Chapter 21:

Multiple fronts

Recap threads

The Strawhats: have arrived on the main island of Runny Rum Archiepelago (again), reunited and split up again (into teams 1 and 2) to find Luffy's uncle, the former smuggler named Coyle (alias Francisco, Francis to family). Team 1, consisting of Nami and Luffy, to their vast despair, realise that Luffy's uncle is as volatile as he is secretive (and might also be a suitable stand-in for Fat Bastard from the Austin Powers Movies, minus the cannibalism and flatulence and added padding).Meanwhile Zoro and Jinbe (team 2) has clashed with -

The Big Mom Pirates: specifically: Amande, the Demon Lady! (with some minor assistance from Dacquise and Durum). Their subordinates, while doubting their future under Big Mom, prove useful for a change.

Marines: Vice Admiral Gion tries to apprehend Luffy, Nami and Francis, and meets with partial luck, but is by no means successful.

The royals: Germa are present on the archipelago too, and they're using their influence to track down the Strawhats.

(In the museum)

For a moment Nami stood as dumbfounded as Ain, the female bluehaired marine, whom had once attacked the Strawhat pirates relentlessly, was cowering her eyes at the sight before her.

Then the navigators' sense of logic kicked in: It wasn't that surprising really: when Ain had turned Luffy's (more than) halfcrazed uncle young again, he'd regained his slim figure.

So it wasn't that surprising that he'd lose his pants, suddenly having a humans' waistline rather than a whales'.

The old smuggler in question could only look down at himself in confusion, before he gathered his loose robe around himself trying to retain some sort of decency.

Luffy struck at Ain the second she dropped her guard. Despite having closed her eyes and run off with a screech, the marine managed to evade the attack and run behind a smothered table, seeking to hide from the semi-nude man in the room.

Nami stopped Luffy from attacking her again with a firm hand on his shoulder, holding him tight "Don't! You got lucky she didn't touch you before, no reason to tempt fate"

"Fine"

All the smuggler could do, was look at the retreating marine in confusion, before giving the whole room a puzzled one over, paying particular heed to the two broken statues.

He was interrupted by Luffy, angrily yelling at him:

"Hey Froggle! We need to go, NOW!" he pointed at the blocked doorway.

"Huh? Who the hell is Froggle?" the smuggler looked at Luffy with a non-existent eyebrow raised at him, his face returned to how it had been decades before, identical to his wanted poster and the ghost-memory the pirates had met earlier that day. The only difference was that he looked confused at the world instead of coldly judging it. As Luffy kept saying they had to go, the old smuggler-turned-young-again was continuously muttering things along the line of "…and where the hell am I anyway, this place looks as if a giant farted in a library…"

Though Luffy laughed at the comment, Nami was getting a nervous tick.

She took a nervous breath, thinking this isn't going to be easy… "Well, here's the deal…"

"Hey Bird, wait just a second, while I figure out what in tarnation I'm doing here" the man looked around with a puzzled expression at the now even more decimated room.

Nami blinked in confusion, as the man turned around and looked straight at the two statues, before walking over to them.

"Ok… this is a weird day…" the smuggler said while looking down on the stone statue, "I really don't know who'd want a statue of Hoodie, but sure…" then he turned to the golden one "and WHO would make an ugly one of me?" walking over to it, he gave the pair a confused look "I mean: Do I look, like I'd wield some oversized cleaver and go rampaging around, like some madman? Do I look like one of Xebecs' nutters from the Rocks or something?"

Both pirates blinked at him.

Then Nami raised a finger.

"You don't know where you are, do you?"

"Not yet, but I'm getting there" the smuggler gave her a confident smirk beneath the hood of his robe "So far it looks like I'm at the third weirdest bachelorette party I've ever been to"

"Wah… what party?!" Luffy beamed at his uncle, his objective briefly forgotten.

Nami stared aghast at the smuggler, not knowing what to think, except for "WHY… would you think, you were at a bachelorette party?!"

"Well I'm obviously dressed as the male entertainment…" Francis gestured at his robe (and lack of pants) "…and given the other birds' reaction from before, I assume she's not one of your friends who got frisky (though who can blame her?), but rather is here to close the party, explaining why there's none of your posse around" he waved at the room "Though they've obviously been here, or should I say olfactory been here? Guha!" he laughed the last bit, briefly flashing the pirates a charming smile, before mumbling about it being a bad joke anyway.

"...What old factory?"

"Olfactory, Luffy" Nami corrected him "He's saying he can smell women… I think"

"Ding ding , Bride gets a prize" the smuggler gave her a thumbs up, before his mouth dropped "NOT, from me though, very much against that sort of thing"

Nami, blinked at the man, not certain how to respond, until the penny dropped "BRIDE? Why'd you think I was getting married? And to whom?"

The smuggler gave her a deadpan stare that all too clearly said: Really? Then he smiled again "Hmm, let's summarize:" He started to hold up fingers "1. Since the marines showed up, I figured that the bride'd be the most likely to fight back, and you're the only one here…" he shrugged at Nami as he held up the second finger "2. I bear some passing physical resemblance to this guy" he pointed at Luffy "Though I have better hair, and It'd make sense for one of the bridesmaids to hire a guy that looked like the groom…." Before Nami could object, to his crazy reasoning (Or Luffy could deny getting married or asking what a groom was) the smuggler continued "3. You still haven't let go of your boy after you stopped him from attacking little miss screechy there" he pointed at Ain, whom both pirates had forgotten till then. (Nami quickly let go of Luffy's shoulder).

The marine had composed herself enough to try and sneak up on Nami, but was currently standing stockstill, still keeping a hand over her eyes in case Francis had another wardrobe malfunction.

Luffy's hand flew out, and again Ain barely avoided it, letting it demolish a part of the wall.

As Nami saw the marine reach for his arm, no doubt intending to turn the captain into a child, her staff flew out and a small tornado filled the room.

Small scraps of paper, dirt and occasionally marines, whirled around the room, caught in the twisters path.

Ain landed on the other side of the wall, and even as Nami thought the marine was down, she got up, brushing plaster off of her shoulder with a scowl, before, looking at the three individuals with eyes simmering with rage.

Then she ducked underneath a sudden wave of darkness with a yelp.

As both pirates whipped their heads around, they saw that it had erupted from Francis' fingers.

"Get lost bird, or I'm going to aim for the chest next time! Always plenty to hit there."

Ain looked frightened at him for a moment, then hurriedly left the scene, deciding against facing 3 opponents.

"Nice one… eh… Fraille?"

Though the smuggler gave Luffy a bemused look, he simply smiled at him, waving it off

"No need to thank me, not a friend of the marines myself…"

"But we still got to go!" Luffy yelped, suddenly remembering why they'd come and grabbed the smugglers' wrist, pulling him towards the hole in the wall.

"You go that way, I go somewhere else, now don't get me wrong, I don't mind the outfit here, but I kinda prefer pants over drapes and oversized hammocks"

"NO! We got to go together, mother…"

"I don't even know you two! Or your mum! let me go!"

"Wha…"

"HOLD IT!"

