Odyssey of the Will of 'D'

Chapter 11

A Long Line of Misadventures

"Oro? Why'd the light go out?" Luffy questioned while hanging upside from the Going Merry's figurehead by his feet.

"The shifts must be switching," Alvida mused as she locked their heading for the time being as instructed by their navigator.

"If I weren't here, this would be the most inappropriate time for this to happen," Nami muttered under her raincoat. "Luckily, you have the best navigator in the world as a crewmate Luffy."

"That's our Nami," her captain praised as he pulled himself up.

"More importantly though, could you please get off of there. It's dangerous!"

"Shishishi, I'm fine! I'm fine!"

Nami grumbled some rather colorful and descriptive words about her lover before turning back to the laminated sea chart in her hands. "But what's really troubling right now is what lies ahead of us. I can't believe the rumors are true…"

"Rumors? What rumors?" Luffy questioned with a tilt of his head. Without even giving heed to his words, the orangette beckoned her fellow Straw-Hats to meet in the galley with the rest of the crew who were preparing for lunch. Once everyone was seated in the galley, the navigator stated what rumor she was talking about.

"The entrance to the Grand Line is a mountain."

"Well, yeah. How'd you think pirates got to the Grand Line? Through the Calm Belt?" Luffy asked while picking his nose with his pinky finger. "It's called Reverse Mountain and it has five rivers leading going through it, one for each of the Blues and one for the Paradise of the Grand Line. The currents switch around for two days out of the week, flowing down instead of up."

"There you go again with Paradise," Gin muttered as he chomped on a piece of chicken leg. "Why are you calling it Paradise if those of us who are former Krieg Pirates know it as the Pirate Graveyard?"

"That's the name for it for those who were defeated by the first half of the Grand Line," Luffy snickered as he flickered the booger on his finger into the nearby the nearby trashcan. "For those who finish it, the second portion, the New World, is a million times more terrifying. Thus, those who run away from the New World call the first portion Paradise."

A shiver ran up every single one of the Straw-Hat Pirates', and one New Cook Pirate captain, backs. Gin's cold shudder was worse, as he could barely fathom what horrors awaited in the New World that made the first half seem like paradise. "You said for pirates anyway, what about the Marines and civilians?"

"Generally speaking, most people never leave their home sea unless becoming a merchant, a pirate, a Marine or they're of nobility. The thing about Marine ships and ships used by nobles, is that the bottoms of the hulls are lined with kairōseki which essentially wards off Sea Kings, so paddles are usable in the Calm Belt," their captain explained as he tore into a piece of mutton.

"What's kairōseki?" Kuina asked.

"It's a weird stone imbued with the powers of the seas themselves. Anyone with Akuma no Mi powers who touches the stones feels their strength begin to drain as if they were submerged in water." Alvida's eyes widened when she heard that. "Yeah, it's the same thing that got you and me back at Loguetown Alvida."

"But, we've seen you swim before!" Nami exclaimed. "How did something like that stop you?"

"That's what's worrying me, I played around with kairōseki back at Marineford to see if it would affect me, and it didn't. So how did Buggy get ahold of something that could affect me?" Luffy tilted his head in consternation, wondering how in the Five Seas something like this could occur… for all of five seconds. "Welp! Nothing to worry about since it was all vaporized! Shishishishi!" Luffy suddenly stopped his boisterous laughter when he felt that the unstable waters that had been with them for the last day had suddenly stopped for no apparent reason.

"Luffy? What's wrong?" Nami asked.

"Were not rocking anymore."

"Finally! I was getting sick of the swaying to and from in my hammock," Zoro muttered.

"Yeah, Luffy's right! It's no longer stormy outside!" Usopp shouted as he opened own of the galley's portholes and stuck his head out, some water clinging to the seal dripping down onto his long nose.

"This can't be right, we should have been blown to entrance of Reverse Mountain by that storm," Nami muttered to herself as she checked over the map. She stepped outside with the nine other Straw-Hat Pirates and one New Cook Pirate to take stock of their situation.

"Hey, my ship's still in the storm," Gin muttered as he peered off into the direction of the storm front with a spyglass. "That's weird. It's like there's some kind of barrier between us that's keeping the storm away from us."

"That's because of the Calm Belt. There is literally no wind out here for some mysterious reason that not even the R&D Division of the Marines can answer." Luffy's eyes hardened though. "We need to get back into the storm on the double."

"Why do we need to do that?" Johnny asked, Yosaku and Usopp nodding their heads in agreement. Nonetheless, all of the members of their motley crew were heading to the storage room to drag out the paddles that were stowed away in there.

"Like I said before, Marine and noble ships are coated with kairōseki to fool Sea Kings while traversing the Calm Belt using oars," Luffy said as his eyes peered off into the horizon. Something had not felt right the moment the Going Merry had entered the Calm Belt, and not because they had deviated from their route to Reverse Mountain. No, something else was worrying him.

"Bearer of the Blessings of the Seas…"

"Did you guys hear that?" Luffy grumbled as his eyes scanned about.

"Hear what Captain?" Kuina asked from her spot in the crow's nest, now on full alert in case silhouettes were spotted on the horizon or in the sea beneath them.

"Inheritor of the Will of D…"

"There it is again!"

"What's wrong Luffy?" Zoro questioned as he hoisted three paddles from the main deck to the port and starboard rails.

"He who shall shake the very foundations of this world…"

"Who's speaking!"

"Luffy, you're scaring me," Nami whispered as she looked on in horror as her lover seemed to slowly go insane.

"We have been waiting for you for over eight hundred years…"

"Show yourself!"

"Luffy! Be quiet, didn't you say there were Sea Kings out here?!" Usopp hissed as he did a shushing motion.

"Do you want them to hear us Luffy-aniki?!" Yosaku and Johnny cried out together.

"You guys be quiet too!" the sniper roared.

"A promise made long ago shall be fulfilled by your hands…"

"What promise?!"

"Sis, you got any tranquilizers in the med-kit?"

"No… I'm just as worried as you are Sanji…"

"Receive our blessings that will guide you child…"

"Why do I want a blessing?!"

"Luffy, please you're freaking everyone out," Alvida said as she grabbed Luffy be the shoulders and shook him slightly before slapping him twice, attempting to break him out of his funk. That seemed to have done the trick as Luffy was broken from his delirium, his eyes blinking owlishly back at the Helmswoman. "Now tell us what's going on, you're worrying all of us."

"I'm hearing voices… Like the voice of the Lord of the Coast…"

"Lord of the Coast?" the orangette beside him asked, concerned about whether or not the Calm Belt was already claiming its first victim.

"It's the name of the Sea King that helped us out back at Arlong Park. But he shouldn't be with us right now, I told him he should protect our home islands for the time being."

"The Blessing of the Emperors of the Seas…"

"Blessing… of the EMPERORS OF THE SEAS!"

Before anyone could question why Luffy had shouted that strange statement, the owners of those seven voices soon made their presence known as they rose from the Calm Belt, their actions kicking up waves that would have capsized the Going Merry if were any smaller. Luckily the East Goers and the Hound Dog had been stored on the much larger Flaming Molotov as lifeboats instead of usually being tethered to the caravel as usual since the Conomi Islands, or else those two smaller ships would have been lost to the drink.

"Hold on everyone!" Luffy shouted as he wrapped an arm around Alvida and Nami and braced himself against the galley's outer walls. Johnny, Yosaku and Usopp unfortunately slammed into the wall leading to the storage room. Gin had luckily grabbed onto the portside railing, thus tethering himself to a stable support. Zoro had seen Kuina stumble about in the crow's nest and had used a combination of Geppō and Soru to reach there so that he could hold onto his childhood friend and protect the two of them. The older Vinsmoke sibling was holding onto her younger brother who had one hand wrapped around her waist and the other holding onto the railing in front of the galley, his hand digging into the wooden railing. Once the waves receded and the rocking ceased, all on board the Going Merry reclaimed their bearings before noticing that the sun seemed to be blotted out by something.

As one, the eleven humans on board turned their heads up to the sky to see what was obstructing the sunlight. As one, ever single occupant of the Going Merry felt their collective jaws drop at the sight before them. Floating with their heads and necks above the Calm Belt were at least ten massive Sea Kings, the largest of which could fit ten Marine battleships inside its maw at once while the smallest one which looked like a yellow frog could fit three Marine battleships in its maw and have room for the Going Merry. They all seemed to be waiting there docile, something that was rather rare of Sea Kings of the Calm Belt, as if they were waiting on someone to acknowledge them.

