not about what I want." She muttered, too quietly for even Luffy to make it out.
"Huh?"
"I said it's not about what I want." She repeated, her voice firmer and with an edge to it as she looked Luffy straight in the eye, "A princess can't choose to do what she wants, she has to choose what her people need. I want Crocodile to fall! I want him to suffer for everything that he's done to my kingdom and my people, I want it more than I want anything!"
"Then let's go!" Luffy urged, but Vivi shook her head.
"Stopping the rebels won't stop Crocodile, but stopping Crocodile won't end the rebellion either. You heard what Toto said. The rebels feel like they've been backed into a corner. Alabasta needs them to be talked down, before they launch an all-out attack against the king. An attack like that, with their numbers, would tear the kingdom apart. It's exactly what Crocodile's schemes have been building to over these past years!"
"Then we're at an impasse." Zoro interjected, "Someone like Crocodile, with all his power and influence, wouldn't let his plans be ruined without some kind of retribution. If you stop the rebels before the fighting breaks out, your kingdom will be in danger. But if we go take down Crocodile instead, the rebels will probably launch their attack."
"We have to choose one or the other! And we should choose Crocodile!" Luffy said.
"That's assuming you can talk down the rebels." Zoro added, looking pointedly at Vivi, "Over half a million people with all kinds of grievances against the king. You think they'll back down because you tell them to?"
"Yes, I can." Vivi vowed.
"Well, where is Crocodile, anyway?" Nami asked. Vivi heaved a sigh as she retrieved the rolled-up map of the kingdom from her pocket. She sat down, and the others quickly crowded around her as she unrolled it for them and pointed at location north from where they currently were.
"This is the oasis of Rainbase, which lies north from Yuba. It's where we'll find Crocodile." Vivi explained, "It'll take a whole day to get there from where we are now."
"Then that's two or three days between Crocodile and the rebels." Sanji said, "We can't easily deal with one and get to the other before things take a drastic turn for the worse."
"If we have to choose, Crocodile probably needs to take priority…" Nami admitted, "Stopping the rebels will probably make him retaliate, and he was the one who orchestrated this whole thing in the first place. If Luffy takes him down, though, that won't automatically provoke the rebels into attacking."
Vivi looked at Nami, then she sighed again and looked back down at the map. As her eyes flicked between the images of Rainbase and Katorea, she bit her lip. Nobody said anything as she thought over everything that had been said. Just as it seemed like she had reached a decision, and she opened her mouth to speak, Spruce beat her to the punch.
"Why do we have to do one and then the other? Why not just do both at the same time?"
Everyone stared at him. Vivi closed her mouth.
"You mean splitting up?" Sanji said, cupping his chin thoughtfully, "Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea… I could go with Nami and Vivi to Katorea, and the rest of you could head to Rainbase…"
"Fat chance." Usopp deadpanned.
"Well, there's no reason we can't do that, is there?" Chopper said, "Luffy doesn't need all of us there when he'll be the one fighting Crocodile, right?"
"We'd be endangering ourselves if we split up." Zoro said, "Divide and conquer is a classic tactic, and this kingdom is crawling with Baroque Works."
"We've avoided them so far, haven't we?" Spruce replied, "Other than Crocodile, there are only a couple of the scary ones left, right?"
"Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger." Vivi nodded, "But Mr. 3 is here as well, possibly even Miss Goldenweek too. Just because you beat them before doesn't make them any less dangerous."
"There's another problem with splitting up." Nami said, "She has to go to Katorea for the plan to work, but she's also the only one who knows what Crocodile looks like. Without her, we'd have no way of finding him."
"That's not a problem." Luffy said, "Spruce can find him for us."
"Huh?" Usopp said.
"Hm. I guess I probably can." Spruce said.
"If Crocodile's so strong, then Spruce just needs to use his Aura thing, and it'll be obvious who he is." Luffy said, "If he's not that strong, then it'll just be easier to kick his ass anyway. Shishishi!"
"That's… true, actually." Sanji said, "Then to humour this plan for a moment, that puts Luffy and Spruce in the Rainbase group. Chopper too, I think. If they're going to fight a Warlord of the Sea, they should have a doctor as close as possible."
"Yeah, alright." Chopper nodded.
"I'll join them as well." Zoro said, "If there are other enemies we didn't anticipate, I'll be able to back them up."
"Makes sense. Then if you and Luffy are going, I'd better accompany Vivi." There were no ulterior motives in his suggestion this time, with him then adding, "And Nami should go to Rainbase as well."
"What?" Nami frowned, "Why me?"
"Someone needs to keep an eye on those three." Sanji said, pointing at Luffy, Zoro and Spruce in turn, "And they'll need you guiding them through the desert."
"Don't worry about the return trip to Nanohana." Vivi added, "We'll just be following the coastline, so it'll be a simple affair."
"Oh yeah, we can use Whiskers to cross the river if we won't have the Merry." Spruce mentioned.
"Ooh! That sounds fun!" Luffy said.
"That just leaves you, Usopp." Zoro said, nodding his head in the sniper's direction. Seeing that it was his turn now, Usopp swallowed before speaking up.
"I should be in the Katorea group." He said.
"Yeah, you should." Zoro agreed.
"Wait- I should?"
"You and Chopper are the two of us who Baroque Works doesn't know about." Sanji said, "That's an incredible advantage on our end. So if Chopper's going to go to Rainbase, you should head to Katorea."
"Oh. Alright then!"
"Then those are our groups." Nami said, "Luffy, Zoro, Spruce, Chopper and myself will head to Rainbase to stop Crocodile. Sanji and Usopp will escort Vivi to Katorea so she can talk down the rebels. Then after we've both completed our objectives…"
"We should head for Alubarna." Vivi said, "That's where we'll reunite."
"Alright! That sounds like a plan." Luffy said. Spruce, Chopper and Usopp walked around to position themselves near where the other members of their respective groups were, while the others remained either sitting or standing where they were.
"That's assuming we do go with this plan." Zoro said bluntly.
"Talking about it is easy, but mosshead had a point when he said we'd be endangering ourselves." Sanji said, "Especially the Katorea group. We'd be in danger of Baroque Works attacking us, maybe even the rebels too, with only Usopp and myself to protect Vivi."
"SUDOWOODO!" Bonbon butted in, sounding quite offended at what Sanji had just said. She shoved him in the side lightly before turning to Vivi and reaching out to wrap both arms around her. For her part, Vivi was caught off-guard by the sudden gesture, while Sanji looked confused.
"You forgot someone, Sanji." Spruce grinned, "It'll be you, Usopp and Vivi protecting Vivi. With Bonbon by her side, she can look after herself as well."
"Spruce…" Vivi said.
"I guess it's your decision then, Vivi." Nami said, "You were the one who asked for our help. If you're alright with splitting up, then that's what we'll do. Otherwise, we'll all head to Rainbase together."
Everyone looked to Vivi. Bonbon's arms were still wrapped protectively around her from the side, and Vivi reached up to grasp one of the balls on her hand. Her thumb caressed its surface lightly, as she and Bonbon shared a smile.
"Sudo. Sudowoodo."
After a moment, Vivi looked to everyone else, and her eyes hardened with determination.
"I'll head to Katorea and stop the rebellion. We'll meet again in Alubarna."
"Alright!" Luffy cheered, jumping to his feet and punching a fist into his palm, "Now let's go make Crocodile pay!"
In the city of Alubarna, the man known as Nefertari Cobra stormed through the halls of his palace. Guards stood at attention and saluted him as he passed, as well as the two men who soon followed in his wake. One of them was tall and muscular, draped in green with a prominent chin, while the other was more slender in comparison, draped in white with purple lines that ran down his face. They were Chaka the Jackal and Pell the Falcon, respectively. With Igaram absent, they were the highest ranking members of the Royal Guard of Alabasta.