Both looked at Nami, who were running a nervous hand through her tangled hair, eventually she said:

"You don't know who we are? You know damn well near everything!"

"… No one knows everything Bird… that's part of what makes life great" the smuggler smiled, though it was strained, as he was trying to get out of Luffy's grip.

"Okay, this might take a while to explain to you but…"

(In the hallway)

Something came storming down the shadowy hallway, not noticing anything around them, even as the figure sped right past a duo, hidden in the shadows of a glass cabinet.

"…Miss, should we? Ehrm…" one meek and puzzled voice began, while looking at the figure as that had sprinted past them as if they'd had the hounds of hell following straight behind them.

"…no…" a second, more feminine, but no less surprised, voice responded, before regaining some more confidence "No, I don't think so, if the marines suddenly heard that racket stop they know something was up and come searching" they turned towards where the figure had come from "better to wait and see"

The meek voice saluted the second one and responded "As you command miss" before summarising her plan "Wait and see… and perhaps ambush"

"Exactly"

While she thought that'd be the resumption of a silent ad vigilant watch, her companion mumbled something about wanting to try out a trick with lightning.

In the dark corridor, she decided to let him indulge in his little idea, considering their prey's...tendencies, it just might work

(elsewhere in the museum)

"So you say I got turned young by the screechy bird from before?"

"Yes" Nami nodded at the smuggler

"And that my mind got turned young as well, even if that's not what usually happens when she uses her powers?"

"Yes"

"And now you're needing me for something because some friends of yours got ill? And there were some princesses, some pirates, someone else's kids, some pirate fop prince and something about a guy with supernosebleeding that wrecked you guys' bathroom right?"

"Well that's… ehrm…" Nami swallowed, having bad feeling of where things were going, she'd intentionally not elaborated on Coyle's relationship with Rindo and Marguerite, bearing in mind his echo's reaction from earlier, nor mentioned that he was related to Luffy as well, fearing it'd backfire.

"Do you realise how nonsensical it all sounds?"

Inwardly Nami groaned at the smuggler. To a certain extent he was right, their story until that point had been roundabout with little to no sense at all, but now wasn't the time for that talk "Listen, all of what I told you is true… even the parts that doesn't make sense to you…"

"And I'm not getting married to anyone!"

"Guha, sure thing kid" the smuggler smiled almost overbearingly at Luffy, not believing him in the slightest.

"Listen: You've got to come with us! It's a matter of life or death!"

"Nope, forget about it" the smuggler replied with a flippant expression, before he picked up one of his decade old notes from the floor with a slightly raised eyebrow, examining the paper closely.

"Uhhh" Nami was at a loss of words before she could utter an uncertain "…Mr. Coyle…" he looked at Nami and shushed her, then folded his hands and closed his eyes.

Both Nami and Luffy had seen his Ghost-echo do it earlier, and knew he was concentrating on finding something, or someone.

Then he smiled.

"Ok… now that I know that, I'm good to go" he smiled at the pair "Don't feel bad, this is a really nice scene and the beaten Marines and the silly Bird was a nice touch, really…" he held up both hands towards them and gave them a lopsided smirk "Same with some of my old notes spread around… But I'm not falling for it, good joke though!" the consoling way he spoke, it almost felt like he was saying: Don't feel bad, I think you did great! Just not enough.

The smuggler then turned around and addressed the room with a booming voice "Okay Gigz, you've had your fun, time to stop this charade!"

When he didn't receive any response Coyle simply scratched his neck and continued "Okay… if it isn't Gigz, it must be Beck… in which case I really don't think it's a nice birthday present for lil' Buck, she's way too young to think any of this is funny!" he waved his arms as if to flap them like wings, venting his frustrations at the continued silence.

Then he turned to approach the pair, eyeing them suspiciously

"Ok, who hired you? Castello? Gnocchi? Two-tongued Ann?" he tapped his foot impatiently when all the pirates gave him were empty stares.

Folding his arms across his chest, the smugglers voice turned downright annoyed "If you're some of Umit's guys, I've told him already: Those fruits are mine, Not for sale, not for trade and definitely Not. For. Him!" he hunkered up in his clothes and made for the hole in the wall "Tell Umit to get that into his stupid misshapen head and let me do my business in peace!"

While Nami was speechless, caught in a loop of confusion, her captain yelled back

"I'm not working for that guy! I'm Luffy and I'm gonna be Pirate King!"

Coyle stopped midstep,

and turned,

looked at Luffy,

and laughed!

"Guhahahahahahahahaaaa!" he bent over, holding his stomach "I'm all for dreams and big goals buddy, but… you're not Roger!" he continued to snicker at the captain wiping a tear from his eye "You might as well try to Kill Whitebeard now you're at it! Guhaha"

"They're both dead!"

For a moment, the smuggler looked at her, stunned,

then he laughed, and kept laughing clutching his stomach and only stopped when his lungs wouldn't let him anymore, then he coughed.

"You're killing me here bird! Guhahahahaaa!"

"What's the next going to be, the Red Line has tipped over and formed a circle continent?"

Nami, tired of the constant delays, decided that enough was enough "Your sister Fran sent us!"

This finally made the smuggler stop and listen "…where'd you get the idea I have a sister?"

"Enough of that: Your name is Francis, Isle D. Francis. Your sister is called Francesca, Fran to family."

Coyle looked at her with wide eyes, his mouth threatening to pop open and hit the pavement "I mean it, where'd you hear all that?!"

"Mother told us"

"…and who's your mother?"

"That… would be your sister Fran…" Nami said slowly, not knowing how Coyle would react to meeting his nephew for the first time, even as Luffy waved enthusiastically at him.

"Hi unc-" Luffy didn't get to finish as Coyle slapped his head so hard, the strawhat captains' jaw went around his head twice

"MY SISTER'S SEVENTEEN!" he roared furiously; his eyes almost red with rage, while his whole body trembled beneath his threadbare robe, making him resemble a pot that was starting to boil over "No way you're my nephew! And who the hell even went and… what kind of degenerate idiot would even think of marrying my sister?!"

"…His dad…" Nami pointed sheepishly at Luffy, expecting Coyle to show even more similarities with his younger sibling, reaching for furniture to be broken over the captains' head and calling him every bad name in the book.

"You called her your little deadly hazard in the letters" Nami pleaded with the smuggler, hoping to avoid a repetition of Luffy's reunion with Fran, all the while the smuggler looked ready to explode "She showed us…"

"You read my private letters for home! The hell?"

"Mother showed us!" Luffy repeated after he'd put his jaw back in place, looking ready to fight the smuggler, though he also took a step back from his volatile relative.

"Listen, we know this sounds crazy to you… but we're telling the truth!"

"To hell with truth!" the smuggler bellowed as he pointed at the two, his fingers turning dark as pitch, no doubt his haki-shot charging up to blast little holes in the two pirates.

"Listen to this!" Nami quickly slammed her hands over Luffy's ears "Gushishishi" she quoted hastily. The sound had the desired effect, as Coyle visibly cringed at it.