"T-They're huge!" Nami whispered aghast as slowly assembled her Clima-Tact with trembling fingers, Alvida hefting her mace, readying herself for the coming fight while nodding her head in agreement. Luffy stared up at the Sea Kings, worried whether or not his gift, which was apparently called the Blessing of the Seas, would help in this situation. Hopefully from the words they were speaking earlier, driving him insane no less, they meant no harm.

"How are we gonna get out this?" Sanji whispered in awe as he and Reiju stood at the ready, the pinkette's eyes peering at her brother momentarily before staring dead ahead with hardened eyes. Neither sibling was willing to die in a place like this without ever putting up a fight. The two of them were survivors after all, something like a few massive Sea Kings were not going to stop them.

"Shit," Zoro growled as he drew Heiwa Seiya from its scabbard and gripped it between his teeth while drawing Yubashiri and Sandai Kitetsu, his ears listening in on the movement of Kuina's own Wadō Ichimonji leaving its scabbard. Both sword wielders had been trained extensively since joining Luffy some month and a half ago. They had learned so much, yet it was not enough when it the time came to save their captain's life. The two of them could only hope that they were strong enough to protect their crew and captain this time around or die trying.

"By the Five Seas!" Usopp shouted out in horror as was frozen stock still, Johnny and Yosaku not faring any better as they clung to the Syrup Village native. All three broke out of their funk when they saw Sanji, Reiju, Zoro and Kuina all ready for do or die and prepared themselves for what could possibly their very last leg of their shared adventure.

"We're done for," Gin whispered as he dropped to his knees in despair. Though the ride up until now was fraught with peril, adventure, laughter and fun, Gin momentarily thought to himself how different his life would have gone had he not ventured back to the Grand Line. Those cowardly thoughts died down when he remembered what he had promised himself. The captain of the New Cook Pirates rose to his feet and readied his Cannon Tonfa, ready to face everything that lie before him with dignity.

After about a full two minutes of staring between the pirates and Sea Kings, the humans realized that the titanic sea beasts had no intention of attacking them, as the towering colossi stared down upon them with eyes that held such an astonishing intelligence, as if they had seen the whole of the history their world had to offer.

"Bearer of the Blessing of the Seas… Inheritor of the Will of D… Receive unto yourself and your compatriots our blessings… the Blessing of the Emperors of the Seas."

Though the ten other humans could not hear it, they could see that the largest, the white and black spotted one, was saying something, though what they could not tell. They all turned their heads to Luffy, knowing he was somehow able to communicate with these gargantuan faunas. Everyone's heads turned back to the Sea Kings when they noticed that the leviathans now surrounded their comparatively small ship. Every single Sea King soon opened its maw and began to release a string of low gurgling growls that soon began to grow until it became apparent that all of the Sea Kings were singing a strange, otherworldly melody. For four long minutes the eleven humans stood there, watching the Sea Kings and listening to their irregular song continue on until every single one of them felt something within their very beings shift. All around them the Sea Kings slowly began to close their maws and quietly, gently sink back into the Calm Belt before only six Sea Kings remained floating before the Going Merry.

"Farewell Inheritor of the Will of D…"

"D-Did I just hear the Sea King speak?" Usopp stuttered as he pointed a finger at the large white and black splotch Sea King.

"H-Holy heaven…" Gin whispered.

"Your road is long and fraught with peril…"

"We can hear them speak Zoro-kun," Kuina spoke in an awed tone as she sheathed Wadō Ichimonji, her childhood friend following her example.

"Not even on the Grand Line yet and something really weird has already happened to us," Zoro chuckled.

"We shall assist you in resuming your odyssey…"

"They don't mean…" Alvida and Nami muttered at the same time as they paled at what that statement meant. The opening of the largest Sea King's jaw confirmed nearly everyone's fear about what the Sea Kings meant by assisting them. "We're gonna get eaten by a massive Sea King!" the navigator and beauty cried out as they grabbed onto either side of Luffy who was laughing all the while. Usopp, Johnny and Yosaku were of course running around like chickens with their heads lopped off while Gin was collapsed on his back, foaming at the mouth with a shocked look on his face. Sanji meanwhile pulled out a cigarette while Reiju lit it for him, a bemused smile on her face.

"Well, nothing we can do now," Zoro grumbled as he leaned back in the crow's nest, simply accepting the weird situation they were in, with Kuina snuggled up into his side, a smile on her face much like Reiju's.

The Sea King seemed to have other ideas when it decided to instead sneeze violently in front of their ship, the air rushing from its nose and mouth matching that of hurricane force winds. The action propelled the Going Merry and its passengers with enough force backwards that they flew from the Calm Belt all the way to with a half nautical mile of the Flaming Molotov.

"YAAAAHOOOOOOO!" Luffy yelled in delight as the Going Merry sailed through the air.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" most everyone else yelled in surprise or fright.

"I didn't mean to do that."

"Eh, it worked either way."

"Wanna go terrorize some humans?"

"Nah, I'm gonna piss off Midgardsormr."

"I'm gonna explore the Ancient Sea and see if I can't finally find that last damnable Mangeur D'île and devour it."

"That species needs to be wiped out."

"Well, good luck to you Odin."

"You as well, Shiva."

"So long Zeus, Susano'o, Quetzalcoatl, Ra." And with that, the last six Calm Sea Kings, or rather Sea Emperors departed for parts unknown.

"W-Were they just sent flying from the Calm Belt back here by a sneezing Sea King?" one of the deck hands of the New Cook Pirates asked while most of his compatriots watched on with slack jaws.

"Oh, thank goodness Gin isn't dead," Pearl muttered in appreciation, clutching his chest directly over his heart. "I'm not sure if I'm ready to be captain yet!"

"It's the Red Line Reiju…" Sanji murmured as he stared up at the massive, towering wall of red earth from outside of the galley. A day had passed since their misadventures on the Calm Belt, during which Gin had transferred back onto the Flaming Molotov, the larger ship trailing a few leagues to their starboard bow.

His sister hummed quietly as she too stared up at structure, both of their minds flashing back to that day nearly ten years ago. That memory lasted for only a moment before the two siblings turned back to Johnny who was listening in on the Den-Den Mushi that was connected to the one the New Cook Pirates had on their ship.

"We're about a nautical mile away from the East Blue entrance on Reverse Mountain, Nami-aneki," Johnny relayed from the Den-Den Mushi. The orangette had a tick-mark appear on the back of her head at the honorific but ignored it and focused on navigating both their ship and the Flaming Molotov successfully up Reverse Mountain.

"All hands-on deck! All hands-on deck!" the Cocoyashi native cried out, rousing all the Straw Hats to their respective stations. Luffy and Zoro were standing on the deck in front of mess, over watching their crewmates scramble to their predetermined stations. Johnny had ducked into the cabin below them and dragged out a Den-Den Mushi, hooking up the headphones to the shell and switching the channel to the New Cook Pirate's own Den-Den Mushi.

"Come in Flaming Molotov! Come in Flaming Molotov! This the Going Merry calling! The Going Merry calling! Come in Flaming Molotov!" Johnny shouted into the microphone. Unfortunately, the Den-Den Mushi was silent, indicating they were not in contact with Gin and his crew yet.

"Keep it up Johnny, continue attempting to hail them! They need to know where we are!" Zoro ordered over the pouring rain.

All the while Nami was directing Alvida, their helmswoman heeding the Quartermaster's orders. Kuina was of course in the crow's nest, keeping eyes open for any perceivable threats in the heavy rain, so close to the Red Line.

"Everything in the crew quarters has been secured Captain!" Reiju reported as she popped out of the hold. Her brother popped out from behind the Captain and Vice-Captain and reported the same for the storage room and mess.

"Stand by for orders from Nami you two!" Luffy ordered as the two siblings nodded and headed the main deck and stood by for orders. They did not have to wait long for Nami to shout in fright as they hit the strong currents near the entrance to Reverse Mountain.

"Furl the sails!" Nami ordered as she braced. "Full furl of the sails! The currents are pulling us hard! Furl those sails!"

"You heard the lady!" Zoro shouted as he and Luffy sprang into action along with the rest of the crew, sans Johnny. "Have you gotten into contact with Gin yet!?" the swordsman growled as he helped close the sails.

"They're on the horn Zoro-aniki! What should I tell them?!" Sword of the Left shouted over the rain.

"Furl their sails and ride the current up with us!" the organette shouted. "They should also try and reduce their speed before the hit the currents so that they can have as much control going up as they can get with their larger ship!"

"Roger!" the man shouted back before relaying the orders back to the New Cook Pirates comms officer.

"Alvida, hard to port! We're going to crash into the canal sides! Hard to port!"

"I'm giving her all she's got Nami! The currents too strong!"

"Luffy! Zoro! Help adjust our course!"