Both men walked with urgency as they hurried after King Cobra, until he finally arrived at his destination. A set of doors which he shoved open, revealing a medical bay which was staffed by several doctors and nurses. Beds lined the walls, some occupied while others weren't, but there was one in particular that was the current centre of attention. This one wasn't occupied by a human, but instead by Carue. The duck was unconscious, his legs and body wrapped in bandages which made it clear at a glance that he had suffered extensive injuries. Nurses were at his bedside, as well as a doctor, while there were a pair of guards standing across the room from them. One of them was watching as they attended to him, while the other was more focused on the sealed envelope which he continuously turned over in his hands.
With Cobra's arrival in the infirmary, both guards snapped to attention and saluted him. He looked far from pleased as he stomped over to the pair of them, arms crossed and simmering with a tightly repressed fury. It was something of a relief for the two guards when Chaka and Pell soon followed him in and took their places standing behind him. They, at least, seemed far more calm and collected than he was at the moment.
"Explain." Cobra ordered, speaking with the full authority of a king. Both guards swallowed, before the one with the envelope spoke up on both their behalf.
"It was this morning, just around sunrise, your majesty." He said, managing to keep his voice steady, "We came across Carue near the outskirts of the city. He was badly injured, alive but unconscious. We carried him back here as fast as he could, so he could be seen to. There was no sign of anyone else nearby."
"Um, if I may?" The other guard interjected, only continuing when Cobra gave him a nod, "We found two things on his person. The first was a small barrel of water around his neck, empty save for a few drops. The other was, well… that."
He gestured to the envelope which the other guard was holding, and Cobra snatched it from his hands without even waiting for it to be offered. Turning it over for himself, his eyes narrowed as he saw that there was writing on the front of it. Writing that looked terribly familiar, and he wasn't the only one who thought so either.
"Your majesty, that's-!" Pell gasped.
"It's Vivi's handwriting, yes." Cobra said gravely, "Carue must have come to deliver this message on her behalf."
"Then those injuries… Could he have been attacked?" Chaka suggested. The three men looked to Carue's bed, and the surrounding medical staff, as if expecting one to pipe up and answer their question. Before one could, though, the first guard quickly jumped in.
"If I may, your majesty." He said, getting Cobra to look back at him, "The injuries which Carue suffered seem like they could have been at the hands of the predators in the desert."
"That may be so…" Cobra murmured, glancing back at Carue and narrowing his eyes briefly. Then he focused back on the envelope in his hands. It was sealed, and he quickly tore it open to retrieve what was within. Not just one, but several folded up sheets of paper. Cobra handed one each to Chaka and Pell, and the trio unfolded them together.
"Pictures?" Pell said, blinking at the contents of his sheet, which consisted of several pencil sketches of different looking individuals. He looked to the other two and saw Chaka holding a bounty poster for a pirate with a straw hat on his head and a scar under his eye. They both looked at Cobra and saw that his attention was focused entirely on the contents of his paper, which unlike the other two, was a message. Vivi's handwriting filled it from top to bottom, and his eyes quickly trailed over each word. As he read, his grip on the paper got tighter and tighter, scrunching it up until he seemed on the verge of ripping it up as he reached the end. Chaka's hand on his shoulder stopped him.
"What does it say, your majesty?" He asked. Rather than an answer, Cobra handed the message to him, swapping it out for the bounty poster. He stepped back, letting Pell come closer to read from Chaka's side, and their anger quickly rose with each word just as had happened with Cobra.
"Vivi and Igaram tried to infiltrate the organisation responsible for inciting the rebellion by planting that Dance Powder." Pell muttered, "But her identity was discovered by a band of pirates entering the Grand Line. They killed Igaram and took her captive."
"And now that same band of pirates is planning on selling her into the captivity of the rebels." Chaka spat.
"What?!" One of the soldiers cried out, "The rebels in Katorea?! Are they going to hold the princess hostage?!"
It was said loud enough that a couple of the nurses turned their heads, and even some of the other occupants of the other beds were looking in their direction. Chaka whipped his head around, levelling the room with a steely gaze that quashed any whispers before they could break out, before turning his gaze to the offending soldier. Under his commander's scrutiny, the man looked at the ground ashamedly.
"Um. I'm sorry, sir. The news just caught me by surprise." He apologised half-heartedly. Chaka seemed satisfied enough to not press the issue, though his steely gaze remained as it was.
Since the two men had finished reading the letter, and a summation of its contents had been broadcast for the whole infirmary to hear, Cobra took it back from Chaka and folded it up to slip into his own pocket. He looked back at down at the bounty poster in his hands, while Chaka and Pell looked at the sketches.
"Then these must be the pirates who are holding her captive. Thirty-million… they certainly shouldn't be underestimated." Cobra said.
"What shall we do, your majesty?" Chaka asked, "Should we try and intercept these pirates? Stop them before they can reach Katorea?"
"Perhaps it would even be worth turning to Sir Crocodile for aid." Pell mentioned, though the idea was offered with no small measure of distaste. Both suggestions were met with a shake of Cobra's head.
"No, we won't do either of those things. If Carue came from any of the ports in Alabasta, by the time he got here with this message, they would almost certainly have been able to reach Katorea. For the time being, I believe it may actually be the wisest course of action to let the rebels take Vivi hostage."
"WHAT?!" "YOUR MAJESTY!"
The voices of the two men were even louder than the soldier had been previously, and it took a couple of seconds before they realised that there even more eyes on them from around the infirmary than before. Cobra's face hardened, almost glaring at them, and they bowed their heads silently.
"As a father, I detest such a notion with every fibre of my being, but we most stop and think logically for the moment." He said, "This rebellion is reaching a critical point. Our citizens are angry, suffering, ready to risk their lives. With this development, we may be able to delay the outbreak of violence for just a little longer."
"But what about her safety?" Pell said, "With how much they've come to despise you, your majesty, what will they do if they get their hands on your daughter?"
"Don't forget who it is that's leading the rebels, Pell." Cobra retorted, which made both his and Chaka's eyes widen with realisation, "No matter how they may feel about me now, I believe that Vivi will be safe in the custody of the rebels. Safer, certainly, than if we sent soldiers to try and liberate her."
"That is true…" Chaka admitted.
"There's another thing, though." Cobra added, "And that's that this entire ordeal seems suspicious."
"Suspicious how?" Pell said, only for Chaka to answer for him.
"There's barely any mention of the actual culprits responsible for inciting the rebellion. She only talks about the pirates and the rebels."
"Indeed." Cobra nodded, "She and Igaram have been gone two years, and yet she doesn't even have a name with which refer to this mysterious organisation. The only ones that would benefit from such information being omitted are the organisation themselves."
"Then you think it's some kind of misinformation?" Chaka said.
"This information may be true or untrue. More likely it's the former than the latter." Cobra said, "But from the very beginning, this supposed organisation's aim has been to incite rebellion in Alabasta. I do not believe that Vivi's encounter with these pirates was a simple unfortunate circumstance. The situation we are in now was engineered, we were deliberately delivered this information in order to provoke us into action. We are being played for fools by an invisible entity."
Cobra looked around them, first at the two guards who were still standing nearby, and then at the rest of the infirmary. Patients, doctors and nurses alike all tried to look like they weren't eavesdropping, but it was more than clear that there was nothing else in the room that could garner people's attention than him. He sighed.
"I have no doubt that news will spread. First through the palace, then the city itself. Chaka, Pell, let me make my orders known with no room for uncertainty. We will take no action against the rebels or against the pirates. None whatsoever. For the time being… they may have Vivi."
"Yes, your majesty." Both men spoke in unison, before turning and making an overdue exit. Cobra watched them leave. Just before he followed them out, he looked back to the two guards, and suspicion shone in his eyes for just a moment. Then it was gone, and he took his own leave.