"That's how your sister laughed, back when you were younger, remember? She's also super accident prone! Whenever she tries to do housework weird things happen! Like tornadoes or earthquakes… she always blames the weather or something!"

The she let go of her captains' head "Luffy lived through all of that, that's why I had to make sure he didn't hear it again, you…" She pointed at Coyle "Yes a… you from earlier called it a trauma…(gods' knows that's true!) and I know that he's not named like the rest of your family, but you've got to believe us: he really is your nephew!" she gasped as she finished, hoping she'd gotten through to the man in front of her.

The smuggler in question, could only give her a befuddled look, eyes twitching like crazy, his fingers still raised to strike.

"Nami why'd you say all that about me and mom?" Luffy interrupted innocently, earning him confused looks from both "I mean he already knows all that and we got to get going, we've already wasted enough time here!"

"Luffy… how can you be this stupid?" Nami muttered as she slapped her forehead, aghast at her captains way of thinking.

"It happens when I'm hungry" he held on to his stomach with a whiny expression "Mom stole all my food!"

"You do that all the time!"

"That's because you guys don't eat fast enough!" the captain defended himself while pointing a finger at Nami, before turning to an even more jittery Coyle, "Listen, you are going to come with us, help our friends, talk to mom and get her off our case! And then we'll get a nice dinner together!" he finished with a broad greedy smile.

"You…" the smuggler began, his voice bordering on unbelieving and furious "…think the world will help you just because you say we've got to go! Expect me to believe an insane story about incoherent gibberish without any basis or proper proof, other than your word…" he stopped, his rapid breath almost preventing him from talking, setting both Strawhats on edge "You act as if you were an odd mental-crossbred mongrel between the maturity of a toddler and the manners of a wild animal that somehow managed to stand on its hindlegs and simultaneously butcher the spoken language with your lack of logic alone…" he almost spat the words, his eyes turning wild and unfocussed, his appearance turning ever more deranged as the syllables escaped his mouth.

"And to top it all off, You specifically ask me to stay around and speak sense with a natural disaster in female form with the intelligence and integrity of a kitten! AS IF THAT WASN'T A BIG THING AT ALL!"

Nami had the faint feeling that he was going to blow up at any moment.

Especially after Luffy gave his uncle an enthusiastic nod, a thumps up, a grin that could outshine the sun on a good day and his usual confidence "I don't know about all that, but we'll take that as it comes"

The captains eyes widened as Coyle suddenly took a swift step forward.

Luffy tried to duck as the smugglers' hands shot towards his neck.

He wasn't fast enough,

And was caught in the smugglers grip instantly,

His uncle forced his head close to the pirate captains and breathed an almost tear choked "You're definitely Fran's kid!"

(In the town)

Zoro ducked to the side as he avoided yet another sword strike from the tall longnecked woman.

When he'd fought Kaku back in Water Seven, the long neck of his opponent had been his advantage.

But now he realised that it was more because the CP9 agent hadn't been used to his new physiology, rather than the swordsmans' own skill.

This opponent was used to a long neck, she used it to add to her point of gravity so her strikes could be more potent and precise. What was worse, she could freely manipulate it, making her attacks all the more unpredictable. It didn't matter that she was slower than him, her mastery left the swordsman with precious few ways to counter her attacks.

He had three swords, she only one, and she was still pushing him further and further back. Away from Jinbe. Though he kept telling himself that the fishman could handle those two opponents that circled him, the swordsman hadn't forgotten that there were more of big Mom's forces in the town, and at some point, they were bound to notice the commotion.

If the marines did so, it wasn't a big problem, they'd be noisy and shout for them to surrender, ruthless pirates wouldn't give you that sort of opening.

Dodging beneath another sword swing, Zoro noted how the building behind him was sliced up.

"Funny…"

"What?" his opponent grumbled at him, getting slightly impatient at her persistent inability to strike him down.

"This reminds me of another battle some years back" the blades in his hands flashed, both striking at her from above, but the woman parried one with her sword and evaded the other,

Spun,

And backhanded Zoro flat across the face with a smack, sending him stumbling to the side, momentarily dazed but for the stinging sensation that was rapidly spreading across his cheek

"You performed as poorly against them I assume?"

"Actually…" he stuck at her left side with both hands, one after the other, forcing her to parry the blows with an overhead swing, having her own sword face downwards.

It held the swords in check.

But it also exposed her left flank.

He whipped his head to the right, sending the sword between his teeth flashing towards her unprotected side.

Victory was his!

If only his opponent hadn't kneed him in the belly.

As the blow registered in his head, he felt bile rise in his throat.

He almost coughed, which would've lost him his most prized sword,

And no doubt also his head, as the statuesque bluehaired woman used her opening to force the swordblows she'd parried and strike at his neck.

Only in the last second did his strength return and he could push back.

"I believe you were going to say that you won?" her tone was deep and calm, lacking any condescending tone or even fatigue.

If it wasn't because she was actively trying to kill him, Zoro would've been reminded of his teacher back home after hours of drilling him through this move and that counter!

There was something eerily familiar about the attitude too,

as if the woman knew exactly when to slash him to end it all!

All that lacked was the willingness to end the game…

Steeling himself, Zoro leapt forward, intent on striking the woman down before she decided she was bored.

(In the museum)

"So what convinced ya?"

"Well the stealing food part was a dead giveaway" Coyle smirked, before he broke into a wide grin "Fran and 'Nando both do that all the time… once I didn't eat for three days because they…"

"Who's that?" Luffy asked as the trio, the two Strawhat pirates and Luffy's own age-regressed uncle, hurried through the hallway of the museum, hoping to avoid the marines.

"Another of your uncles, wants to eat a ship weight in food each and every day, doesn't get the idea of sharing, has a thing for wearing stupid hats everywhere… you know, I think you'll like him" Coyle smiled at Luffy before having a nervous look flash across his face "Wait…is my baby-brother still alive?"

"What're you talking about now? Get back to the ship full of food!" Luffy blurted out impatiently

"…You really are Fran's kid…" Coyle chuckled as he for the umpteenth time hunkered up in the robe that he'd wrapped around himself, pulling his travelbag after him, though its weight slowed him down.

"So what're we running for anyway?" the smuggler asked as he gave the two a inquisitive look "It's unlikely that you're trying to get together for dinner"

"We're getting dinner after we're done!"

"Of course we are! On a nice restaurant, 8-12 full courses, whole family, whatever friends you've got, though someone has to keep Fran far away from the kitchen…" Coyle trailed off "But really, why is it that you need my help for helping your friends? Need some special medicine? I usually don't deal with that stuff, but I'll see what I can do" He flashed a confident smile at the two as the skidded down the hall.

"That's… not exactly it…" Nami tried to break it to him gently, once more remembering the interaction earlier that day.

"They're my cousins!" Luffy blurted out, his tone both excited at having two cousins, but also lamenting that he might lose them if they didn't hurry.

Coyle gave Luffy a surprised look "I HAVE NIECES TOO?!" a moment after he'd almost made both of them deaf, the smuggler began to run faster down the hall "THE HELL WE'RE WAITING HERE FOR, LET'S GOOOOOO!"