"On it!" Straw Hat Luffy and Pirate Hunter Zoro remarked as they leapt to the sides and let loose techniques to hold their course parallel to the canal's sides.

"Gomu Gomu no Gatling!"

"Santōryū: Hyakuhachi Pound Ho!"

"Alvida! How's the helm!"

"Controls are responsive! Currents are lightening up!"

"Zoro, Luffy! We're good over here!"

"How are Gin and the others doing?" Zoro questioned as he walked over to Johnny who was listening into comms.

"They've taken light damage to the port side hull, luckily it was above the waterline, but they will need to repair it as soon as possible," Johnny reported.

"Everyone, look! We're above the clouds!" Nami spoke in excitement. All Straw Hats gathered at the fore deck at the behest of their own curiosity and gasped in awe at the sight before them. They were quite sure they had flown farther than needed above the canals and hung suspended for a short while. As the Straw Hats gazed all over the area they could see, a somewhat strangled came from Usopp's throat as he caught sight of it, or rather felt it with his Kenbun-Shoku no Haki. Everyone turned in the direction he pointed after he started shouting for their attention, but the sight they saw soon vanished before them under cloud cover before their very eyes.

One thought entered all their minds before they crashed back on to the waters below them. 'Was that Raftel?'

"Wait? Does anyone else hear that?" Nami asked, putting a hand to ear to get a better read on the sound.

"Forget hearing whatever it is! I can feel something massive at bottom of the canal!" Usopp shouted in fright. "It's bigger than anything I've ever felt!"

"That's what she said," Yosaku snickered before Johnny smacked him upside the head.

"Quiet!" Sanji hissed as he too cupped a hand to his ear. "That sounds like a whale. Or more specifically an Island Whale."

"It's cry," Reiju murmured as she looked ahead of the ship. "It's so sad. I wonder why it's crying in so much pain."

"Only one way to find out." And with that Luffy hopped on the Going Merry's figure head and sent out several blunted Rankyaku, intent to slow down the caravel.

"Get on the horn and alert Gin and the others that they should do everything in their power to slow their ship down going down the Grand Line canal," Zoro ordered before turning back to the bow and unleashing a few consecutive Sanjuroku Pound Ho with the flat end of Seiya Heiwa. Kuina added a few Hyakusora Sakuhana with the blunt side of Wadō Ichimonji while Yosaku threw in a few underpowered sword Rankyaku, Johnny joining in after having radioed their allies' ship. Sanji and Reiju of course threw in a few of their own Rankyaku to help slow their descent toward the Island Whale.

As the distance between them and the Island Whale became smaller and smaller, the Straw Hats ramped up their attempts to slow down their ship to prevent the imminent crash. Luckily enough, once they cleared the canal, they had reduced their speed enough for them to turn hard to port to further avoid crashing into the whale.

Cruising near it, but yet at an assumed safe distance, the crew marveled at the massive marine mammal. The feature of the Island Whale that drew their attention however was the massive number of scars that marred the face of the great whale. They idled noted that the New Cook Pirates own barque had cleared the canal before the Island Whale began to bellow in sadness.

"Give back Laboon's friends!"

"What was that?" Zoro muttered as he looked around.

"I thought I was hearing things too," Sanji spoke from his spot on the rigging.

"Give back Laboon's friends!"

"It's the Island Whale!" the orangette shouted as she pointed at the enraged marine mammal.

"Yorki! Brook! Xyl! Trom! Bass! Give back Laboon's friends! Give Laboon back the Rumbar Pirates!"

"Hey, Whale!" Luffy shouted as he leapt from the deck of the Going Merry and used Geppō to ascend to where its eye was. The Island Whale's eyes soon focused in on the human who seemed to be bouncing to the air itself. "My names Monkey D. Luffy! Do you wanna be my friend?"

"Friend? With you? Why do you want to be my friend?" the whale asked curiously.

"Because you're cool! You have all those scars on your head and scars are proof of one's own bravery so you must be a great pers- erm- whale!"

"These scars aren't from this Laboon being brave," the whale corrected. "This Laboon got these from ramming Laboon's head into this cliff, the Red Line."

"Yeah, I got that from what you were wai- erm- shouting at the Red Line," Luffy said, rewording his phrasing so as to avoid any puns. "But you were talking about the Rumbar Pirates, right?" The Island Whale nodded once, mimicking what it had seen its friends do half-century do. "But that crew was reported to have attempted to cross the Calm… You know don't you, buddy?"

"L-Laboon knows they're gone. Humans can hardly cross the Calm Belt without being eaten by the Sea Kings that lurk there. You and those on that tiny ship are the few exceptions though," the whale's eye focused down for a second before returning to Luffy. "Laboon knows my friends well enough that even if only one of them was left, they would have returned to see this Laboon. Laboon knows they're dead. Laboon knows that. But, even so… If not for this Laboon's caretaker, Crocus, this Laboon would have died long ago from my wounds."

"Crocus! You know Crocus-Oyaji?! Where is he?" If Laboon had eyebrows one would have been arched at the fact the human in front of him was bouncing even more, and also excitedly.

"He was last inside of my stomach. Although those weird humans that come every now and again are back."

"Did you eat him Laboon? Why would you do that?"

"He sailed inside of Laboon's stomach, so he has an easier time with calming Laboon down with medicine. He is skilled healer."

"Oh, in that case can we see him?" Luffy asked.

"That's fine with Laboon." Laboon watched as the human slowly began to descend back down to the tiny ship before pointing his head down and opening his mouth.

"You want us to go inside of the Island Whale?!" Nami cried out as she shook Luffy.

"His name's Laboon too!" her captain answered cheerfully.

"That's not the point!"

"But Crocus of the Roger Pirates is inside of Laboon right now! I want to meet one of the few remaining members of that Legendary crew! It's part of the bingo sheet Shanks gave me! After Crocus, all I need to do is find the First Mate of the Roger Pirates, Silvers Rayleigh and I can get a free favor from Shanks!"

"Like that's going to happen!" Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, Yosaku and Johnny roared as the kicked their captain in the rear.

"We're not letting that Island Whale-"

"Laboon!"

"Swallow us whole!" Nami finished, ignoring Luffy's interruption.

Hearing his name and one of the humans say, "Swallow us whole," the Island Whale obliged and began to suck in the water in front of him, including the seawater the two ships were resting upon.

"No! I don't want to get swallowed by a giant whale!" Nami cried out as she held onto Luffy.

"Welp, here we go," Sanji muttered as he took a drag of his cigarette. "First strange occurrence of the Grand Line and not even a nautical mile from the entrance."

"Seems about right ototō."

"I never knew that one of my lies would come true! I'm not sure I want anymore of them to come true now!"

"Usopp-aniki, you're not helping!" Yosaku shouted as he held his fellow swordsman.

"How many exaggerated lies have you told aniki?!" his bounty hunter partner asked in terror.

"Do you think I could even put a scratch on this thing Kuina?"

"It'd probably feel like a tickle really, Zoro-kun," his childhood replied as she braced for impact like Zoro had done.

"Well, I should probably steer the ship, so we don't rock too much as we're swallowed by Laboon." Alvida blinked thrice before exhaling exasperatedly. "That's not supposed to sound like something normal. Not one bit."

"Well fuck," Gin muttered as he watched the Island Whale begin to swallow their ship whole.

"Welp, we broke our record for how fast we got our asses kicked on the Grand Line," his Vice-Captain stated with crossed arms beside the Captain.

"Should we really have followed him here?" a random deckhand questioned as the world went dark. If this were an anime or cartoon movie, their eyes and teeth would be the only objects illuminated besides the lanterns. As it was, there was barely any light to see with and everyone could at best see five meters in front of their own face.

"Well the Island Whale, Laboon," Gin corrected, "Said something about a Crocus getting the Don all excited."

"Wait, Crocus? As in Crocus of the Roger Pirates? 'The Harpoon' Crocus whose mastery of Busō-shoku no Haki and his ability to take down a fully-grown Sea King in one spear throw earned him a nine-hundred million Beri bounty?! Which, going by inflation, is now one billion, three hundred and ninety million Beri! That Crocus?!" the same deckhand screamed excitedly. Everyone on the Flaming Molotov stared at him in wonder, the man scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "I'm kinda a history buff when it comes to the Roger Pirates."

"Well, we'll find out when we meet him," Gin muttered before everyone's were near blinded by the sudden unexplained exposure to sunlight once more.

"Are we seriously still inside of Laboon?" the navigator asked as she marveled at scenery around her. Regaining her composure and allowing her skin to feel the air around them, and her eyes to observe the skies above them, she confirmed her suspicions. "Yep. We're still inside of the big guy."