The Rainbase group did not reach their destination until after the sun had set and risen again the next day. After splitting off into two, they had held onto the majority of the food, while all of the water save for the barrel from Yuba had been given to the Katorea group. It made the journey easier, with less weight to be dragged behind them, and Luffy made a valiant effort further reducing the load at every possible opportunity. There was one notable addition to their belongings. A set of what looked like red pipes, handed off to Nami from Usopp just as they parted ways.
When they did arrive at their destination, there was relief and awe in equal parts to go around. In stark contrast to the desolation which they had been met with since they crossed the Sandora River, Rainbase was a vision of opulence. Like Nanohana, it was in good shape. The people were fed and watered, the buildings and streets clean, and in the heart of the city there stood a pyramid with a gleaming golden statue of a Bananawani atop its peak. A moat surrounded the pyramid- the Rain Dinners casino- with enough water filling it for an entire village to have lived on. There were other casinos dotted around the city, but none could rival Rain Dinners.
But before they could step foot in the city properly, the band of pirates stopped, because Spruce's eyes had flashed blue as they approached. As soon as they did, he collapsed on the spot.
"Huh? Something wrong?" Zoro asked, which drew the attention of the others. Chopper immediately rushed over, changing into his hybrid form as he began examining Spruce.
On the surface, nothing seemed wrong with him. Neither dehydration or the desert heat had overcome him, yet his eyes were glassy as he stared up at the sky while Chopper tried to get his attention. The continued to glow blue as well.
In Spruce's mind, he did not see the others crowding around him. He did not see the blue sky above them or the city that was so close. All he saw was the sun and the sand. Unrelenting. Endless. Scorching. Dry. All he felt was the desert. Its winds whipped the sand into his face. His throat dried out, made his tongue stick to the roof of his mouth and his lips become chapped.
It was in his eyes, in the folds of his clothes. He couldn't breathe. So hot. Rough grains scraping across his skin, everywhere. The roaring of a sandstorm that came rushing towards him. Pillars of sand bursting out from the ground like towers. There was only one Aura in the desert other than his own, one that drowned out everything else with its heat and its dryness and it was coming for him.
A flash. A face. A man with black hair and a scar which ran across his nose, from cheek to cheek. Gleaming gold, in the shape of a hook. Eyes that oozed cruelty.
Then red. Plates of tough, red armour with black lines running between them. Pristine white spikes, a grey underside. A new pair of eyes. Yellow eyes, and the mouth below them opened.
There was nothing in the world except for the desert and the yellow eyes boring into his soul. He heard a thunderous roar, one that made the land beneath him tremble and his own bones rattle. It was distant and close at the same time.
An eternity, and a second. Both at the same time. Spruce gasped for air as his eyes returned to normal and he snapped back to reality. Chopper was leaning over him, and ended up knocked off his feet as Spruce shot up. The other three stood around him, watching. Zoro's thumb had nudged Yubashiri a half-inch out of its sheath. His eyes were on their surroundings more than they were on Spruce.
"Spruce?" Nami said.
"I'm…" Spruce was panting. His heart was racing. Reaching up, he wiped away the sweat that was dripping down his forehead, then reached out to give Chopper a hand getting back up.
"Sorry, Chopper." He mumbled, after he had managed to get his breathing under control. For a moment he stayed where he was, sitting in the sand, then he shot back up to his feet and dusted himself off as best he could. His tongue ran itself over the inside of his mouth. It was damp. He wasn't thirsty anymore.
"Is the heat getting to you or something?" Luffy asked.
"That wasn't the heat." Spruce said. Then he turned his head towards Rainbase, and pointed. Everyone's eyes followed where he was pointing, towards the golden Bananawani which could be seen above the rooftops of the other city buildings.
"Is that where he is, then?" Zoro said, sliding his sword back in. Spruce nodded.
"Yeah. That's where Crocodile is."
"Alright!" Luffy pounded a fist into his palm, "Let's go kick his ass!"
With an apparent plan of action in place, Luffy took off, striding ahead to the building with the golden statue on it. Zoro was the first to follow, then Spruce and Chopper quickly fell in line after him as well, with the latter changing back into his full reindeer transformation. Only Nami lingered.
"Hey! Wait just a second!" She protested, storming ahead of the others to walk alongside Luffy, "We should talk about this! Are we seriously just going to run headfirst into the city, looking for Crocodile?"
"We don't need to look. Spruce knows where he is." Luffy said.
"A direct approach is the best idea anyway." Zoro said, "Baroque Works are assassins. It's better we attack and catch them off-guard before they have a chance to prepare for us."
"Pass." Spinner agreed.
"See? Even the rock agrees." Zoro said. Then he stopped and turned back. He stared at where Spinner was currently spinning in the sand behind them.
Spinner stopped spinning and stared back at Zoro.
"Nosepass."
"Whatever." Zoro muttered. He turned back around and continued heading towards the city with everyone else.
"But…" Nami began to object, but stopped. With a sigh, she fell in line with everyone else, and the group marched as one into Rainbase. Through the paved streets, past crowds of people they didn't spare a glance to- but who spared them several looks- until they came upon the Rain Dinners casino. Any reservations with their course of action vanished as Nami laid eyes on that one illuminated word above the entrance. Those same eyes turned to beri signs.
"What's a casino?" Spruce asked as they crossed the bridge over the moat and neared the front entrance. There were a pair of burly men in black suits standing out the front. Security of some kind. One of them stepped forwards and raised a hand to gesture for the group to stop before they could head inside.
"Excuse me! There are no animals allowed in this establishment." The man said, nodding his head in Chopper's direction, "This pet of yours will have to wait outside."
"Pet?! Don't call me a- MMMPH!" Chopper started to complain, only for Nami to squat down and clamp a hand over his mouth to muffle him.
"Huh? Someone say something?" The man looked around confusedly for a moment. While Nami and Chopper had stopped at the entrance to oblige with his instructions, the other three simply continued on past him like he hadn't said anything.
"I dunno." Luffy said to Spruce as they passed the other man in the suit.
"A casino is a place where rich people go to lose their money." Zoro explained.
"Hey!" Nami called out, "Where are you three going?!"
They stopped. Luffy turned around.
"We're going in. Since we're not animals, that means we're allowed, right?" Luffy said, looking to the man who had stopped them in the first place for confirmation.
"Um. Yes, you're allowed in." He nodded. Nami scowled.
"Haven't you ever heard of ladies first?!"
"You were the one who stopped." Zoro pointed out, turning around as well to raise an eyebrow at her.
"That was because they said Chopper- forget it. Never mind now." Nami took a deep breath and then stood up, releasing Chopper's mouth as she did so. He didn't take the opportunity to say anything, but did give the two bouncers the stink-eye.
With her head held high, Nami walked over to join the rest of the group who were now lingering by the entrance, not yet inside the casino. The doors were open, and there were stares from a few of the gamblers inside who weren't totally absorbed in what they were doing. Nami moved ahead to the front of the group, before she looked back to where Chopper was now being left behind.
"Just wait out here, Chopper. Okay?" She said. He nodded, and she turned back around to lead everyone in.
'I'm gonna go pee.' Chopper decided.
Inside the casino, it was like they had stepped into a whole other world. The doors closing behind them, leaving them with no sign of the outside world whatsoever, only deepened that sense of isolation. Once they were closed, it was like a signal to the other patrons who had been staring, as they immediately focused back on their gambling. Nami's eyes darted around the casino, sizing up every patron and every member of staff she could spot. Her eyes lingered somewhat on the finery and the jewellery that most of the patrons adorned themselves with, as if to advertise how much wealth they had to forfeit to the establishment. Behind her, the trio went back to their conversation.
"Why would rich people want to lose their money? Isn't being rich all about hoarding it for yourself?" Spruce said, "Or is this like one of those charity things?"
Zoro snorted, "It's the furthest thing from it. They lose their money here because it's fun. Casinos are places where people gamble."