Nami blinked as Luffy's uncle accelerated down the hall, faster than she herself would jump for gold, before she turned to her captain "I'm starting to see a resemblance between you two..."

"I'm nothing like MOM!"

the navigator nodded sagely, amused at her captains' logic "But... I guess it's a good idea not to tell him that he's the father and not the uncle, he didn't seem to like Kuja that much earlier" (authors note: that was in chapter 20).

"Ok, it's a secret then" Luffy smiled at her, Nami grimacing at her captain, every experience with the rubberman told her that Luffy's uncle would know about it in less than 5 minutes. Sooner if Luffy got overexcited.

"Better catch up with him fast..." Nami turned to see Coyle skid to a halt somewhere up ahead, turning sharply to the side with a whiplike snap and opened his mouth.

"Hey bird, you or gourd-head there know where the exit is?"

(In town)

Seeing the feeling masses beginning to thin as he got further up the hill, he began to hear the sounds of battle more clearly.

the crack of mortar and cobblestones as fists and bodies hit them with crushing force, the grunt of men as they strained against strong opponents.

there was a more prevalent sound however...

the sound of blades screeching against each other.

a moment later, he recognised the sound and immediately knew at least one of the fighters,

and it made him smile.

Hmm, I wonder if my little playmate has gotten better since last time.

he adjusted his trench coat, pulling it closer around his already shrouded form.

Then he was pushed aside from behind.

"Move peasant! Make way for Royalty!"

Turning angrily, he saw nothing but the backs of about two dozen soldiers, led by some white cloaked ginger that walked as if he owned the whole world and was about to redecorate it with gaudier colours and a liberal sprinkling of statues and paintings of himself and beautiful women.

A prince no doubt... a pathetic entitled little brat...Don't need to kill him just because of that... yet...have to kill that fat one... he mentally reminded himself, as he saw the entire group walk further up hill, but something told him it wasn't for the battle he was going to witness.

Too bad he couldn't deal with that fop then and there, but there were too many witnesses. And his mission took first priority, his last mission...

But he couldn't kill that fat worm yet.

First, he had to locate the target, but with the chaos that the town was in, it'd be practically impossible to find him and that severely hindered stage 2-11 (which included surveillance, extraction, interrogation, termination and covering tracks).

Better to wait it out until things died down and his target presented themselves.

Smiling as he made his way towards the ruckus, he reasoned that until the chaos died down at least I can enjoy what's causing the chaos!

(in the museum)

She blinked in confusion.

They weren't supposed to have been spotted, yet the figure in front of them had managed just that.

and was asking them for directions!

In the darkness she couldn't see how the person looked like, but the voice was vaguely familiar.

Brushing the thought aside, she simply pointed in the direction of the exit.

The figure seemed like it gave her a thumbs-up and thank her, before turning to the side and shouting "Hey dummy! Bird! it's this way!"

The he ran on in the direction she'd pointed to.

A moment later, two other figures ran up to them "Thanks!" one said joyfully, while the other, more slender-looking blurted out "Sorry for the trouble, it's been a bit of a…"

More she didn't get to say, as Galette recognised the all too familiar voices and promptly used her devilfruit powers to smash both Strawhat and his orangehaired navigator into the glasscabinets with a loud crash!

(On Dvorak)

Despite the situation, Sanji hummed.

Sure he didn't have Nami with him at the moment (she was with Luffy and that sucked! (That she was still angry at him sucked more though)) or Violet-chan (who was off with that little boothlicker of a museums' director (Fallon, Flagon, Fallout or something), but only to get better naturally, not because she liked the little man, but it still sucked!), Franky and Usopp were with him too, the Cyborg being busy with shoring up the buildings' foundation in case there were any more freak weather (the chef gazed nervously in the owner of the houses' direction, fortunately it seemed Luffy's mom was more concerned about her nieces than helping in the kitchen, or snap Sanji's cigarettes out of his mouth) while the longnosed, cowardly sniper tried to hide, both from any other weather changes and to get out of helping Franky.

Sanji didn't see much of Chopper, as the reindeer was up to over his antlers in treating Rindo-chan and Marguerite-chan, all while being under the matron of the houses' harsh scrutiny (and appraising look (she seemed to think that what Chopper was done being a doctor, Sanji'd turn him into lunch)).

The former prince himself had been put in charge of washing the dishes and cleaning the living room.

The great thing for him was that both Carrot, Vivi and Rebecca had volunteered to help him and were having fun laughing at this and that.

The only thing the Chef lacked at this present moment for the world to be perfect were that they were all at a pool (with Nami, Robin, Shirahoshi and Violet present too) and he was serving them all food before frolicking in the water. All while the rest of the crew were off getting more women for the party (many many more!).

The only thing that was wrong with the situation, was the subject "- I'm so sorry I didn't go with you when you and Rindo-san got on Cavendish-sans' ship!" Rebecca bemoaned to Vivi "I'm certain that I would've been able to help you!" (authors note: that was way back in chapter 4 and 5).

"That's very nice of you Rebecca-chan, but I don't think you could've made the man see sense" Vivi responded as she dried off a plate "He was pretty selfabsorbed… except when it came to his horse"

"I fought against both him and the Beheader back home!" the pinkhaired girl retorted, both with a semi offended huff and with more than a hint of pride "Why, I even outlasted both of them in the arena!" she finished smugly, much to Vivi and Carrots' surprise. Despite himself, Sanji didn't believe her completely, slowly puffing on his cigarette.

Got to be more to that story…

"That's amazing!" the mink gushed at the former gladiator, her eyes getting a starry shine at the thought of an all out brawl between a dozen races she'd only heard of but never seen "The seas sure are a wonderland!"

While the white mink was caught up in her imagination, the bluehaired princess nudged her pinkhaired friend in the side "Speaking to a man, isn't the same as fighting him…" her words were gentle and bit overbearing, but not enough for it to sound sarcastic.

Sanji couldn't help but smile, she's so kind and bright! (and attractive in that apron!)

His happiness promptly stopped as Vivi continued

"Besides, he's really unpleasant when he's sleeping… and his bedroom is a nightmare"

Why were you in his bedroom Vivi-chan?! Sanji raged inwardly, almost snapping a plate in half as his fantasy turned against him, imagining the bluehaired beauty in a skimpy nightgown longing on a wide bed, telling this Cavendish (a dozen points suddenly appeared in Sanji's mind, all of them containing different swearwords and how he was better than the other pirate (despite being a captain)) that she "wasn't tired, not at all... Just felt like going to bed…"

It didn't get better as Rebecca answered:

"Yeah, I know how he is when he sleeps…" the former gladiator sighed in exhaustion, and what sounded like fear to Sanji (who were asking himself if Viola knew about this?), before continuing "He almost killed me…"

Really, does Viola know about this?

"Good thing you got off that madmans' ship Vivi-chan!"

Looking at the chef, Rebecca gave him a reassuring smile "Oh Cavendish-san isn't crazy… he just has a bad habit of fighting in his sleep…" the pinkhaired girl shivered at the thought.

