WARNING: The usual. Another short slice of life thing. Unbeta'ed. AU.

Disclaimer: Some scenes and lines not mine.

Thank you very much for the love and support! :D Also…

Did you know: Kyouya Hibari was an ex-Marine before joining Tsuna's crew.

WHITEBEARD WAR

by pseudonym08

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Chapter Five: Setting Out at Sabaody Archipelago.

Vongola crew immediately split up in four teams the moment they landed at Grove 42 of Sabaody Archipelago.

Tsuna, the only person who can keep Mukuro in line, was to make a beeline with him straight towards the Grove Reborn had told him about. Gokudera argued he simply can't leave the reconnaissance to a naive lawn-head, so he was paired up with Onii-san. Spanner and Yamamoto, the mechanic representative and the cook, was headed for supplies and the main team for finding a coater for Dio. Lambo went with them to sightsee. Irie and Hibari, on the other hand, stayed back on the ship to repel possible invaders.

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Somewhere in Grove 13…

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"Do you extremely know any other human traffickers around, big guy?"

"Oyy, stupid lawn-head! Keep it down before you fucking blow our cover, will you?!"

One Sasagawa Ryohei had picked up a random passerby by the collar before asking him straightforwardly. The instant the poor lad muttered a no, the vibrant Sun guardian would then put him down before finding another victim and doing the exact same thing again. Multiple veins had instantly popped up on the Storm he was with every time he did so.

"You said anything, tako-head?!"

"Yes! I said you are stupid!"

"What did you say?!"

Gokudera Hayato was really a millisecond away from pulling his own dynamites and blowing this lawn head to kingdom come. This was exactly why he absolutely cannot leave this idiot by himself! Gokudera really would've preferred the mine-triggered Hibari instead! Then again, this idiot had wanted to "go explore" himself while the latter had glared at anyone who dared come even within a 1m radius to suggest he leave his nest for a minute just to go buddy-buddy with them.

The Vongola lot was left with no choice. Or… actually, in fact, maybe it was better this way. Gokudera felt more assured leaving Dio with Hibari than he ever will be if it was left with this lawn-head instead.

"Just give the Earth some favour and shut up, will you, lawn-head?"

"Learn to extremely respect your elders, Gokudera!"

Gokudera cursed. Heck, he had been cursing for the past ten minutes or so now, non-stop! A lot of people had been giving them weird looks. Gokudera was sure these fucking disguises don't matter anymore! The lawn-head blew it! They'd still be suspected and arrested for harassment.

Gokudera eyed the people around. If their clothes were any indication, most of them were pirates or bounty hunters. All of them had been ignoring them before; however, from the constant ruckus Sasagawa Ryohei caused, they were now giving both Gokudera and Onii-san the dirty looks.

Well, they're on the lawless zone of Sabaody Archipelago after all. It was bound to get rough sooner or later.

Gokudera gripped a CAI box on his pocket tighter. If anyone dared as much as attempt to attack them, he will not hesitate to unleash his wrath. It was only a good thing the tenryuubito Tsuna had talked about rarely went to these places, all they had to worry about were wandering marines.

"Mattaku!" Gokudera cursed again. "Senchou told us to keep a low profile. You just have to go ahead and blow it, stupid lawn-head."

Not too soon, a burly man disrupted the momentary stillness and attacked head on.

"Tch!" Does this guy really think that, because he had the size, he also had the power to defeat a Vongola? Gokudera smirked. He took out his main box, to which all other boxes and belts were stored. A flame materialised on his ring. "Sistema-"

But just before he could fully activate his attack, "Room!" a translucent dome-shaped structure encased them. Even Ryohei had stopped his punch midway. Then, "Shambles!"

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Meanwhile…

Grove 31.

"Gupyaaahahahaha!" Lambo had been skipping on top of each bubble when it suddenly burst just as he reached a few meters up. Luckily, he was saved when he landed amongst their bags and bought souvenirs on a bubble bike instead. Otherwise, he would've been crying by now and not at all laughing.

"Ahahahaha!" Yamamoto laughed gleefully alongside the 9-year old kid. "Sugoi, Lambo! How far up did you reach this time?"

"I do not know!" Lambo answered. "But definitely far up!"

Spanner sighed. They were leisurely strolling along the souvenir shops and amusements of Sabaody, Spanner in command of a bubble bike whilst Yamamoto insisted on jogging beside it. For training, their swordsman said. However, now that they've already bought all necessary supplies, and more, it was finally time that they head towards their second goal for the day.

Spanner took out a letter sent by Reborn. It was addressed to a man named Rayleigh, some friend of the baby pirate that was said to be a coating expert. All they had to do was present this and-

"Kyaaaa! I'm sorry! Please stop!"

"Release me! Someone please get this off of me! Please!"