"Couldn't we have just beat those guys up at the entrance and brought Chopper in with us anyway?" Luffy muttered, clutching his chin thoughtfully. As if considering the course of action, he turned back around to the entrance.
Any more discussion was cut short, however, by a sudden shaking from Spruce's belt. One of his Pokeballs began vibrating like the creature inside had downed a gallon of coffee. Eyes wide, Spruce fumbled to grab it from his belt, but it burst open just as he wrapped his hand around it. White light shot out and materialised into Ria, appearing on the casino floor a few feet away from him with eyes that seemed to be sparkling. Though that could have just been the reflection from all the lights.
"Huh? Ria?" Spruce said, "Is something the matter?"
There were significantly more people starting to stare at them than before. Nami saw a few men in suits staring at Ria and whispering amongst themselves. One of them had a stupid, spiky grey hairdo and wore a purple suit, and he seemed to be some kind of manager. Whispers travelled fast, and she could already see three burly men like the ones out the front crossing through the casino towards them.
"Riolu!" Ria cheered. She didn't even spare Spruce a glance before she was taking off, running into the crowd as fast as she could.
"Wha- Hey!" Spruce called out as he promptly gave chase. The rest of the group could only watch as the duo disappeared into some other corner of the casino.
Security were rapidly approaching. Nami's fists clenched at her sides as she looked in the direction Spruce and Ria had just vanished in, and then looked back to see Luffy and Zoro standing around looking as casual as could be. When she turned her head again, her eyes widened as she saw that someone else had joined the floor. Standing beside the manager in the purple suit was Miss All-Sunday herself, cowboy hat and all, in the midst of saying something to the man which clearly shocked him, before he ultimately nodded his head obediently.
"HEY! CROCODILE! GET OUT HERE!" Luffy screamed at the top of his lungs from right behind Nami, making her jump. She whirled around and glared at him.
"What the hell are you doing, Luffy?!" She hissed.
"Spruce just ran off, so we can't get him to tell us where to find Crocodile." Luffy said, before he resumed screaming, "CROCODILE! COME ON!"
"We did decide the direct approach would work better." Zoro remarked. By now, security was upon them.
"Excuse us, sir." The leader of the three men who had approached said, "Please come with us."
For his troubles, he was sent flying off his feet by one of Luffy's punches, with his coworkers not far behind. Even more people were staring now. Other staff members watched on nervously, clearly unsure of what to do after their coworkers were manhandled like so. A number of them, however, seemed to know exactly what to do. Under the instruction of the manager who Miss All-Sunday had just talked to, they stood on both sides of the red carpet which lined the way towards the casino's V.I.P room.
"This way, please!" One of them called out to the Straw Hats, "To the V.I.P room!"
"Yeah!" Luffy grinned, punching his fist into his palm again, before he took off running towards where he was being beckoned to go. Not to be left behind, Nami and Zoro ran after him.
"Is he daring us to come attack him?" Nami wondered.
"At least he's got balls!" Zoro said with a smirk.
Luffy burst through the doors to the V.I.P room, leading them into a narrow hallway with a split up ahead. A sign stood in the middle, directing V.I.Ps to take the left turn and pirates to take the right turn. Seeing it only made him run faster.
"I'M COMING, CROCODILE! JUST YOU WAIT!"
Across the desert. Through day and night. Straight ahead. He ran until his legs screamed at him for so long and so loudly that they would give out, and he would rest until he could stand and run again. It was a perilous journey, and one which would undoubtedly have been the undoing of any lesser duck. The heat and dryness of the desert were constant, and there was no shortage of vicious predators that would have been delighted to make him their latest meal.
But Carue was not a lesser duck. The precious water which hung around his neck sustained him for as long as he needed it to, and he ran faster than any other living creature from Alabasta possibly could have. Nothing from Alabasta could touch him.
It was for that reason, that it was unfortunate that he had enemies that were not from Alabasta.
The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon when Carue caught sight of his goal. The light of dawn illuminated the city of Alubarna in the distance, and the fatigue which plagued his body was washed away in an instant. Being so close to reaching his destination, and completing the task which Vivi had entrusted him with, flooded him with newfound vigour. He ran at his top speed towards the city.
Though the sun's early rays had begun to illuminate the land, the nighttime veil of darkness was not yet completely lifted. Two nefarious animals flew under such a veil, less visible against the sky than they would have been during the daytime. The sunglasses-wearing duo of Mr. 13 and Miss Friday flew high above Carue's head, completely outside his notice as he remained fixated solely on reaching Alubarna. In the air, Miss Friday was more than a match for Carue's remarkable speed, and the pair of them managed to take the lead as she descended down towards the ground.
Not to land, though. Not yet. On her back, Mr. 13 had his clawed seashells in hand, and he struck them together to create a spark which lit the fuse for one of the bombs which they carried in tow. He waited until Miss Friday had flown further ahead, with a greater gap between them and their target, before he dropped the lit bomb.
Carue didn't notice the bomb landing in the sand ahead of him until it was too late. He ran directly towards the blast right as it exploded, and it sent him flying off his feet and through the air, to slam back down into the sand elsewhere. Luckily for him, he'd still been a fair bit away from the explosion, and so his injuries were minor. More importantly, the message on his person hadn't been damaged. That was a small comfort for the duck as he struggled to get back onto his feet, and frantically turned his gaze toward the skies. He wasn't able to catch sight of his attackers, though.
Miss Friday doubled back and came swooping from behind Carue. Mr. 13 jumped off ahead of her, and landed at Carue's rear. He threw himself at the duck's left leg, clamping the seashells around it like a vice to crush the limb, before yanking them back to let the blades slice it. A pained quack escaped Carue. He kicked the leg back, but Mr. 13 dodged out of the way of the attack and leapt away from him. Carue was too late again, this time in focusing on his surroundings, as Miss Friday swooped down on him. One of their bombs was clutched in her talons, though it wasn't lit, instead serving as an impromptu blunt force instrument which she swung up into his body as she attacked from the front.
The attacks were brutal, and Carue was tough. Not tough enough, though. Had he been more well-rested, hydrated, not at the last leg of his journey ready to collapse when his duty was fulfilled, he may have been able to endure the two-pronged assault and continue in spite of his injuries. But he was as he was, and the attacks were more than he could handle in his current state. The duck's body gave out on him, and he collapsed in the sand before his two enemies. Neither of them had any interest in finishing the job, however. Instead, what interested them was the message which he carried on his person.
Reaching into his jumpsuit, Mr. 13 extracted a sealed envelope. He snatched the message in Carue's possession and unfolded, before he and Miss Friday hastily read through its contents together. The two shared a nod once they had finished, and then it was crumpled up and tossed away for the desert to claim. Their envelope replaced it.
With that, the job was done. Both of them looked towards the city, and they saw in the distance a group of people carrying torches who were making their way over. It was impossible to see with how far away they were, but The Unluckies knew that at least one of the approaching men had a tattoo concealed on their body which denoted their allegiance to Baroque Works. Mr. 13 hopped onto Miss Friday's back, and the two of them took off. The beaten and exhausted Carue, with a forged message from Vivi, was left in their wake, to be found and taken to the palace.
-O-
"Um. I don't quit, I just stopped because I wanted to make sure he didn't get left behind by accident." He said to the others, who weren't listening and were instead focused on Luffy.
"You quit?! Luffy, what are you saying?!" Vivi cried.
"We don't have time to waste on your nonsense, Luffy! Move!" Nami barked. Even that didn't shake Luffy in the slightest, who remained as he was, lounging about.
"You're going back, right?" He said.
"We have to go back." Sanji said, "To stop the rebels in Katorea. Otherwise this whole country will explode into bloodshed! This is for Vivi's sake, now let's go!"
"It's boring." Luffy replied. His words elicited confusion from Nami, while sending Sanji flying into a rage. The chef's outburst likewise failed to phase Luffy.
"Vivi…" He said, his tone quickly growing far more serious as he looked at the princess in question.