"No kidding" Vivi agreed "You should have seen how his crew kept him chained up in his own quarters Sanji-san… His bed wasn't very different from an ironmaiden!"

"I can understand the precaution" Rebecca nodded as she wiped another plate before handing it to Carrot to put in its place "He was hard enough to face in the arena, I wouldn't dare to imagine how it'd be like in the confines of a ship!"

The chef calmed down slightly at this, assuming (correctly) that nothing had been going on between this Cavendish and the women-chans.

"I must say Sanji-kun…" the bluehaired princess smiled at him, making the chef grow weak at the knees "You've really gathered some powerful underlings"

"They're not as strong as we are though!" the chef defended himself, fearing the princesses might be too interested in the underlings instead of the real pirates (Namely himself), though as Usopp entered the room, he reconsidered his words.

"Hey, the scary woman doesn't come in here, right?" after seeing the four peoples' energetic nodding the sniper breathed a sigh of relief "Good she was starting to get creepy with some of her… family talk"

Again, the whole room nodded.

They all knew what he was talking about.

"This is how you act like Women" as Taught by Francesca D. Isle… to the target audience (the teachers' two nieces) it was somewhat educational… in a chaotic and very authoritarian way, in intervals plagued by oxymorons and leaps in logic that made it sound like a fairy tale (which is a summary of education from a teenagers' Point of view).

To everybody else within earshot, it was very informative, just not in the way Fran-sensei had planned. It was a study in understanding the mind of a woman that had had her way all too often and wasn't entirely certain about the rules of nature, the universe, common etiquette or card games.

And for completely incomprehensible reasons, it was also a woman that could cause untold destruction by taking out the trash, which she blamed on the weather.

Always the weather…

"Lucy-sans' mother is really something isn't she?"

"You said it Rebecca-chan"

"Do you think she'd be happier if she got Garchu?"

"I certainly would!"

"As if you need that Sanji" Usopp snickered, which the chef silenced with an angry glare.

Vivi, sensing the need for a subject change, opened her mouth "We were just talking about some of your new underling crews" to which Usopp smiled broadly "You've met them right?"

"Yeah, I remember those guys, the battle was horrible…" the sniper shivered, seemingly thinking back to a particularly painful memory, before he lit up like two hundred Christmas threes "But the party afterwards was awesome!"

"Yeah, you know we've met… the erhm…" Vivi struggled with the words, allowing Rebecca to finish for her "Cavendish-san"

"Oh yeah, that guy… bit pompous for me, I kinda like Bartholomeo better than him though…" The sniper scratched his chin "Please don't tell him I said that!" he hurriedly said, waving a hand in front of him "He's kinda like Sanji… But instead of women, he's like that towards our whole crew!"

Slowly, The chefs' mouth began to drop down, almost hitting the floor. After Sanji involuntarily dropped his cigarette, his eyes narrowed "Did he try anything with Robin-schwan?"

Usopp simply shrugged "He asked her autograph, same as with the rest of us really…"

"He got Robin-schwans' handwriting?!" he shook, thinking to himself why'd I never think of that? It'd be like having a small piece of her with me all the time!

"He sounds more like a superfan than a pirate…"

"Bartolomeo sure is that… and Cavendish'd wish he had him instead of us" The sniper shrugged with a small laugh "But they're nice enough, same with the rest of the fleet really, sure Orlumbus is a bit loud and stuffy, Ideo only wants to… we'll you've kinda met him already…" Usopp said with a dismissive wave of his hand, clearing his throat before he continued "Sai's a bit funny, hopefully being married has made him settle down…"

"Oh yes, I remember her, Baby5-san looked so happy with him!"

"As long as both were, then everything's well, I suppose… Oh yeah, you guys haven't heard the news, have you?"

"What?"

"Sanji almost got married!"

The chef gave the sniper a furious look that all but screamed: Don't tell them that! (They might think I'm taken or something), even as he greeted the girls' smiles and genuine "Congratulations" and "How'd you meet?" or "Who is she?", not to mention the half disappointed half accusingly "Does Viola-san know about this?" from Rebecca, which made him slightly nervous. Naturally she would… she peeked in my head, but she still wanted me to be her special friend! Sanji thought, slightly relieved, but still nervous that the others would think he was a married man and off the market. (authors note: that was in chapters 12 and 13)

Trying to answer all the questions at once left the chef more than a bit out of breath (beautiful women had a tendency to do that), but thinking himself safe made up for it.

Then:

"The hell is going on in here?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing,

And turned to look at the door.

All five people realising with the same quiet dread:

Pipe puffing,

Narrow eyed,

Mouth a straight line of apathy slowly evaporating and turning into anger,

The matron of the house had entered the kitchen.

And all shrunk back, nervous that the woman would start yapping off,

or worse,

try and help them.

"What? Cat got your tongue?"

Viv was the first to collect herself "Nope", Carrot followed suit swiftly thereafter "No cats here, I would have garchu'd' it!", and Rebecca thirdly "We're just surprised to see you"

"We thought you'd be with your nieces all the time"

"Usopp's right, your little niece-chans" Sanji reminded Fran, who could only raise an eyebrow at them.

Before giving the group an annoyed scowl "Ye haven't answered my first question…"

"We're just cleaning up!" Rebecca hurried, showing the woman the wiped plates in the counter.

Fran continued to look around the kitchen, before she pointed at the floor "the hell you are"

Sanji paled a little as he realised, he'd forgotten the cigarette he'd dropped on the floor, and he started to shake when Fan moved towards it "Let me do that for you Fran-cha-"

Not even the chef could move fast enough to avoid the slap that caught him across the face.

"What was that for?"

"Why're you hitting Sanji-san?"

"Can it Blue hair, Pink Hair, bunny ears…" the three women stood stockstill (though Carrot was mumbling I didn't even say anything! Under her breath) as the matron grabbed Sanji by the collar.

"What'd I tell ye boy?" she shook the chef, making his hair resemble a haystack "What'd I tell ya?!"

Sanji, for his part, tried his best to answer her "R-r-royals don have a s-sai 'n' ur house?"

"Nope!" she grabbed the cigarette out of his mouth, holding it directly in front of his face menacingly "I said: this is a pipe house! Does this look like a pipe to you?"

Deep in his mind, Sanji couldn't quell the urge to tell the woman that her home didn't look like a house, but he was too focussed on not clattering his teeth together to say it.

"N-no, It's a Cigarette!" the chef managed to stammer, loudly enough for Fran to stop shaking him "You raise your voice in my home Vinsmoke, and I'm shoving my foot farther up your-"

"Please be quiet!" a voice cut through what would undoubtedly have been a threat of forced intrusion into a body with extreme prejudice and footwear (also likely explosives if Fran found any (Or found out Usopp had some in his bag)).

All five pairs of eyes turned to the little reindeer in the door opening "Mrs. Fran, your nieces need rest! Rest!" the diminutive doctor repeated sternly, giving the woman a rare case of bad conscience. Sanji could only assume as much, since the woman let him go and left the kitchen in one smooth move, dragging the little squirming reindeer behind her.