The Vongola stopped on their tracks. Just a few steps on their left was a big man holding a woman by her neck. A strange contraption was attached around the man's own neck, and his other free hand was struggling to take it off, begging at the people around him for help.

Yamamoto's eyes narrowed, the usual carefreeness gone.

Before disembarking Dio, Tsuna had informed all of them regarding the situation at Sabaody. They had all gathered at the Conference Room, where their captain then relayed to them everything that he knew from the info Reborn gave him. Suffice to say, there were two very important things that they had discussed that time.

First off was the existence of the Celestial Dragons, or Tenryuubitos. They were people Tsuna had specifically told them to avoid at all costs, or people they must never ever fight against lest they want another Buster Call upon them. Apparently, they were descendants of the first 20 families that created the World Government; hence, the reason for their supremacy.

Secondly, the existence of slave trade.

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Spanner's brows knitted. He was well aware the man before them was a slave. That ring around his neck was the indicator. Tsuna had shown them records and pictures to help them recognise tenryuubitos and slaves during their meeting. Lambo was shaking amongst their bags. His hand instinctively reached for a grenade.

The people around the man began to panic. They all ran away from him — screaming to leave them be, whispering amongst each other not to interfere.

"I'm begging you! I'm asking you a favour here!" the man kept screaming hysterically nonetheless. "I just want to get this off my neck! I won't hurt anyone!"

Spanner had kept an eye out on their swordsman. Despite the more naive one of the bunch, slave trading was a touchy issue for the whole Vongola crew. It won't be a surprise if the cheerful Yamamoto had gone bloodthirsty because of it.

"Calm down, Yamamoto!" Spanner reminded him. He had gotten off the bubble bike, and placed a hand on the swordsman's shoulder. If he hadn't, Spanner was sure Yamamoto would've helped the man already. Doing so would catapult them straight away towards the tenryuubitos' sights. "Remember what Vongola said."

"I've given up on going to the New World! I've got a wife and a child back home! I'm begging you! Please lend me a hand! I wanna go home! Last time I saw my kid, he was still a baby…"

Yamamoto heard everything Spanner said. And it was enough to keep him at bay for now. Still, he tightened his grip on a bag, for added assurance… just to prevent himself from reaching out to his sword. If Tsuna was here, he was sure his captain would've already thought of a way to discreetly help the man. But he wasn't. Yamamoto cursed himself for being so weak and useless.

"Takeshi…nii," Lambo tugged on his pants.

The man had thrown the woman far away, and the countdown to his ring had already began. Yamamoto pushed Lambo behind him. "Stay behind me, Lambo. And close your eyes," he patted the afro of their Thunder before flashing him a smile, but it was a smile that did not reach his ears.

"Damn! This ring! Damn it! No! Stop! Hey! Hey! Damn it all to hell…!"

BOOM!

Everyone screamed in panic once again. Spanner's sweat dropped. In front of them the man laid in blood and dirt. Smoke enveloped him. The people should've been helping the man up. Then again, each of them had knelt down to a bow instead. Not too soon, footsteps could be heard.

"Yamamoto, get down!"

Begrudgingly, the Rain guardian lowered himself as well. Lambo followed shortly after. Then, the tenryuubitos appeared.

There were three of them, one was a dog. Behind them was a guard and another big slave. A chain was tied on his neck like a pet. They were laughing and talking crap, mocking the man who now laid unconscious on the ground. Afterwards, the woman tenryuubito took out a gun.

BANG! BANG!

"Yamamoto!" Spanner stopped the guardian by the arm. Sure, the Vongola X mechanic was seething deep down inside too. For, really, if there was one thing that rubbed off on him from his reluctant brunette captain, it was valuing life — not just one's own life, but everyone around you. Another was, of course, treasuring friendships and living freely.

"I would like a giant slave next."

"You should start with a human child."

"But I detest the weak."

Even with the tenryuubitos already far away, Yamamoto can't seem to calm down. His brows were still crossed, hands still itching for his sword and to run after them with Shigure Kintoki. Spanner sighed. Riling up their swordsman to this point was a very rare thing.

"Calm down, Yamamoto," Spanner reasoned out. "Attacking a tenryuubito will only pointlessly bring harm to more innocent people. Tsuna wouldn't want you to do that."

Yamamoto smiled bitterly. Of course, he knew Tsuna wouldn't want that; but it wasn't like Tsuna would just stand by and watch either. Yamamoto sighed. He calmed himself down. Well, he had no choice. His captain had specifically said not to interfere after all.

"Please don't do anything rash!"

"It's the marines!"

"…"

"First off, we should get away from here!"

Voices not too far away caught the attention of the Vongola lot. And as they turned around, they caught sight of two familiar figures retreating from the scene.

"Mugiwara?!"

"Tanuki!"

AN: Yes, I ripped off some lines from Episode 391 of One Piece. Some events will be parallel. Ish.

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