"Yes?"
"I wanna kick Crocodile's ass!"
A passionate declaration, which brought to Luffy's eyes a smouldering resolve. His words stunned Vivi, who let out a gasp. Nobody spoke up to protest or question him, leaving it open for him to continue and justify himself.
"Stopping the rebels isn't going to stop Crocodile. There's nothing we can do in that Katorea place." He explained, "We're pirates. It'd be better if we didn't even go there."
There was some sense to what he was saying. At least as far as the rest of the crew were concerned, as they silently mulled over his words. Spruce, though, looked conflicted. He had something on the tip of his tongue, but didn't let it go any further than that. With his own silence, the Straw Hats seemed to reach a consensus of agreement with Luffy. For the time being, at least. Vivi was the only one who opened her mouth to protest.
"But-!"
Only for Luffy to cut her off.
"You think you can stop the rebels without anybody getting killed?! That none of us, and none of your people are going to die?!"
He remained seated, even as the energy in his voice rose with each word and his gaze grew even more intense. A hint of anger flashed in Vivi's eyes in response to what he said, but she remained silent as he said his piece.
"We're up against one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. A million people are itching to fight, and you expect everybody to live? That's naïve."
Still, Vivi remained silent, as anger slowly simmered beneath her surface. She wasn't yet at the point of bursting, but the same couldn't be said for Nami.
"SHUT UP, LUFFY! OF COURSE VIVI CARES ABOUT HER PEOPLE!" Nami yelled. She stepped forwards, only for Sanji to raise an arm and block her.
"Nami, wait." He said.
"But…" Nami said.
"What's wrong with that?!" Vivi snapped, "What's so wrong about not wanting anyone to die?!"
"People die." Came Luffy's flat, matter-of-fact response. And that was the last straw for Vivi. Her hand flew out and struck Luffy across the cheek with such tremendous force that it sent him skidding back through the sand.
"SHUT UP! DON'T SAY THINGS LIKE THATT I'M TRYING TO PREVENT BLOODSHED! I'M TRYING TO SAVE THE REBELS, AND THE ROYAL ARMY! NO-ONE IN THE KINGDOM IS TO BLAME! WHY SHOULD ANY OF THEM HAVE TO DIE BECAUSE OF CROCODILE?!"
Her fists were trembling with rage as she screamed herself almost hoarse. Meanwhile, Luffy pushed himself up off the ground. She approached him as she spoke, eyes blazing with fury that left her blind to what was right in front of her. It caught her entirely off-guard, and the rest of the Straw Hats off-guard as well, when Luffy sprang up from the ground and punched her in the side of the face.
"BUT YOU'RE RISKING YOUR OWN LIFE!" He roared as he attacked. The two quickly fell into a brawl, grappling with each other in the sand, but it was just as quickly disturbed by Bonbon's Pokeball bursting open from where Vivi had it on her person. White light materialized into Bonbon right beside where the two were wrestling, and the blazing emotion in her eyes matched her trainer.
"SUDOWOODO!"
She swung both her hands as one and slammed them into Luffy's face. The blow knocked him off of Vivi, though it didn't seem to hurt him that much. Bonbon positioned herself between the two of them with her arms raised defensively, a glare on her face directed at him that was practically begging for him to try throwing another punch like he just had. Vivi, for a brief moment, felt her anger melt away to make place for surprise at the Pokémon's intervention. Only for a brief moment, though, and then it was back in its full intensity, and she was standing behind Bonbon and glaring at Luffy as well.
"STAY OUT OF THIS, TREE!"
Luffy retaliated with an extended fist that struck Bonbon in the centre of her body. It knocked her back, causing her to topple over into Vivi and send both of them falling to the ground again.
"LUFFY, STOP!" Usopp cried, sharing a look of panic with Chopper at the sight of the rapidly escalating violence.
"VIVI, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Spruce bellowed immediately after, with even Luffy seeming surprised at the fact that it was her name being uttered and not his. Vivi and Bonbon froze where they were, and looked back to Spruce standing where he was. Rather than the rage which Luffy and Vivi wore on their faces, or the panic on Chopper and Usopp's, Spruce instead looked terribly sad at the sight of the scuffle between them both. When he realised their attention was on him for the moment, he let himself sit down on the bags of supplies he had been lugging behind him since they left.
"Fighting each other isn't accomplishing anything."
"Were you listening to what he said?!" Vivi raged, "That I should just let my own people die-?!"
"People are gonna die no matter what you do!" Luffy retorted.
"They shouldn't have to!"
"Neither should you!"
Vivi recoiled, as if slapped, while Bonbon stood in place, frantically turning herself around towards whoever was speaking in the moment. Luffy continued.
"You can't do it all by yourself!"
"I have to! I don't care what it costs!" Vivi bit back, emotions flaring up within her once again. Her voice had risen to be louder than Luffy's.
"THEN LET US HELP YOU!" He bellowed, storming past Bonbon to plant his hands on her shoulders and look her in the eye, "We're your friends, aren't we?!"
"Sudowoodo…" Bonbon murmured. She looked up at her trainer, to see that Vivi was bowing her head. One hand covered her mouth, while the other remained clenched at her side, fingers digging into her palm. She didn't say anything. After a moment, Luffy lowered his hands from her shoulders. When he spoke again, his voice was deathly calm.
"The truth is that you want to kick Crocodile's ass more than anyone, right?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she turned her head away. Her fingers dug deeper into her palm, and her other hand dropped to mirror it. Bonbon reached out, brushing a ball against her hand, and Vivi tensed up before letting out a deep breath and unclenching both hands.
"Woodo…"
"It's not about what I want." She muttered, too quietly for even Luffy to make it out.
"Huh?"
"I said it's not about what I want." She repeated, her voice firmer and with an edge to it as she looked Luffy straight in the eye, "A princess can't choose to do what she wants, she has to choose what her people need. I want Crocodile to fall! I want him to suffer for everything that he's done to my kingdom and my people, I want it more than I want anything!"
"Then let's go!" Luffy urged, but Vivi shook her head.
"Stopping the rebels won't stop Crocodile, but stopping Crocodile won't end the rebellion either. You heard what Toto said. The rebels feel like they've been backed into a corner. Alabasta needs them to be talked down, before they launch an all-out attack against the king. An attack like that, with their numbers, would tear the kingdom apart. It's exactly what Crocodile's schemes have been building to over these past years!"
"Then we're at an impasse." Zoro interjected, "Someone like Crocodile, with all his power and influence, wouldn't let his plans be ruined without some kind of retribution. If you stop the rebels before the fighting breaks out, your kingdom will be in danger. But if we go take down Crocodile instead, the rebels will probably launch their attack."
"We have to choose one or the other! And we should choose Crocodile!" Luffy said.
"That's assuming you can talk down the rebels." Zoro added, looking pointedly at Vivi, "Over half a million people with all kinds of grievances against the king. You think they'll back down because you tell them to?"
"Yes, I can." Vivi vowed.
"Well, where is Crocodile, anyway?" Nami asked. Vivi heaved a sigh as she retrieved the rolled-up map of the kingdom from her pocket. She sat down, and the others quickly crowded around her as she unrolled it for them and pointed at location north from where they currently were.
"This is the oasis of Rainbase, which lies north from Yuba. It's where we'll find Crocodile." Vivi explained, "It'll take a whole day to get there from where we are now."
"Then that's two or three days between Crocodile and the rebels." Sanji said, "We can't easily deal with one and get to the other before things take a drastic turn for the worse."
"If we have to choose, Crocodile probably needs to take priority…" Nami admitted, "Stopping the rebels will probably make him retaliate, and he was the one who orchestrated this whole thing in the first place. If Luffy takes him down, though, that won't automatically provoke the rebels into attacking."