"…At least she won't cause any trouble watching over Rindo-san and Marguerite-san" Rebecca said soothingly, barely above a whisper, lest the host heard her "So We'll have a bit of quiet"

"Yeah…" Vivi agreed "Makes you wonder though…"

"About what Vivi?" Usopp gave her a concerned look

"She warned Luffy and Nami of her brother…"

"…And Luffy and Nami-schwann better not anger him…" Sanji finished her sentence, thinking back to what an unpleasant experience he'd had earlier meeting the young version of the infamous smuggler.

"He was a big enough problem back then…" he grumbled angrily under his breath

"Right, you've met him, what was he like Sanji-san?"

"Well Rebecca-chan… He was absolutely insane… tried to harm Nami-schwann and thought some really bad things about Violet…" Sanji explained all that had happened, eliciting gasps and astounding silence even if they'd heard most of it before (the blonde kept adding details about what had happened, putting special emphasis on Coyle/Francis' treatment of women) "I can't forgive that man!"

"But Sanji, Luffy and Nami said he also helped them escape and…" Usopp fell silent as the chef shot him a peeved deadpan look.

"He really is an unpleasant and cruel person…" the chef underlined as he bent down and started to clean up the remains of his squashed smoke with a small broom.

"He can't be all bad…" Rebecca mused with pouted lips as she leaned against the desk with folded arms "His sister seems to love him well enough"

Sighing, the chef straightened up and pursed his lips while his brow furrowed

"Come on, don't be stubborn Sanji" the sniper whined "Let's hear about the guy"

Grunting (as manly as he could, there were women-chans present) Sanji started his tale with a "I'm telling you, that person is bad news for the crew!"

(In Mariejois)

Nyon put the den den mushi down, sweating bullets, simply from explaining what had been going on for the better part of two weeks.

Naturally, the news that 8 women were currently travelling with Luffy, hadn't made the empress of Kuja, Boa Hancock, all that happy.

In fact, the screech the woman-child let out had threatened to make elder Nyon deaf.

Not to mention her company.

The king of Sakura kingdom was still keeping his hands over his ears, just in case the den den mushi sprang to life again.

"Do…" the king of Lulusia gave the snail a nervous look before he continued "Do you think she's going to kill him?" he tried to light his cigar with a match after he finished, but his trembling fingers made it impossible to hold still for the flame to catch.

Nyon shook her head, knowing the empress better than any royal int the world, swiftly concluding that: it's more likely she's going to try and kill all the women he's sailing with… "No, the others' I'm not so sure about though… she's got a special fate in store for Strawhat when she captures him…" Nyon didn't see any reason to tell them that it involved a wedding dress, but she was quite certain that the Pirate Empress was setting sail for the new world with the Kuja Pirates. It wouldn't take them long to reach Runny Rum Archipelago.

Poor strawhat, there's no way he'd like marriage, but if he doesn't do that, then the empress might kill those poor girls… the former queen thought as she stood up and walked towards the door

"Better get ready…" Nyon sighed in defeat, to herself, her company and no one in particular, not looking forward to what would certainly come

"I bet she'll demand I come with her…"

(In the museum)

"Is this everyone?"

"Yes Vice Admiral" the marines confirmed, saluting the shorter woman in front of him "All of our wounded are being treated as we speak, no casualties, despite the pirates' best efforts"

"You mean that mans' best efforts, Strawhats' uncle" Gion grumbled annoyed, not just at the mans' mistake (minor as it was, she expected better from a Marine Elite) but at the whole situation.

Somehow the Navigator had bested her, sealed off the room and escaped with both Strawhat and his marauding uncle. Strange, she pondered slowly, I never knew Garp-san had another son… I have look into this!

What was also a problem for Gion was that Ain had also vanished for the time being, no doubt trying to make a run for it.

Figures! The vice admiral thought as she looked over the 7 men that was in battle-ready condition, I'd want to escape too if Durkey had been my warden, she gave the man a harsh stare that made him cringe and slump his shoulders, Not only a pig, but a coward, she concluded, remembering the mans' attempt to go with the wounded to the infirmary citing severe injuries (a few strained toes he'd said, preventing him from walking he'd said) that would make him a burden for combat, as if he wasn't before meeting the enemy, Gion's nostrils flared angrily, before turning to address her group.

"Let's get up and Move, they can't have gone far! Strawhat has top priority!" While she'd meant every word, in the back of her mind, Gion hoped they'd find Ain along the way, or the woman decided to turn herself in and get a reduced sentence.

Ain could do that, unlike Strawhat, his orangehaired accomplice and after the beating some of her men had received, especially not the supposed uncle of the pirate captain.

Scoffing, Gion momentarily wondered if that… man could be as bad as Strawhat at causing chaos… or like Coyle in his heyday….

the vice admiral supressed a shudder at the memory,

hoping that no one ever got to experience anythign like what befell Vierno over 20 years ago.

(In the museum)

Nami looked down at herself and Luffy in confusion, something huge and greasy covering them, it was as if they were caught in a pair of giant bubbles.

This feels weirdly familiar…

"What the… are we covered in butter?" she struggled against the fatty mass that held her to the wall.

"Indeed, you are" the red dressed woman started with smile on her face at the pair of Strawhats pirates in front of her, strung up against the cabinets and the wall, a large glob of yellowy butter holding them in place, preventing any escape. Next to her, there was someone that held up a light to illuminate the hallway. In the darkness beneath the lamb, a short form with a broad head was barely visibly. The floor had been strewn with pieces of broken cabinet and what they had contained, broken pottery, books and decade old clothes.

The smile on the redressed woman's face broadened "And now you're my…"

"Nami! We need to get this to Sanji, he can fry tons of stuff with it!" the black-haired captain exclaimed excitedly, accompanied by a loud growl from his belly.

"Not the issue right now Luffy!" Nami snarled, confusing him "Focus. On. Big mom's daughter. Right in front of us!"

"Who? Oh, the butterdame, right? Or is it that other guy?"

"Lady Galette have a name you know!" the short form corrected the pair, pointing the light directly at their eyes.

The scowl on Galtette's face was so pronounced it could be heard in her voice "You" she pointed at the two caught pirates, words slow, menacing and full of irrefutability "Are my prisoners. Now be smart and…"

"Hey, Where'd Cobbler go?" Luffy quipped, whipping his head in all directions, completely ignoring the fuming woman in front of them. Nami could only sigh and grumble at her captains' priorities (though she partially understood them).

A vein began to tick in Galettes' forehead, which, combined with her horns and colour scheme, only added to the effect of being some sort of vile demon of the night. That Luffy was immune to the effect, didn't help her mood at all.

"The marines are here too you know…"

Galette turned to Nami with a sneer "I know that, it's why we didn't just bring pistols and shot you." Nami cringed at this, the wicked smirk the red dressed woman wore wasn't helping the navigator either.

"Now, lets get going!"

(on the streets)

"Faster! FASTER!"