"How can you tell Nami-aneki?" the sunglass wearing swordsman asked before receiving a smack to the back of the head courtesy of the woman.

"Stop with the aneki already, at least us sama," she whined petulantly. "First of all, the air around us has a feel of sea water and something else not unlike throw-up." Yosaku, Johnny, Nami and Usopp all turned green around the gills hearing her say that. "Second of all there is no barometric pressure here, the clouds aren't moving, and neither are the seagulls over there," the orangette finished pointing off into the distance.

"Crocus-Ossan! Crocus-Ossan! Are you there?!" Luffy shouted from the figurehead of the Going Merry. Instead of any human responding to his cries, it seemed as if the only thing that had heeded his question was instead a Royal Squid.

"I am the Grand Lunni! Fear me humans!" the Royal Squid cried out as it breeched the water's surface.

"Eh? Hey, Sanji! Is squid any good?" the two-hundred million Beri man asked his chef.

"The head is considered the best part, bread it and deep fry it to make delicious calamari that goes well with marinara or tartar sauce. The tentacles are good as sashimi or nigiri if thinly sliced," the blonde answered as he took a drag of his cigarette.

"Ca-Calamari?" Lunni stuttered in fright.

"Oi, Zoro. Dice it up to Sanji's instructions!" the captain ordered.

"Why me? Yosaku and Johnny need the practice dealing with big stuff," the Santōryū user scowled, slowly drawing Seiya Heiwa even if he was griping.

"Their moves aren't as smooth and precise as yours though Zoro-kun."

"Your kenjutsu is more beautiful than mine Kuina, we've gone over this before."

"For a Royal Squid like this, we'll need to cut the head to half a meter in width- oh what the hell?!" Sanji shouted, his instructions falling to the wayside as three harpoons exploded through the Giant Squid's head.

"So ends my journey! Farewell cruel world!" Lunni cried out as it crashed backwards into the water.

"Yahoo! That's 'The Harpoon' Crocus for you!" someone on the Molotov cried out in delight.

As if summoned by the mere mention of his name, muscular old man with a white beard, bald head and… a flower headpiece in a pink shirt emerged from the house on the nearby island, the ropes bound to the harpoons in his hands. Staring down every single person, the old man slowly walked forward, pulling the rope all the while. Even as he hefted the Giant Squid onto his island, he never once broke eye contact with any of the pirates, every single person too awed or stunned to do anything else as they watched him. Finally, the moment broke when he finally sat down in the lawn chair under the palm tree, still staring at everyone.

"It seems you all know of me, but that leaves me on the backfoot as I know none of you," Crocus spoke up after another full minute of staring down everyone.

"I'm Luffy, the man who'll be Pirate King!" Luffy introduced himself as he waved at Crocus from Merry's figurehead. "These people are my nakama: Nami, Alvida, Zoro, Kuina, Usopp, Sanji, Reiju, Johnny and Yosaku!"

"Pirate King, eh?" Crocus smiled tightly, suddenly realizing who it was standing before him. It was the kid Shanks was gushing to him all about the last time the kid had come through the Twin Capes. "So, who are those guys over there?"

"We're the New Cook Pirates, Crocus-san," Gin introduced himself and his crew.

"New Cook Pirates? Not unlike the Cook Pirates that Zeff captained once?" 'The Harpoon' asked.

"The very same. Master Zeff took a number of my crew under his wing while we were retrieving our ship and the crew wanted to honor him for the service," the New Cook Pirate captain explained.

"Carry that name with pride, you young'uns. If you don't, an execution by the Marines would be the least of your worries if Zeff got his hands on all of you."

"We're well aware," Pearl muttered with a sweatdrop.

"Die old man!" two voices shouted, one of them oddly familiar to Luffy. That declaration was followed by cannon fire. The projectiles the two new assailants launched sailed through the air above Crocus' island, neatly intercepted by two harpoons from the now glaring man. A few more cannonballs sailed through the air from the pair on the nearby platform, but each of the projectiles were intercepted by harpoons flying at impossible speeds.

"Ne? Who are those two?" Kuina muttered as she pulled out her spyglass and pointed it in the direction of the massive door

"One of them feels familiar," the captain said aloud as he leapt into the air and used Geppō to make his way over to where the two figures were, kicking cannonballs into the 'water' below all the while as he came closer and closer to them.

"Miss Wednesday! Are you seeing what I'm seeing?!" the redhead with a crown screamed in fright as Luffy 'hopped' closer.

"Keep firing Mister 9!" the blunette beside him shouted as she seemed to turn the cannon into a fully automatic launcher.

"Stop shooting at me! It's not nice!" Luffy roared as his arms stretched out towards the pairs' light artillery and grabbed onto them. His arms then retracted, his hands crushing the weapons in a fiery explosion before they turned to normal length. Tossing the weapons over his shoulders, ignoring the splashes they made behind and blow him, Straw Hat Luffy landed on the platform the two were standing on and took in their appearance. While the man was odd, what with his funny crown and stylized tattoos on his cheeks, it was the blunette that drew his attention.

"Oro? Have we met before?"

"N-No. I don't think we have," the girl answered while looking away, explicitly avoiding eye contact.

"No. I think we have."

"Of course, we haven't. This is the first time we've met. I'm just you're average, run-of-the-mill bounty hunter!"

"Miss Wednesday, do you know this young gentleman?" Mister 9 asked, nudging her with his elbow.

"Of course not!"

"No, what was it? Six or something years ago? I think I met a princess who looks like you at Reverie."

"I don't look like any princesses!"

"No, I think you do. What was her name again? Bibi? Mimi? Cici?"

"Never heard of any of those princesses before. But like I said before, I don't look like any princess. Especially not Princess Vivi of the Desert Nation of Arabasta!" The blunette quickly slapped her hands over her mouth, eyes wide as stared at Luffy who stared back wide eyed while her Baroque Works partner was slack jawed.

"Y-You…" Luffy stuttered as his jaw went slack and he pointed a finger at the girl.

"H-Hi Luffy-kun."

Meanwhile back with the rest of Straw-Hat Pirates and the New Cook Pirates, the two crews had temporarily docked at the island in the stomach of Laboon, which they found out to actually be a ship. Currently the former crew and the captain of the latter crew were questioning Crocus about his purposed inside of the Island Whale.

"Over fifty years ago a pirate crew from the West Blue befriended Laboon as an infant. That crew was made up of some of the most fun and music loving men you would have ever met," the doctor of the Roger Pirates spoke, reminiscing about the past once more, a fond smile on his lips. "They had thought they had left him behind in West Blue, for fear that he could not stand the monsters of the Grand Line. But Laboon had followed them here. It was at that time I had met them and after a time I became Laboon's caretaker and guardian. In time, they, the Rumbar Pirates, began their journey down the Grand Line with the promise that in a few years' time they would return." That smile he had quickly turned into a frown as his story continued.

"However, nearly two decades had passed, not one of the crew had attempted to return and not a single peep of the Rumbar Pirates was heard. Five years fast forward and I met the rookie crew of Gol D. Roger."

"Gol D.? I thought it was Gold Roger," Kuina interrupted. Although each of the Straw Hat Pirates had heard Luffy refer to the late Pirate King in that manner, they had thought it was just an odd quirk of his, linking himself to man he wished to surpass. You know, like any fanboy.

"Is that what they're calling the captain now?" Crocus mused idly. He shook his head before continuing. "Anyway, they wanted to recruit me for certain reasons, and I agreed on with the ulterior motive that I could find out what fate befell the Rumbar Pirates. After many misadventures, I had learned that the Rumbar Pirates had escaped the Grand Line through the Calm Belt into South Blue."

"They ran," the New Cook Pirates' captain muttered. While a part of him could understand why they had done so, another part could not understand how a crew like that could go back on their promise with a child. Even if said child was an Island Whale that now dwarfed most islands.

"Indeed. Just goes to show you that even if you know someone, you really don't know them." The doctor sighed, shaking his head in distaste. "Once the captain disbanded the crew, I returned here to tell Laboon what happened to his friends."

"But, if he knows what happened to them, why is he ramming his head against the Red Line?" Nami asked.

"Despite the fact I have told Laboon numerous times about his friends, he refuses to listen to reason. He bellows at the Red Line and bashes his head against it, believing if it weren't for that land mass, his friends would have returned long ago."

"Okay, so I get that," Zoro nodded. "That doesn't explain why the inside of the whale's-"

"Laboon," Alvida corrected.

"Stomach is painted like it is."

"Just call it a doctor's hobby," Crocus smiled.

"And the door?" Kuina indicated, gesturing towards the massive door big enough to fit a galleon through, Johnny and Yosaku nodding in sync.