Vivi looked at Nami, then she sighed again and looked back down at the map. As her eyes flicked between the images of Rainbase and Katorea, she bit her lip. Nobody said anything as she thought over everything that had been said. Just as it seemed like she had reached a decision, and she opened her mouth to speak, Spruce beat her to the punch.
"Why do we have to do one and then the other? Why not just do both at the same time?"
Everyone stared at him. Vivi closed her mouth.
"You mean splitting up?" Sanji said, cupping his chin thoughtfully, "Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea… I could go with Nami and Vivi to Katorea, and the rest of you could head to Rainbase…"
"Fat chance." Usopp deadpanned.
"Well, there's no reason we can't do that, is there?" Chopper said, "Luffy doesn't need all of us there when he'll be the one fighting Crocodile, right?"
"We'd be endangering ourselves if we split up." Zoro said, "Divide and conquer is a classic tactic, and this kingdom is crawling with Baroque Works."
"We've avoided them so far, haven't we?" Spruce replied, "Other than Crocodile, there are only a couple of the scary ones left, right?"
"Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger." Vivi nodded, "But Mr. 3 is here as well, possibly even Miss Goldenweek too. Just because you beat them before doesn't make them any less dangerous."
"There's another problem with splitting up." Nami said, "She has to go to Katorea for the plan to work, but she's also the only one who knows what Crocodile looks like. Without her, we'd have no way of finding him."
"That's not a problem." Luffy said, "Spruce can find him for us."
"Huh?" Usopp said.
"Hm. I guess I probably can." Spruce said.
"If Crocodile's so strong, then Spruce just needs to use his Aura thing, and it'll be obvious who he is." Luffy said, "If he's not that strong, then it'll just be easier to kick his ass anyway. Shishishi!"
"That's… true, actually." Sanji said, "Then to humour this plan for a moment, that puts Luffy and Spruce in the Rainbase group. Chopper too, I think. If they're going to fight a Warlord of the Sea, they should have a doctor as close as possible."
"Yeah, alright." Chopper nodded.
"I'll join them as well." Zoro said, "If there are other enemies we didn't anticipate, I'll be able to back them up."
"Makes sense. Then if you and Luffy are going, I'd better accompany Vivi." There were no ulterior motives in his suggestion this time, with him then adding, "And Nami should go to Rainbase as well."
"What?" Nami frowned, "Why me?"
"Someone needs to keep an eye on those three." Sanji said, pointing at Luffy, Zoro and Spruce in turn, "And they'll need you guiding them through the desert."
"Don't worry about the return trip to Nanohana." Vivi added, "We'll just be following the coastline, so it'll be a simple affair."
"Oh yeah, we can use Whiskers to cross the river if we won't have the Merry." Spruce mentioned.
"Ooh! That sounds fun!" Luffy said.
"That just leaves you, Usopp." Zoro said, nodding his head in the sniper's direction. Seeing that it was his turn now, Usopp swallowed before speaking up.
"I should be in the Katorea group." He said.
"Yeah, you should." Zoro agreed.
"Wait- I should?"
"You and Chopper are the two of us who Baroque Works doesn't know about." Sanji said, "That's an incredible advantage on our end. So if Chopper's going to go to Rainbase, you should head to Katorea."
"Oh. Alright then!"
"Then those are our groups." Nami said, "Luffy, Zoro, Spruce, Chopper and myself will head to Rainbase to stop Crocodile. Sanji and Usopp will escort Vivi to Katorea so she can talk down the rebels. Then after we've both completed our objectives…"
"We should head for Alubarna." Vivi said, "That's where we'll reunite."
"Alright! That sounds like a plan." Luffy said. Spruce, Chopper and Usopp walked around to position themselves near where the other members of their respective groups were, while the others remained either sitting or standing where they were.
"That's assuming we do go with this plan." Zoro said bluntly.
"Talking about it is easy, but mosshead had a point when he said we'd be endangering ourselves." Sanji said, "Especially the Katorea group. We'd be in danger of Baroque Works attacking us, maybe even the rebels too, with only Usopp and myself to protect Vivi."
"SUDOWOODO!" Bonbon butted in, sounding quite offended at what Sanji had just said. She shoved him in the side lightly before turning to Vivi and reaching out to wrap both arms around her. For her part, Vivi was caught off-guard by the sudden gesture, while Sanji looked confused.
"You forgot someone, Sanji." Spruce grinned, "It'll be you, Usopp and Vivi protecting Vivi. With Bonbon by her side, she can look after herself as well."
"Spruce…" Vivi said.
"I guess it's your decision then, Vivi." Nami said, "You were the one who asked for our help. If you're alright with splitting up, then that's what we'll do. Otherwise, we'll all head to Rainbase together."
Everyone looked to Vivi. Bonbon's arms were still wrapped protectively around her from the side, and Vivi reached up to grasp one of the balls on her hand. Her thumb caressed its surface lightly, as she and Bonbon shared a smile.
"Sudo. Sudowoodo."
After a moment, Vivi looked to everyone else, and her eyes hardened with determination.
"I'll head to Katorea and stop the rebellion. We'll meet again in Alubarna."
"Alright!" Luffy cheered, jumping to his feet and punching a fist into his palm, "Now let's go make Crocodile pay!"
-O-
Both men walked with urgency as they hurried after King Cobra, until he finally arrived at his destination. A set of doors which he shoved open, revealing a medical bay which was staffed by several doctors and nurses. Beds lined the walls, some occupied while others weren't, but there was one in particular that was the current centre of attention. This one wasn't occupied by a human, but instead by Carue. The duck was unconscious, his legs and body wrapped in bandages which made it clear at a glance that he had suffered extensive injuries. Nurses were at his bedside, as well as a doctor, while there were a pair of guards standing across the room from them. One of them was watching as they attended to him, while the other was more focused on the sealed envelope which he continuously turned over in his hands.
With Cobra's arrival in the infirmary, both guards snapped to attention and saluted him. He looked far from pleased as he stomped over to the pair of them, arms crossed and simmering with a tightly repressed fury. It was something of a relief for the two guards when Chaka and Pell soon followed him in and took their places standing behind him. They, at least, seemed far more calm and collected than he was at the moment.
"Explain." Cobra ordered, speaking with the full authority of a king. Both guards swallowed, before the one with the envelope spoke up on both their behalf.
"It was this morning, just around sunrise, your majesty." He said, managing to keep his voice steady, "We came across Carue near the outskirts of the city. He was badly injured, alive but unconscious. We carried him back here as fast as he could, so he could be seen to. There was no sign of anyone else nearby."
"Um, if I may?" The other guard interjected, only continuing when Cobra gave him a nod, "We found two things on his person. The first was a small barrel of water around his neck, empty save for a few drops. The other was, well… that."
He gestured to the envelope which the other guard was holding, and Cobra snatched it from his hands without even waiting for it to be offered. Turning it over for himself, his eyes narrowed as he saw that there was writing on the front of it. Writing that looked terribly familiar, and he wasn't the only one who thought so either.
"Your majesty, that's-!" Pell gasped.
"It's Vivi's handwriting, yes." Cobra said gravely, "Carue must have come to deliver this message on her behalf."
"Then those injuries… Could he have been attacked?" Chaka suggested. The three men looked to Carue's bed, and the surrounding medical staff, as if expecting one to pipe up and answer their question. Before one could, though, the first guard quickly jumped in.
"If I may, your majesty." He said, getting Cobra to look back at him, "The injuries which Carue suffered seem like they could have been at the hands of the predators in the desert."
"That may be so…" Cobra murmured, glancing back at Carue and narrowing his eyes briefly. Then he focused back on the envelope in his hands. It was sealed, and he quickly tore it open to retrieve what was within. Not just one, but several folded up sheets of paper. Cobra handed one each to Chaka and Pell, and the trio unfolded them together.