"Cliffy, we won't go faster because you scream louder…"

"Jolland! There's pirates afoot in the town!" the reedthin captain shot back, and would've no doubt to the larger Jolland continued, if not for the sound of a den den mushi ringing.

As Redcliff took the snail to answer the call, Jolland had a brief feeling of relief, thank goodness the marines aren't cutoff from communications!

"Captain Redcliff here!" the captain responded bluntly, before adding "…and Captain Jolland…" with a sideways glance at his larger colleague, a bit of annoyance seeping into his voice.

"This is Gion…"

"Vice-admiral, what can we do for you Ma'am?" Jolland was surprised to see that his skinny colleague didn't salute.

"Strawhat is in the town with one of his crew and are resisting arrest"

Redcliff started to tiptoe in anticipation "Permission to use deadly force?"

"I prefer them both alive… they're also travelling with another, more brutal accomplice... might be a good idea to not kill that one either…"

"Why? Ouch!" Jolland lost a bit of his good demeanour as he rubbed his side "Don't elbow me in the gut Cliffy!"

"Don't waste time on squabbling!" the vice-admirals' voice snapped at the pair. When the two obeyed, their superior continued "The accomplice appears to be Strawhats' uncle!"

Good grief, is Garp-sama plagued with a bad family or what? Jolland mused as the vice admiral went on

"He's highly dangerous, violent and volatile, execute…"

"On sight?" Redcliff smiled, a dangerous gleam emerging in his eye.

"…I was going to say, extreme caution, I doubt you'll be able to kill that…man" the vice-admiral said, her voice strained and stressed, a tone which neither captain dared to interrupt again "Stand by for descriptions…"

(in the museum)

Nami cringed as the group made their way down the dark hallway.

Not only was she and Luffy captured by some of Big mom's underlings (again),

She was covered in greasy butter, that felt like it was made of steel, restraining her every move, leaving her helpless to be dragged slowly to her doom.

So was Luffy, but unlike her, and much to their captors' annoyance, he was trying to do something about it.

"I said: Stop eating the butter, you idiot!"

"How else am I going to escape?!" Luffy complained with barely controlled anger before he continued to slurp up the greasy yellow substance even more vigorously.

"You're NOT! That's the whole point!" the woman growled at him, raising her hand where another blob formed and replaced the grease that Luffy had consumed.

"Ma'am'" the flunky at her side raised an arm "May I try something?"

Even though she grumbled angrily, the red dressed woman nodded "Go ahead"

Nami and Luffy watched as the smaller person killed the lights, letting the hallway become black as pitch.

Then there was rustling,

Close by Nami and Luffy.

The navigator swallowed as there was a gagging sound, like a person about to throw-up.

Oh crap… Nami shivered as her mind began to race, he's not going to open up his mouth and eat us is he? He's one of Big mom's, he might think people are candy or something!

Or he's going to extend some sort of monster from his mouth! I wouldn't be surprised if one of Big Mom's underlings did that at the battle against Germa back in Tottoland! (Authors note: that battle was in the previous fic: through the jaws of death chapter 4, but no, sadly I didn't put it in at the time, as alas, long stories requires a ton of forethought).

Are we going to get bathed in the acid? Is he bringing out a torture device? IS He a torture device to make us shut up?!

Damn it Luffy, why couldn't you shut up and try and escape instead?!

A moment later Nami nearly panicked as she recognised the faint smell of sulphur the had appeared almost directly in front of her.

She just had time to think: Oh crap, he's going to burn us to death! Before there was a loud scratching noise and the light was back on.

It poured through a wide opening shaped like a crescent with inwards pointing spikes and crude squares, above which were two smaller lights, each a vicious triangle the moved grimly from side to side in unison, as if controlled by some vicious and malign intelligence.

Deep beyond the openings, in a fleshy cavern glowing a strong wet orange, Nami could see a flame dancing atop a…

"Is that it?" Nami blurted out, unable to contain herself, despite the situation she was in "You make yourself into a freaking lantern?"

The flunky took a step back as this, two cones of light changing shape as the holes in the homies' pumpkin head looked up at her with uncertainty "What, you think I should've added some coloured glass or something? Made it a bit more scary…" the pumpkinheaded stickfigure asked, the eyes turning a rounder shape as it spoke.

Next to the smaller homie, Nami thought she could see the woman pinch the bridge of her nose in exasperation, but she wasn't sure, it was a bit hard for her to see in the dark.

"Wanna join my crew?"

Silence.

What else could happen when Luffy said that sort of stuff? To be honest, Nami was still more than a bit sceptical about Brooks' inclusion (the skeletons' love for ladies' underwear (or his incessant farting) didn't help matters).

"Whaaaa….?" The homie went on, blinked several times while it turned from the Strawhat pirates (Nami didn't doubt her captain had Christmas lights in his eyes) to the redhaired daughter of Big Mom, bathing both parties in light at a rapid rate until his superior put a firm hand on his head, fixing the light cone so that it shone past both groups faces, whether by design or not, it ensured neither got blinded. The red woman's face had gotten that particular look that Nami knew all too well, stunned confusion that could turn to anger at the drop of a hat.

"Miss, you know where… that came from?" the homie mumbled while pointing a thin finger at Luffy, and his grin, which was in the middle of a competition with his eyes over which could sparkle more.

"Kato… I really have no idea…" the woman said as she shook her head at the duo.

"Well what're you saying?" Luffy whined impatiently at them, completely ignoring their conversation "D'you wanna join or not?"

The woman could only shake her head "Why're you asking that?"

"HE'S SO COOOOL!"

While Nami groaned at her captains' priorities, the pumpkin-headed homie was caught between thanking him for the compliment one second, arm behind his head and a wide lamp-mouth smile illuminating up and down as he (assumingly) blushed at the attention, to sulking that it was meant to be scary the next, arms crossed and everything! (Even down to kicking at the dust on the floor).

"Get Serious Strawhat!" the red dressed woman snarled at him, grabbing his face and squeezed until the captain looked as if he'd been living off lemons for a month "You be silent! Or I'll use Cat Burglars magic on you!" she pointed at a surprised Nami with the other hand.

Magic? ….Oh… I told her that about Luffy's reaction to his mom's laugh… and she believed me? Nami thought as the woman kept squeezing Luffy's face harder, her hand trembling from the exertion as Luffy tried to open his mouth to respond, she actually freaking believed me?!

Finally the woman let go and Luffy turned to his navigator and opened his mouth "Nami… you can do magic?" he asked with a puzzled look, before his eyes started to sparkle and his face split in a wide catlike grin "Could you show me?"

Nami couldn't hit him for his stupidity, but the homie was unrestrained and whacked Luffy over the face with the flat of his sword.

Both women present looked jealous at the homie for beating them to the punch.

"Luffy…" Nami began, eyes shut tight, a vein bulging in her forehead "It's that sound, that sets you off and makes you act crazy… don't ask anyone to tell you!"