"That door, and the smaller one beside it, is connected to a larger network of tunnels I've constructed throughout Laboon. Despite me being a capable doctor, Laboon is too big for even my own abilities. This helps me deal with administering the medicine needed to lessen his pain and calm him down."

"So, who were those people firing at you then?" Reiju asked curiously.

"They're bounty hunters from a nearby island that have been trying to slay Laboon for his meat. They would be able feed their island's inhabitants for nearly three years if the meat was preserved properly."

"And how do you know that?" Alvida piped up.

"In my travels, you see many sights. Let's just leave it at that," Crocus finished with a sad shake of his head. "I have stopped them every step of the way. This is their fiftieth attempt the past two months."

"Well, Luffy is dealing with them, so they should be out of your hair soon." The doctor nodded at the orangette, trusting both her words and her faith in her captain.

"AH! I KNEW YOU LOOKED FAMILIAR! IT REALLY IS YOU VIVI!"

"What the hell?" the first mate muttered. All eyes turned the 'flying' Luffy as he leapt through the air with the blunette in his arms bridal style and the redheaded man dangling from his left foot, screaming all the while.

"Another woman," Nami deadpanned, seeing the blush on the other woman's face.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he knew more from before he met all of us," Alvida groused with a cross of the arms.

"A harem," Sanji hissed in jealousy. "He's living every red-blooded man's dream." His sister's hand impacted the back of his head for that comment, followed by a slap to each cheek from Nami and Alvida, and then finished off by a fan to the face by the resident swordmistress. "Ah! The honeys of the crew are so cute when they're angry!" the blonde cried out as he danced about with hearts in his eyes.

"Stupid love-cook," Zoro grunted as Reiju grabbed her brother by the nose and tweaked it.

"So, who is this Luffy-aniki?" Johnny asked as the rest of the Straw Hats and one New Cook Pirate gathered around the Foosha native.

"This is Vivi," Luffy snickered as the blunette clambered out of his arms. "Princess of Arabasta."

"Ah, she's a princess," Alvida deadpanned.

"Any other nobles from your past you wanna tell us about Luffy?" the orangette questioned, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Hmmm? Nope, not that I can remember."

"Well it's probably nothing- LIKE I'D BELIEVE THAT!" the two women cried out as they shook Luffy, surprising the now identified princess.

"Wait, Princess Vivi? Didn't you disappear like two years ago or something?" Reiju interjected curiously.

"Some news sources speculated that you had been killed as well, Vivi-hime," her brother pointed out.

"Tales of my death have been wildly exaggerated," the princess replied sheepishly.

"S-So where have you been then p-princess, i-if that's t-too much to ask?" Usopp asked with all the courage he could muster. He was after all talking to a princess. How could everyone else- wait, Johnny and Yosaku were standing stock still at attention with their arms at their sides with a look of concentration on their faces. Well, at least Usopp was not the only one freaking out about meeting a princess.

"As important as this tale sounds, I suggest we move your two ships out of here. We are inside of an Island Whale's stomach after all." Everyone balked at that, having forgotten that important detail. They would all blame it on Luffy's antics however, as his blatant disregard for serious details seemed to have rubbed off on them a little bit.

"Raise anchor you louts!" Gin roared as he made his way back to the Molotov.

"C'mon Vivi! I'll show you our ship!" Luffy laughed as he grabbed his navigator, helmswoman and the princess and jumped into the air in the direction of Merry, snickering to himself while the three women yelled in fright.

"Let's go guys," the first mate of the Straw Hat Pirates ordered, walking at a sedate pace toward the crew's ship. Mr. 9 was of course trailing after them, thanking the stars that the pirates said nothing as he boarded their ship. Looking around he tried to find his partner but was accosted by the green haired young man. "If you're going to hitch a ride with us, you're going to kept under watch by this guy." The man threw a thumb over the young man in the yellow shorts. "And you'll be helping us in the meantime until we get to where you need to go."

"What about Miss Wednesday? We're supposed to report back to Whiskey Peak in five days' time."

"If she joins you, she joins you. If she doesn't, that's none of your business now is it?" And with that the conversation was ended, the first mate making his way into the hold before reemerging with paddles and handing one off to Mr. 9 and Johnny. "Row you louts. Let's get the hell out of here."

Mr. 9 grumbled a little bit before going over to the portside of the ship and dropping the wider end of the paddle into the 'water' below. He rowed in beat with the other man rowing, his mind not even paying attention to the world around him. The Baroque Works Frontier Agent was instead contemplating the fact that the agent he had worked nearly two long years with was in fact the princess of the country their very organization was attempting a coup on. Honestly, why would the princess, Vivi, join the organization attempting to usurp the throne right out from beneath her father, a man that Baroque works was actively smearing with lies and false rumors with extreme prejudice?

There was no way she would have joined a shady to destroy her home. That left only one reason: she had infiltrated the Baroque Works to uncover the person behind the systematic destruction of her beloved homeland. But Baroque Work prized their anonymity and secrecy above all else, including the lives of its own members at times. Which would mean only one thing for Miss Wednesday- no, Princess Vivi. Even if she was the princess of Arabasta, he knew her first and foremost as his partner in crime. There was no way he was going to abandon her, even if it killed him.

"Unfurl the sails! Unfurl the sails!" the orangette cried out.

"Withdraw the oars!" Zoro ordered. It had seemed in Mr. 9's musing, the ship he was on had already cleared the metal passages inside of the Island Whale. Withdrawing the oar from the side of the ship, Mr. 9 followed after the other impromptu oarsman into the hold, his minder following all the while.

"Furl sails! Furl sails!" he heard the woman cry out once more. Once he and the other two swordsmen returned to the main deck, they saw that the other ship was pulling up to their ship's stern, pulling parallel to one of the capes. A quant lighthouse stood as if a sentry for all to see when they enter the Grand Line, its twin resting on the opposing cape.

"Drop anchor!" Zoro cried out once the Going Merry came to rest near the cape. Johnny had gone into the cabin to withdraw the gangplank while they were pulling up to the cape, dropping it down once the ship had stabilized.

"If you kids will follow me, I can set up a little meal to commemorate your making it to Paradise," Crocus told the Straw Hat Pirates once he rejoined the pirates.

"If you can provide us with the tableware and such, Kin and I can cook up a feast," Sanji interjected as he threw a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of one of the New Cook Pirates, a man a few years younger than Gin who was in fact his younger brother.

"Suit yourselves," the doctor shrugged. "I'll need some help getting enough tables, chairs and utensils though."

"Johnny, Yosaku, and… who are you again?" Zoro trailed off as he was delegating the work to his crew.

"I'm Mr. 9."

"Kyū will help you out Ossan," the Executive Officer of the Straw Hat Pirates finished. He ignored the indignant shout and glare from the now nicknamed 'Kyū'.

It took about thirty minutes before everyone was situated on the cape, the New Cook Pirates making the usual ruckus about eating Sanji 'fan-fucking-tastic, fine food', int their words. Sanji had of course worked Kin like the fierce chef he was, barking out instructions that frazzled the older man's senses. Of course, the blonde had to kick a few of the New Cook Pirates when they got a tad too fresh with his sister while she was serving up the finished food. None too hard of course, since they were hungry fools. He would kick them harder though once they were fed though. Reiju of course had dealt a few blows to the rowdy crew: a twisted arm, firmly pinched hand or a kick to the unmentionables in the extreme cases.

Once everyone had dishes before them, Luffy of course having enough for ten people, did Sanji excuse Kin to join his crew for the feast. The blonde pulled out a cigarette, lit it and took a drag before exhaling, extinguishing the fires they had used to prepare the feast. He made his way over to where the rest of his crew, Gin and Pearl were sitting with Mr. 9, Vivi and Crocus.

"I'd like to reintroduce myself," Vivi began after they had finished with the proper table etiquette. "My name is Nefertari Vivi, Princess of the Desert Nation of Arabasta. As you had pointed out earlier, I disappeared from the eyes of the public two years ago. The reason why was because I had infiltrated Baroque Works in hopes of finding out why this criminal organization heard only in whispers was doing in my country. A part of me knew that they were involved in the growing unrest in Arabasta, but I never knew that they were the true masterminds behind the whole thing."

"Is that why I didn't see you and your Oyaji at Reverie?" Luffy spoke around a steak. "Not once did the Nefertari family miss Reverie since its inception over eight-hundred years ago."

"Yes, ever since the Dance Powder-" That drew Luffy short, as the pirate gaped at Vivi, surprising everyone since it was almost impossible to get him to stop eating. "Was discovered in the Royal Palace nearly two years ago, Arabasta has been in a state of unrest. That unrest transformed into distrust of the throne when several villages seemingly disappeared over night and oases dried up one after another. Several thousands of my people have died as a result. What appeared to stabilize the situation though was arrival of Shichibukai Crocodile."