"Pictures?" Pell said, blinking at the contents of his sheet, which consisted of several pencil sketches of different looking individuals. He looked to the other two and saw Chaka holding a bounty poster for a pirate with a straw hat on his head and a scar under his eye. They both looked at Cobra and saw that his attention was focused entirely on the contents of his paper, which unlike the other two, was a message. Vivi's handwriting filled it from top to bottom, and his eyes quickly trailed over each word. As he read, his grip on the paper got tighter and tighter, scrunching it up until he seemed on the verge of ripping it up as he reached the end. Chaka's hand on his shoulder stopped him.
"What does it say, your majesty?" He asked. Rather than an answer, Cobra handed the message to him, swapping it out for the bounty poster. He stepped back, letting Pell come closer to read from Chaka's side, and their anger quickly rose with each word just as had happened with Cobra.
"Vivi and Igaram tried to infiltrate the organisation responsible for inciting the rebellion by planting that Dance Powder." Pell muttered, "But her identity was discovered by a band of pirates entering the Grand Line. They killed Igaram and took her captive."
"And now that same band of pirates is planning on selling her into the captivity of the rebels." Chaka spat.
"What?!" One of the soldiers cried out, "The rebels in Katorea?! Are they going to hold the princess hostage?!"
It was said loud enough that a couple of the nurses turned their heads, and even some of the other occupants of the other beds were looking in their direction. Chaka whipped his head around, levelling the room with a steely gaze that quashed any whispers before they could break out, before turning his gaze to the offending soldier. Under his commander's scrutiny, the man looked at the ground ashamedly.
"Um. I'm sorry, sir. The news just caught me by surprise." He apologised half-heartedly. Chaka seemed satisfied enough to not press the issue, though his steely gaze remained as it was.
Since the two men had finished reading the letter, and a summation of its contents had been broadcast for the whole infirmary to hear, Cobra took it back from Chaka and folded it up to slip into his own pocket. He looked back at down at the bounty poster in his hands, while Chaka and Pell looked at the sketches.
"Then these must be the pirates who are holding her captive. Thirty-million… they certainly shouldn't be underestimated." Cobra said.
"What shall we do, your majesty?" Chaka asked, "Should we try and intercept these pirates? Stop them before they can reach Katorea?"
"Perhaps it would even be worth turning to Sir Crocodile for aid." Pell mentioned, though the idea was offered with no small measure of distaste. Both suggestions were met with a shake of Cobra's head.
"No, we won't do either of those things. If Carue came from any of the ports in Alabasta, by the time he got here with this message, they would almost certainly have been able to reach Katorea. For the time being, I believe it may actually be the wisest course of action to let the rebels take Vivi hostage."
"WHAT?!" "YOUR MAJESTY!"
The voices of the two men were even louder than the soldier had been previously, and it took a couple of seconds before they realised that there even more eyes on them from around the infirmary than before. Cobra's face hardened, almost glaring at them, and they bowed their heads silently.
"As a father, I detest such a notion with every fibre of my being, but we most stop and think logically for the moment." He said, "This rebellion is reaching a critical point. Our citizens are angry, suffering, ready to risk their lives. With this development, we may be able to delay the outbreak of violence for just a little longer."
"But what about her safety?" Pell said, "With how much they've come to despise you, your majesty, what will they do if they get their hands on your daughter?"
"Don't forget who it is that's leading the rebels, Pell." Cobra retorted, which made both his and Chaka's eyes widen with realisation, "No matter how they may feel about me now, I believe that Vivi will be safe in the custody of the rebels. Safer, certainly, than if we sent soldiers to try and liberate her."
"That is true…" Chaka admitted.
"There's another thing, though." Cobra added, "And that's that this entire ordeal seems suspicious."
"Suspicious how?" Pell said, only for Chaka to answer for him.
"There's barely any mention of the actual culprits responsible for inciting the rebellion. She only talks about the pirates and the rebels."
"Indeed." Cobra nodded, "She and Igaram have been gone two years, and yet she doesn't even have a name with which refer to this mysterious organisation. The only ones that would benefit from such information being omitted are the organisation themselves."
"Then you think it's some kind of misinformation?" Chaka said.
"This information may be true or untrue. More likely it's the former than the latter." Cobra said, "But from the very beginning, this supposed organisation's aim has been to incite rebellion in Alabasta. I do not believe that Vivi's encounter with these pirates was a simple unfortunate circumstance. The situation we are in now was engineered, we were deliberately delivered this information in order to provoke us into action. We are being played for fools by an invisible entity."
Cobra looked around them, first at the two guards who were still standing nearby, and then at the rest of the infirmary. Patients, doctors and nurses alike all tried to look like they weren't eavesdropping, but it was more than clear that there was nothing else in the room that could garner people's attention than him. He sighed.
"I have no doubt that news will spread. First through the palace, then the city itself. Chaka, Pell, let me make my orders known with no room for uncertainty. We will take no action against the rebels or against the pirates. None whatsoever. For the time being… they may have Vivi."
"Yes, your majesty." Both men spoke in unison, before turning and making an overdue exit. Cobra watched them leave. Just before he followed them out, he looked back to the two guards, and suspicion shone in his eyes for just a moment. Then it was gone, and he took his own leave.
-O-
When they did arrive at their destination, there was relief and awe in equal parts to go around. In stark contrast to the desolation which they had been met with since they crossed the Sandora River, Rainbase was a vision of opulence. Like Nanohana, it was in good shape. The people were fed and watered, the buildings and streets clean, and in the heart of the city there stood a pyramid with a gleaming golden statue of a Bananawani atop its peak. A moat surrounded the pyramid- the Rain Dinners casino- with enough water filling it for an entire village to have lived on. There were other casinos dotted around the city, but none could rival Rain Dinners.
But before they could step foot in the city properly, the band of pirates stopped, because Spruce's eyes had flashed blue as they approached. As soon as they did, he collapsed on the spot.
"Huh? Something wrong?" Zoro asked, which drew the attention of the others. Chopper immediately rushed over, changing into his hybrid form as he began examining Spruce.
On the surface, nothing seemed wrong with him. Neither dehydration or the desert heat had overcome him, yet his eyes were glassy as he stared up at the sky while Chopper tried to get his attention. The continued to glow blue as well.
In Spruce's mind, he did not see the others crowding around him. He did not see the blue sky above them or the city that was so close. All he saw was the sun and the sand. Unrelenting. Endless. Scorching. Dry. All he felt was the desert. Its winds whipped the sand into his face. His throat dried out, made his tongue stick to the roof of his mouth and his lips become chapped.
It was in his eyes, in the folds of his clothes. He couldn't breathe. So hot. Rough grains scraping across his skin, everywhere. The roaring of a sandstorm that came rushing towards him. Pillars of sand bursting out from the ground like towers. There was only one Aura in the desert other than his own, one that drowned out everything else with its heat and its dryness and it was coming for him.
A flash. A face. A man with black hair and a scar which ran across his nose, from cheek to cheek. Gleaming gold, in the shape of a hook. Eyes that oozed cruelty.
Then red. Plates of tough, red armour with black lines running between them. Pristine white spikes, a grey underside. A new pair of eyes. Yellow eyes, and the mouth below them opened.
There was nothing in the world except for the desert and the yellow eyes boring into his soul. He heard a thunderous roar, one that made the land beneath him tremble and his own bones rattle. It was distant and close at the same time.
An eternity, and a second. Both at the same time. Spruce gasped for air as his eyes returned to normal and he snapped back to reality. Chopper was leaning over him, and ended up knocked off his feet as Spruce shot up. The other three stood around him, watching. Zoro's thumb had nudged Yubashiri a half-inch out of its sheath. His eyes were on their surroundings more than they were on Spruce.
"Spruce?" Nami said.
"I'm…" Spruce was panting. His heart was racing. Reaching up, he wiped away the sweat that was dripping down his forehead, then reached out to give Chopper a hand getting back up.