"Wait, Crocodile is in Arabasta?!" Luffy shouted out loud, momentarily deafening Nami and Alvida, who were sitting to his side. They of course slapped him upside the head for that, yelling all the while.

"He's got a bounty two times more than Luffy-aniki's!" Yosaku and Johnny shouted in fright.

"Indeed, he does," the princess agreed before carrying on from where she left off. "But that was the situation on surface. Information gathered by the intelligence branch of the royal army had uncovered disturbing news. A criminal organization with ties to bounty hunters from Cactus Island to the Sabaody Archipelago was found to have set up within our country. And that's when the situation for Arabasta went downhill. The situation is so dire that a state of emergency has been declared and some people are calling it a full-blown civil war."

"No. No this can't be happening again. That tragedy can't be repeating." The Straw Hats and New Cook Pirates all felt the oppressive force coming down on them, their eyes drawing to the source: Luffy. Even Laboon, who had wandered over to the cape to observe the human who wanted to be his friend felt something he had not felt in a long time: fear.

"L-Luffy, calm down. P-Please. You're scaring me," Nami muttered as she reached for his free hand.

"Calm down, please Luffy. It's not like you to get like this," their helmswoman spoke up as she too grasped his other free hand. After a few moments waiting in tense silence, watching the two-hundred million Beri man take in deep breaths, everyone could finally breath once more when his shoulders slumped, and he shot to two girls at his sides a beaming smile.

"Luffy-kun? What did you mean by tragedy? And again?" The princess had never once seen Luffy so mad, so tense as if he were a wound-up spring ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

"Have any of you heard of the Tragedy of Dressrosa?"

"Who hasn't?" his navigator began. "The kind king of Dressrosa one night makes a demand of his people to gather up ten-billion Beri for no reason. The people did so without question, as they had lived under his just and peaceful rule, passed down through the generations. But then suddenly Riku Doldo III began to attack his very people, the Royal Dressrosa Army following his actions and slaying countless innocent people. It was then, as if out if nowhere, that Donquixote Doflamingo, the Heavenly Yaksha, appeared and defeated the mad king. Less than a year later, Doflamingo would ascend the throne of Dressrosa, with the disgraced Doldo being executed not long after."

"That's the official story anyway," Luffy muttered quietly. Everyone froze at that nugget of knowledge, eyes wide as they zeroed in on their captain. "You remember what I told Nezumi a few weeks ago?" Nods all around were his answer. "Dressrosa is another one of those coverup stories the World Government and the Marines don't want the world to know about."

"How is that Luffy-kun?"

"Dressrosa was one of the founding members of the World Government, its royal family ascending to Mary Geoise along with eighteen of the other nineteen founding members."

"What about the last one?" Usopp asked as he sipped his Oolong Tea to slake his parched throat.

"You're looking at one of it's members." Everyone slowly turned towards Vivi, who Luffy had motioned toward with a nod of his head. The blunette blushed as she ducked her head, nodding once in embarrassment at having that aspect of her bloodline. When she looked back up at Luffy, she saw none of the judging looks she had become accustomed to receiving from people who found out she had that blood flowing through her. "While the other members thought that ascending would purify them, allowing them to become better rulers, the Nefertari reasoned that being amongst the people and ruling amongst them would allow them to be better rulers. They thus split from the other nineteen founding members… one of those being the Donquixote family."

"You mean that one of the Shichibukai is a fucking Tenryūbito!" everyone exclaimed save for Vivi and Crocus, the former already drawing the same conclusions that Luffy had come to. The latter however was stoic, watching the situation with curiosity, wondering what the young captain would do if his intuition was indeed true.

"Former," Luffy corrected. "His father abandoned his position in branch of the Donquixote, bringing his wife and two young children with him when he descended from Mary Geoise. No one knows what happened to the family in between that time and the time Doflamingo reemerged as a pirate, but it is presumed that that branch of the Donquixote family went extinct."

"That doesn't explain what why you went berserk for no reason or what the Donquixote have to…" Usopp trailed off as realization dawned on his face.

"The Donquixote family were the original rulers of Dressrosa." Vivi clenched her fists, realizing that, yes, Luffy was right. A tragedy had happened on the other side of the world, one that seemed to be repeating in her very own home. And if history saw fit to repeat itself, that meant her very people were going to be collateral in Crocodile's plans for her country, whatever they were. And her father, she shuddered to think what would happen to her beloved father.

"So, you're saying that this Doflamingo was behind the entire thing? That's kind of a stretch Luffy, even for the Grand Line," Zoro scoffed as he kicked back on his chair and picked his teeth.

"Feet off the table Mosshead," Sanji grumbled as he kicked the swordsman's chair out from beneath him. Everyone ignored their argument that soon devolved into a small brawl.

"Not when you know that he's eaten the Ito-Ito no Mi." The small glare that Luffy leveled on Zoro just showed how displeased he was with the whole situation.

"What's the ability to control threads got to do with this Luffy-aniki," the comms officer of the Straw Hats asked.

"How do you control puppets?" That drew everyone short as they tried to understand why Luffy asked that question. However, it slowly dawned on Vivi's face what that exactly meant. Nami and Alvida were quick to catch on, last of two the fairer sex drawing the same conclusion too. Sanji and Gin were the next to catch on and their gnashed teeth displayed their displeasure as well. The three swordsman and one sniper were the last to catch on, the green haired man scowling as he stared into the sky.

"You mean all of it, every single action taken by the kind Doldo and his royal army were caused by a Shichibukai. But, but why?" Alvida questioned as she stared at Vivi in pity.

"Power, that's all people like them seek. Power for the sake of power," their captain spat with such vitriol that nobody could believe such contempt could come from Luffy. "Guys like that don't deserve to be called pirates."

"Unfortunately, Luffy we're the exception to what the world defines as pirates. According to the world pirates are nothing more than brigands on the seas, killing, stealing and trafficking as they please without care for the lives of their victims."

"That is not what a pirate is supposed to be Nami!" her lover ground out as he grit his teeth. "A pirate is a person who chases their dreams! Grand adventures, roaring music, endless feasts, and infinite freedom should fill their every day! It's because of the existence of pirates like that, who steal the lives of innocent people and rob the survivors of their freedoms, that I almost thought of becoming a Marine."

"We're all very thankful that you decided to be a pirate though Luffy." At Nami's statement everyone could not help but grin at that and their captain.

"So, Crocodile is the leader of Baroque Works, Miss Wednesday?"

"Yes. I spent nearly two long years attempting to uncover Mr. 0's identity. Before we left on our whaling expedition- sorry about that by the way-" Crocus merely waved her off, having forgiven her a while ago. "I had tailed Mr. 0's partner, Miss All Sunday, to uncover his identity. A part of me realized it was too good to be true. More than likely one of the Officer Agents will be dispatched soon for Whiskey Peak on Cactus Island to eliminate me and Igaram."

"Oro, Curls-Ossan joined you too?" Luffy asked as he scratched his head.

"Don't let Igaram hear you call him that Luffy-kun." Vivi giggled behind her hand. "And yes, he did. A month after I disappeared Igaram seemed to know where had gone and tracked me down. Mr. 9, you probably know Igaram better as Mr. 8."

"So, we're headed to Whiskey Peak then?" the future pirate king asked as he downed steak after steak at blistering speeds.

"Just so you know, once you lock in which island you want to head towards there's no going back, right?" the doctor asked lazily as he finished off his steak. "Are you absolutely sure this is the path you want down?"

"Absolutely Crocus-Ossan," the young captain answered with a toothy grin. "Even if this wasn't a national crisis with hundreds of thousands of lives on the line, I would have helped Vivi regardless. We're nakama after all." Luffy arched an eyebrow and turned to Vivi. "Vivi? Why's there an otter riding a vulture." The captain had taken to passively keeping his Kenbun-shoku no Haki active after reuniting with Vivi. It would not do for Luffy to be caught unawares, even if it took away some of the mystery of the adventure. He was on the Grand Line after all, and he had no idea when he would run into any of the Marine Headquarters Vice-Admirals or Sea-forbid an Admiral or his crazy ass grandfather.

"Urk!" Mr. 9 gasped as he fell backwards in his chair.

"They're the Unluckies! Mr. 13 and Miss Friday!"

"He seriously went with the Friday the Thirteenth pun?" Zoro sweatdropped.

"Wasn't it a smart idea to turn them down years ago Zoro-kun?" his childhood friend giggled.

"They're messengers of Baroque Works and deal with the internal affairs of the organization. They also deal with executing members who fail their missions."

"So… the two of you then?" Usopp said, pointing to Princess Vivi and Mr. 9.

"Yep," the princess swallowed.

"Someone wanna take them out?" Mumbles were heard all around the table from his crewmates, the New Cook Pirates grumbling about not even being on the same level as Usopp of all people. "How about this then? Most creative way to knock them out of the sky get's a favor from me!" It was at that moment Luffy realized he had unleashed a monster, or in this case monsters.

"Cumulonimbus clouds have been spotted in the vicinity of the twin capes! Static charge in the air is currently unbalanced! All flights should fly to lower altitudes to avoid sudden, erratic lightning!" Nami had already constructed her Clima-Tact and had summoned several dozen Cool and Heat Balls into the air, a sizable storm cloud already forming above the animal pair. Alvida had found a sizable boulder and after judging it suitable had taken a position beside it a practiced a few swings before striking it with all her might, her aim appearing to be on point.

"Fore!" Alvida cried out.

Usopp had drawn his Kabuto slingshot and had released a Firebird Star, the mythical firebird screeching into life as it shot towards the vulture and otter.

"Santōryū: Tatsumaki!" Zoro cried out as he lined up his three swords and spun them, a tornado of air coming forth from his swords, a dragon seemingly forming halfway to the airborne otter and its partner.

"Kaiyūhanaryū: Kiku no Hana!" the lookout stated as she spun Wadō Ichimonji around her body, leaving behind after images that turned thirty-two air blades around her in a concentric formation. The air blades spun around her a full rotation before pointing forward and flying forward with startling speed.

"Diable Jambe!" the chef of the Straw Hat Pirates finished as he stopped spinning, his leg seemingly on fire. Using Geppō to launch himself into the air before lashing out with his leg, the expectant Rankyaku turning into blade of fire. "Couteau Brûlant!"

"Baiser Empoisonné!" the pinkette called out as she blew a kiss that summoned a cloud of fuchsia colored gas. Drawing the gas Reiju allowed it to solidify in her hands into three-meter spear that she twirled in her hands before throwing at speeds slightly slower than Crocus' own harpoons. "Lance au Cyanure!"

"Eight points for form. Eight for execution. Seven for speed." The former Roger Pirate scored as he held up a scorecard with an 8, Johnny holding up an 8 and Yosaku holding up the 7 scored board. Reiju merely smiled demurely while taking a short bow.

Seeing the oncoming attacks headed their way, the vulture attempted to bank right. However right as Miss Friday began the course correction Kuina's attack intercepted Alvida's boulder. The two attacks seemed to combine, the swords encasing themselves in rock. Zoro's attack soon caught up and sent the encased air blades corkscrewing forward at insane rates. The Cyanide Lance, Firebird Star and Burning Knife caught up as well, turning the weapons into a poisonous conflagration.

"Thunderbolt Tempo!" Nami cried out as she swung the Clima-Tact down. Several thunderbolts flew down from the darkened cloud, one of the striking the vulture and otter and seemingly suspending them in air for a few moments. Those extra seconds were enough as the lightning struck the combination attack, finishing the combined Straw Hat Pirate attack.

"STRAW HAT COMBINATION ATTACK: GRAND LINE DEMONSTRATION!" the seven Straw Hat Pirates cried out at the combination struck the Mr. 13 and Miss Friday pair. As the Straw Hat Pirates watched the explosion caused by the colliding attack, the New Cook Pirates, save for Gin, had slack jaws and wide eyes, Mr. 9 doing a stronger impression of a goldfish. Vivi was staring at all of them in amazement, wondering where her friend had found such a diverse cast of crewmates. Crocus and Gin were smirking in approval, the latter nodding to himself that this was expected of the crew that sailed under the future Pirate King. The former Roger Pirate's glasses shined in the light of the explosion, believing maybe that Shanks kid was right.

"So, who won?" the seven crewmembers asked as they looked over at their captain, each wondering forming an idea in their mind what they would want Luffy to do for them.

"SO COOL!"

"Wait, what?" Usopp muttered.

"That attack was so cool! That attack was cool! COOL! COOL! SO COOL! SO COOL!"

"What the hell is that Shitty Rubber Captain talking about?" Sanji said as he took a drag of his cigarette.

"Everyone won, Sanji," Nami pointed out.

"It's kinda obvious Sanji-san," Alvida interjected.

"Everyone's combination attack was so cool! Everyone on my crew gets a favor from me." He snickered as he threw a thumb at Johnny and Yosaku. "Except these two."

"Well sorry if we're not monsters like everyone else Luffy-aniki!" Johnny cried out.

"Yeah! We're only normal human swordsmen!" the other swordsman agreed. Both screamed in terror when a pipe was thrust near their heads, the two men falling to their sides as Luffy appeared over them with a pipe in hand, the elbow piece breaking the rock the near each man's head.

"You're on the future Pirate King's crew! That means the both of you are gonna be legends! And legends ain't weaklings you hear!" The captain laughed loudly. "It's training time you bunch of fools!" He turned his head to New Cook Pirates. "You lot too!" Luckily, everyone had finished their meals or else Luffy would be getting an earful from his chef.

"Eh?!"

"That slack jaw's gonna get broken!" And with that Luffy scattered the New Cook Pirates and began to attack them with impunity.

"Crocus-san?" The doctor turned to the orangette, raising an eyebrow in question. "So Luffy explained to me that the Log Pose records the magnetic signatures of the island it's on and then adjusts to the next island in the line. My question is, have these magnetic lines ever… jumped to a different island in the line?"

"Only once every one-hundred years from what I've read," Crocus supplied.

"Are the lines the Log Pose follows completely locked in once the Log Pose sets, or can they lock onto a different island on the Grand Line afterwards?"

"They can, but that's only if you wander into that island's magnetic sphere of influence. Theoretically you can set out from an island before the Log Pose sets, and hope it locks onto another island's magnetic line, but that is a very risky gamble, as I'm sure you'll find out soon enough."

"Not even a hint about why the Log Pose is designed like this?" Nami pleaded, looking down at the innocuous object tied to her wrist.

"You seem like a smart girl. I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Don't worry Nami!" The bearer of said name turned to see Luffy blur into existence in the middle of a large ring of exhausted pirates. "I have faith in you! You are of course going to be the woman who'll map the whole, wide world! You're also the greatest navigator in the world, don't forget that!" He flashed her a smile before batting a few of the New Cook Pirates with a Gomu Gomu no Muchi before turning and blocking a combined cross slash from Yosaku and Johnny. The pair could barely widen their eyes in panic before their captain grabbed Yosaku's face and tossed him bodily over his head before leaping up and roundhouse kicking the swordsman fifteen meters away. "Let's hear those bones break! That's how you know you're getting stronger!"

"How does broken bones prove we're getting stronger?!" Pearl cried out face down on the ground.

"Because what doesn't kill you makes you stronger! Shishishishi!"

"There's no way a normal person could survive this!" one of the New Cook Pirates shouted in both pain and annoyance.

"That just means it's doing its job!"

"So Vivi, how exactly do I lock in the Log Pose for Cactus Island?"

"Since there are seven starting islands there are seven notches on the Log Pose that indicate which island it has locked it. But it's only locked in for a full hour while at the Twin Capes, cycling through every time unless manually locked in afterwards. It takes an observant eye to distinguish which island is which on the Log Pose however so I think we'll be here for a wh-"

"I have the heading for Cactus Island!" Nami proclaimed proudly.

"That was fast!"

"I told you she was good Vivi! She is the greatest navigator ever!" Monkey D. Luffy gushed as he once more appeared on the scene after having thrashed his sparring partners for ten minutes straight. "So, we have our heading?" her captain asked excitedly.

"We're ready to go when you are Luffy!" she smiled back.

"I take you don't want to join us Crocus-Ossan?"

"Pirating is a for the kids. I'm in my seventies now, so I'm not as limber as I once was."

"Limber enough to launch harpoons like nothing at fucking cannonballs," Mr. 9 grumbled under his breath, not really believing the excuse for a second.

"Besides, I think you'll find what you're looking for if you continue your journey, young man. Don't forget to say goodbye to Laboon…"

"Oh yeah!" With that Luffy vanished from where he was standing and reappeared in front of Laboon's eye. "So, are you gonna be my friend, you never did give me an answer?"

"You really want to be Laboon's friend?"

"You bet!" Luffy smiled wide when he saw the whale begin to tear up in joy.

"Y-You won't leave Laboon like they did? Will you?" the Island Whale blub- ern- babbled.

"I'm the man that will become the Pirate King. If I can't keep a single promise to my friends, I don't deserve to be a pirate, let alone Pirate King. I'll even give you proof of our bond!"