"Sorry, Chopper." He mumbled, after he had managed to get his breathing under control. For a moment he stayed where he was, sitting in the sand, then he shot back up to his feet and dusted himself off as best he could. His tongue ran itself over the inside of his mouth. It was damp. He wasn't thirsty anymore.
"Is the heat getting to you or something?" Luffy asked.
"That wasn't the heat." Spruce said. Then he turned his head towards Rainbase, and pointed. Everyone's eyes followed where he was pointing, towards the golden Bananawani which could be seen above the rooftops of the other city buildings.
"Is that where he is, then?" Zoro said, sliding his sword back in. Spruce nodded.
"Yeah. That's where Crocodile is."
"Alright!" Luffy pounded a fist into his palm, "Let's go kick his ass!"
With an apparent plan of action in place, Luffy took off, striding ahead to the building with the golden statue on it. Zoro was the first to follow, then Spruce and Chopper quickly fell in line after him as well, with the latter changing back into his full reindeer transformation. Only Nami lingered.
"Hey! Wait just a second!" She protested, storming ahead of the others to walk alongside Luffy, "We should talk about this! Are we seriously just going to run headfirst into the city, looking for Crocodile?"
"We don't need to look. Spruce knows where he is." Luffy said.
"A direct approach is the best idea anyway." Zoro said, "Baroque Works are assassins. It's better we attack and catch them off-guard before they have a chance to prepare for us."
"Pass." Spinner agreed.
"See? Even the rock agrees." Zoro said. Then he stopped and turned back. He stared at where Spinner was currently spinning in the sand behind them.
Spinner stopped spinning and stared back at Zoro.
"Nosepass."
"Whatever." Zoro muttered. He turned back around and continued heading towards the city with everyone else.
"But…" Nami began to object, but stopped. With a sigh, she fell in line with everyone else, and the group marched as one into Rainbase. Through the paved streets, past crowds of people they didn't spare a glance to- but who spared them several looks- until they came upon the Rain Dinners casino. Any reservations with their course of action vanished as Nami laid eyes on that one illuminated word above the entrance. Those same eyes turned to beri signs.
"What's a casino?" Spruce asked as they crossed the bridge over the moat and neared the front entrance. There were a pair of burly men in black suits standing out the front. Security of some kind. One of them stepped forwards and raised a hand to gesture for the group to stop before they could head inside.
"Excuse me! There are no animals allowed in this establishment." The man said, nodding his head in Chopper's direction, "This pet of yours will have to wait outside."
"Pet?! Don't call me a- MMMPH!" Chopper started to complain, only for Nami to squat down and clamp a hand over his mouth to muffle him.
"Huh? Someone say something?" The man looked around confusedly for a moment. While Nami and Chopper had stopped at the entrance to oblige with his instructions, the other three simply continued on past him like he hadn't said anything.
"I dunno." Luffy said to Spruce as they passed the other man in the suit.
"A casino is a place where rich people go to lose their money." Zoro explained.
"Hey!" Nami called out, "Where are you three going?!"
They stopped. Luffy turned around.
"We're going in. Since we're not animals, that means we're allowed, right?" Luffy said, looking to the man who had stopped them in the first place for confirmation.
"Um. Yes, you're allowed in." He nodded. Nami scowled.
"Haven't you ever heard of ladies first?!"
"You were the one who stopped." Zoro pointed out, turning around as well to raise an eyebrow at her.
"That was because they said Chopper- forget it. Never mind now." Nami took a deep breath and then stood up, releasing Chopper's mouth as she did so. He didn't take the opportunity to say anything, but did give the two bouncers the stink-eye.
With her head held high, Nami walked over to join the rest of the group who were now lingering by the entrance, not yet inside the casino. The doors were open, and there were stares from a few of the gamblers inside who weren't totally absorbed in what they were doing. Nami moved ahead to the front of the group, before she looked back to where Chopper was now being left behind.
"Just wait out here, Chopper. Okay?" She said. He nodded, and she turned back around to lead everyone in.
'I'm gonna go pee.' Chopper decided.
Inside the casino, it was like they had stepped into a whole other world. The doors closing behind them, leaving them with no sign of the outside world whatsoever, only deepened that sense of isolation. Once they were closed, it was like a signal to the other patrons who had been staring, as they immediately focused back on their gambling. Nami's eyes darted around the casino, sizing up every patron and every member of staff she could spot. Her eyes lingered somewhat on the finery and the jewellery that most of the patrons adorned themselves with, as if to advertise how much wealth they had to forfeit to the establishment. Behind her, the trio went back to their conversation.
"Why would rich people want to lose their money? Isn't being rich all about hoarding it for yourself?" Spruce said, "Or is this like one of those charity things?"
Zoro snorted, "It's the furthest thing from it. They lose their money here because it's fun. Casinos are places where people gamble."
"Couldn't we have just beat those guys up at the entrance and brought Chopper in with us anyway?" Luffy muttered, clutching his chin thoughtfully. As if considering the course of action, he turned back around to the entrance.
Any more discussion was cut short, however, by a sudden shaking from Spruce's belt. One of his Pokeballs began vibrating like the creature inside had downed a gallon of coffee. Eyes wide, Spruce fumbled to grab it from his belt, but it burst open just as he wrapped his hand around it. White light shot out and materialised into Ria, appearing on the casino floor a few feet away from him with eyes that seemed to be sparkling. Though that could have just been the reflection from all the lights.
"Huh? Ria?" Spruce said, "Is something the matter?"
There were significantly more people starting to stare at them than before. Nami saw a few men in suits staring at Ria and whispering amongst themselves. One of them had a stupid, spiky grey hairdo and wore a purple suit, and he seemed to be some kind of manager. Whispers travelled fast, and she could already see three burly men like the ones out the front crossing through the casino towards them.
"Riolu!" Ria cheered. She didn't even spare Spruce a glance before she was taking off, running into the crowd as fast as she could.
"Wha- Hey!" Spruce called out as he promptly gave chase. The rest of the group could only watch as the duo disappeared into some other corner of the casino.
Security were rapidly approaching. Nami's fists clenched at her sides as she looked in the direction Spruce and Ria had just vanished in, and then looked back to see Luffy and Zoro standing around looking as casual as could be. When she turned her head again, her eyes widened as she saw that someone else had joined the floor. Standing beside the manager in the purple suit was Miss All-Sunday herself, cowboy hat and all, in the midst of saying something to the man which clearly shocked him, before he ultimately nodded his head obediently.
"HEY! CROCODILE! GET OUT HERE!" Luffy screamed at the top of his lungs from right behind Nami, making her jump. She whirled around and glared at him.
"What the hell are you doing, Luffy?!" She hissed.
"Spruce just ran off, so we can't get him to tell us where to find Crocodile." Luffy said, before he resumed screaming, "CROCODILE! COME ON!"
"We did decide the direct approach would work better." Zoro remarked. By now, security was upon them.
"Excuse us, sir." The leader of the three men who had approached said, "Please come with us."
For his troubles, he was sent flying off his feet by one of Luffy's punches, with his coworkers not far behind. Even more people were staring now. Other staff members watched on nervously, clearly unsure of what to do after their coworkers were manhandled like so. A number of them, however, seemed to know exactly what to do. Under the instruction of the manager who Miss All-Sunday had just talked to, they stood on both sides of the red carpet which lined the way towards the casino's V.I.P room.
"This way, please!" One of them called out to the Straw Hats, "To the V.I.P room!"
"Yeah!" Luffy grinned, punching his fist into his palm again, before he took off running towards where he was being beckoned to go. Not to be left behind, Nami and Zoro ran after him.
"Is he daring us to come attack him?" Nami wondered.
"At least he's got balls!" Zoro said with a smirk.
Luffy burst through the doors to the V.I.P room, leading them into a narrow hallway with a split up ahead. A sign stood in the middle, directing V.I.Ps to take the left turn and pirates to take the right turn. Seeing it only made him run faster.
"I'M COMING, CROCODILE! JUST YOU WAIT!"