What Luffy proceeded to paint on Laboon's head could be considered as a surrealist's rendition of the Straw Hat Pirates Jolly Roger. Everyone tilted their heads to the side, Crocus included, and sweatdropped as they tried to understand what exactly it was that Luffy had painted on Laboon.

"This is proof of our bond! And because it's not a tattoo, it'll come off if you ram your head against the Red Line! So, don't do that, okay!"

"I won't! Thank you, friend!"

"Set sail you louts!" Gin ordered once Luffy was done saying his goodbyes to the Island Whale. "You followed what Lady Nami told you, right Lux?" the captain asked as he turned to their crew's navigation officer. The young man nodded as he snapped to attention.

"Yes! I will not fail you Captain Gin!"

"See that you don't," the Demon Man muttered as he dismissed the man. 'I've heard tales of how utterly insane the journey to the first island of the Grand Line is.' The man scoffed to himself. 'Pirate Graveyard… Paradise… It doesn't matter what this part of the Grand Line is called or what the other part is called. Don Luffy will conquer the Grand Line and will be the Pirate King. We need to support him and his crew every step of the way.'

"Set sail everyone!" Luffy cheered as he made his way back to the Going Merry. He had once more grabbed his navigator and helmswoman in one arm and Vivi in the other and dragged them along with him onto their ship. The two siblings, the sniper, three swordsmen and one swordswoman made their way over their ship, Yosaku keeping his eyes on Mr. 9 all the while as the Baroque Works agent joined the crew.

"We'll meet again friend!" Laboon bellowed as the Going Merry and the Flaming Molotov departed from the Twin Capes for Cactus Island its only town, Whiskey Peak.

"Watch out Paradise! Here we come!" Luffy bellowed as he stood on the Going Merry's ram head, one hand on his hip and another pointing forward.

"Sabo." Said blonde turned his head from his paperwork to where Dragon was staring intently at a report in his hand. "The situation in Arabasta seems to be getting worse. From what Arno has reported it seems that the rebels have been gaining considerable ground as the weeks have passed. Civil unrest is also reaching an all new high from the news reports as well."

"That doesn't make sense though!" The scarred young man turned to his partner, Koala, as she spoke up. "Nefertari Cobra comes from considerable line of pacifistic peace lovers! Not once in that dynasty's considerable line has there ever been a despot, not since the founder's brother that was overthrown! There is no way this should be conceivably be happening!"

"And yet it is." That one statement seemed to deflate Koala, taking the wind out of her sails. "The past doesn't matter in respect to the present for humans are fickle creatures. To transcend past that is to become a better human, to understand what it means to live a just, honorable, self-disciplined, and honest life without doubt. Until that time comes humans will continue to betray one another."

"R-right." Sabo laid a hand on her shoulder and squeezed a little, drawing a small smile from her. He nodded at her before dropping his hand and turning back to The Revolutionary.

"If you frame it properly, you can see that there are several piece missing from the picture that is this conflict. One that we seemed to have found is this: Baroque Works." At that shadowy organization's name all in the senior staff room sat a little bit straighter. That group, along with its 'sister' organization, the Underworld, had long evaded the best spy's and codebreakers the Revolutionary Army had set out to uncover their sphere of power. At best they only had hearsay and tidbits of information, not enough to form a concrete picture of either organization. To find out that Baroque Works was now operating in Arabasta was an outstanding surprise. "With that piece of the puzzle, it further explains the disappearance of the kingdom's princess, Nefertari Vivi. Using biographical information and hearsay from the kingdom, as a princess of the people she more than likely infiltrated the organization, attempting to uncover the plot to destroy her beloved country. It also explains the disappearance of the Captain of the Royal Guards, Igaram of the House of Ra. Rumors say that he dotted upon the princess, since he and his wife saw her as the daughter they could never have after a complication with their first pregnancy." The detached nature that Dragon spoke of the situation was like discussing the weather for anyone else. But it was a quirk that everyone in the upper echelons of the Revolutionary Army had become used to. Afterall, he had earned that right.

"What do you need me to do?" Sabo asked as he stood from his chair and donned his jacket.

"Take Koala with you and meet up with Arno and hand him this letter." The blonde nodded his head and took the offered letter. "The two of you are to then ascertain the scope of the situation. I trust that the two of you can keep a low profile?" Nods from the two Revolutionary Officers were received. "Good. If you find the crown princess, you are to only approach her under the direst of circumstances. That island is after all one of the twenty founders of the World Government."

"We'll be like ghosts the entire time Dragon."

"See that you are." And with that the two Revolutionary officers departed the room. Their destination the Eternal Pose Repository and then armory. From there they would charter a route to Arabasta. They would of course have to take the long way to cover their trail, the route more than likely taking two to three weeks.

"Why exactly are we here again Ace?"

"I'm tracking down a traitor." A pause from the Second Division Commander occurred. "The question is, what are you still doing with me, Ms. Marine." His traveling companion of course was not dressed in her Marine Whites, nor was she wearing her Marine Coat. Instead the redhead was wearing green and brown camouflage pants and a black cotton shirt. The ever-present band-aid on her left cheek was in its usual spot though. Ensign Isuka was not a fool. There was no way she would stay a Marine if it got back to headquarters that she was seen in the company of an infamous one billion Beri wanted man.

"My division has been intercepting more chatter of a Blackbeard as of late. That figure has been rumored to have been operating in the New World and connected to the theft of several ancient artifacts worth several millions each. A Poneglyph that was being transported from one of the Marine controlled islands in the New World to Marineford was reported to have seemingly disappeared, swallowed by a mysterious dark power."

"Blackbeard…"

"It was not until recently that my Branch connected the name to a face. It seems the man had finally slipped up and couldn't properly cover his tracks… or he deliberately did so." Isuka peered over at her flame, literal and emotional, and noted his clenched fist. "A seemingly innocuous member of the Whitebeard Pirates under your very command."

"That traitorous bastard is anything but 'innocuous'. If that darkness that stole that pony-thing is anything to go by, that is the power of the Yami Yami no Mi he slew one of our brothers for two months ago."

"And that is exactly why I tracked you down Ace. The fleet that was carrying the Poneglyph consisted of fifteen Battleship class Galleons with a Vice-Admiral leading with fifteen Rear Admirals. Ace, the entire fleet was wiped out and every Marine was slaughtered, save for the Vice-Admiral himself who is in intensive care right now. Ace, it was Vice-Admiral Bastille and he more than likely won't be cleared for another two months!" The son of the late Pirate King stared at his friend(?)… flame(?)… nuisance(?)… yeah, that… he stared at her wide eyed, remembering the times he had encountered the Vice-Admirals and ranking Bastille near the top of the list of strongest Vice-Admirals. Of courses Tsuru-Baasan and Garp-Oyaji easily eclipsed all the others, but that was a moot point, as they were from Fleet Admiral Sengoku's generation. But to hear that Bastille was in that critical of a condition drew Ace short. Could Teach be that strong?

No.

None of that mattered Ace decided. He needed to find Teach and beat into the traitor's head the consequences of breaking the one and only rule of the Whitebeard Pirates.

"Isuka, none of that matters. I need to find him. Teach was under my command. He is my responsibility." Paying for his drinks, Portgas D. Ace stood from his stool and exited the bar. The disguised Marine did as well, quickly catching up to the man.

"Ace, I tracked you down because I know you would do something reckless! I won't let you throw your life away!"

"Isuka! I need to do this!" the raven head hissed as he picked up his pace. "I can't let Thatch's murderer get away!"

"Ace! Don't be an idiot!" The Whitebeard Commander summarily ignored the woman, trotting down the town's pier towards his raft, the Striker. "Please! Don't do this!"

"Isuka! Either get on or stay out of my business from now on!" His pursuer stood on the pier, staring at the man in front of her, his foot tapping impatiently. "Well!" Ace was not surprised when Isuka leapt from the platform and onto his raft.

"It's the job of the Marines to keep an eye on pirates, especially one as dangerous as you Ace!" Said man smirked as used the power of his Akuma no Mi to fire up the flame engine on his raft.

"Keep tellin' yourself that, Isuka. You just can't stay away from this handsome devil."

"You aren't that handsome Ace."

"Name a more handsome guy."

"Marco."

"That turkey!"

Far away in the New World, a certain Whitebeard Commander sneezed as he was going over paperwork for the crew.

"Why do I have the urge to kick Ace's ass?" The Mythical Zoan carrier shrugged his shoulders as he stamped an 'Approved' on a file. "Eh, I'll kick his ass the next time I see him anyway, yoi."

I am still alive. And no. I don't own One Piece.