"Listen to your underling Strawhat" the red woman piped in"I'm not in the mood to listen to any of your panicked screaming…" then she lifted her arm and the butterball the Strawhats were trapped in resumed it's greasy voyage across the floor. Her next words sent chills down Nami's spine "Aside from your crew, those princesses, your ship, lives, and riches… Mama'll be wanting all of those little pathetic squeaks you can make too"

As Nami gulped, the little homie piped in "Miss" it began "Excuse me for asking, but what about that other guy they were with?"

"Hmm? I'd forgotten about that one…" the woman tapped her chin, while Nami repeatedly thought Crap! Luffy's Uncle is still on the loose!

"Didn't recognise him, so he can't be important" the redhead waved off the notion with a shrug, before starting to walk down the hall, the buttery prison blob scooping behind her at a slow but steady pace and the Homie mumbling "…Might be because you couldn't see him…"

"HEY! Croggle's important!" Luffy protested, the sparkle in his eyes disappeared to give way to outrage and determination "We've got to find him! Nami help me eat all this butter!" before he started chomping on the transparent mass that restrained him.

Both of Big Mom's underlings simply gave him a deadpan look (At least Nami thought that was what they did), before the woman flicked her wrist and produced even more of the thick oily mass to hold him, then she stuffed a handkerchief in his mouth and turned to Nami.

"Don't try that magic phrase either" She lowered her head to the navigators, her face bathed in shadows only revealing her dead blue eyes "My powers are enough to hold him back without a problem" she leaned in closer "And if you think to alert the Marines, then I'll just use you two as a shield for their bullets" the redressed woman ended with a sinisterly confident smile, reminding Nami about all the things she didn't like about the New World.

Namely all the dangers and crazy people that kept coming their way!

The horned woman's smile grew even more cruel, while her voice became so sugarysweet it couldn't be anything but poison in it.

"So if you two are done, Mama will be dying to meet you both again…"

(In Germa, deep within the main castle, the kings' private solar)

Judge grunted as he tapped his fingers on the desk, furiously grumbling at the current situation.

Ichiji, his wonderful, ruthless, regal and dignified first son and heir to all that is Germa, was somewhere on Runny Rum Archipelago, hunting down that wretched pirate his failure of a third son had joined.

Niji, his splendid, powerful second born son, was still in intensive care because of that vile marauder that not only had had the audacity to infiltrate his kingdom afterwards, steal his very rare and expensive wine, harm his army, demolish part of the castle… and even make demands of HIS subjects! (Authors Note: that was back in chapter 8 to 9)

Sanji, to hell with him. I was literally Judges' plan when Ichiji had apprehended that worthless pirate captain of his.

Yonji, his exquisite fourth son, was escorting the king of Ryugu Kingdom so that he could court (in reality appraise) the humongous mermaid.

And Reiju, his first born and only daughter, had gone to perform an important task for the good of Germa. Namely, she would intercept the marine ship transporting princess Viola. Officially it was so the princess could get there faster, but it was just so that Germa could take credit for reuniting the woman with her father.

With all his children preoccupied, Judge was left to deal with the remaining guests.

An easy task really. He had plenty of servants that could entertain the inseparable kings of Dressrosa and Prodence, the latter being, in Judge's eyes, an insufferably stupid brute, while the latter was a former gladiator, an entertainer for the peasants! While neither was truly worthy of being a king, unlike Judge himself, their kingdoms' power could add to Germas' own. One by marriage and the other by alliance (Though Judge had considered marrying Reiju off to Elizabellos' son, the prospect of wasting her, a near perfect human, on that mans' genes was appalling).

The final king, Alabastas' Cobra, was too sick to do anything at the moment. Which suited Judge just fine. His death will just make it easier for me to get his daughter to marry one of my sons. If she's devastated by his death, it'll be perfect, she'll be so heartbroken and thankful that I allowed her to see him one last time, she'll agree to marry whomever I put before her, even the worthless janitors!

Scratching his scruffy chin, Judge briefly pondered if he should let her marry Niji, who had spent almost as much time in the hospital wing as Cobra and could thus scrounge some additional empathy points for being with him in his last remaining hours. Their blue hair matched too, so he might even make Cobra agree to a betrothal if he went delirious.

A knock on the door startled him.

"What is it?" Judge demanded with an annoyed tone, upset that his plans for the future had been interrupted.

The door opened, revealing Cosette, giving her king a nervous look before bowing deeply before him. Good was all he though in response you know your place little servant

"Your highness, I've done as You said" she bowed to him again "Their answer has just arrived and…"

"Why did it take so long?" Judge roared at her, furious that his commands hadn't been met sooner. Before Cosette had the time to respond, Judge had stood up and crossed his study, his huge form looming menacingly over the small woman. He might as well have been a giant to the trembling wreck that cowed before him, holding up her clipboard like a small feeble shield.

"The… the communications had been cut your highness…" she managed to stammer "The only way the Board could respond was by bird!" Judge could hear her voice almost break as she frantically tried to excuse her tardiness "The Seagull arrived only five minutes ago your highness!"

Scoffing, Judges' fury cooled a little, but not enough for him to be placated.

"Took you long enough to come with it then!"

"Yes, your highness…" the woman answered shamefully looking at her feet, unable to meet her lieges' eyes "I apologize for my mistake"

Curling his lip at her, Judge began to pace around the woman "And I trust that they'll accommodate my commands?"

"Y-yes your highness, the boardmembers have all agreed to your wishes… and Chairman Faiyum will personally receive upon arrival at Shimmers' Cliff in Runny Rum …" she paused momentarily gathering her courage to finish "To make up for the time it took to answer"

"Receive ME, you mean" he corrected her sharply "And my sons, the other kings and their daughters"

"Yes, your highness" Cosette gulped, before she finally lowered the clipboard "The Chairman also wrote that they were prepared to deal with King Cobras' condition…"

"Good" the Germa king simply responded, not caring whether the Alabastan king lived or died, as long as the daughter married one of his sons and added to the countries' power (Niji perhaps, the boy needed something to cheer him up after that vile ordeal he'd been put through).

Looking down at the woman, instantly noting her swollen cheek and the black and yellow marks on her face, Judge snorted "I assume Ichiji made sure to teach you a lesson for fraternizing with the… assailant?"

The Germa king smirked as the girl nodded solemnly, eyes fighting to hold back tears "Yes, your majesty, it won't happen again"

"That's what I thought" Judge went for the door "Get yourself to the kitchens, I don't want the other kings to see such an unseemly sight"

He didn't wait to see her respond, Judge knew she would obey, or else she'd realise that one Vinsmoke could dish out punishments just as well as the next.

Right now, he had to talk to his guests.

(In the museum)

"Are we there yet?"

"Strawhat, I just told you a second ago to shut up!" Galette sneered at one of her prisoners (the most important one, but by far also the dumbest, most obnoxious and blind to his own situation)

And did he absolutely have to eat my handkerchief? It was expensive! And a gift from Amande-nee-san too! And I really liked that pattern! Even after I'd get it out of his mouth, I could've washed it and it'd have been good as new… GAAAAAAAH!

"We're not there yet, are we?"

Suppressing a growl, and the urge to hit him and keep hitting him until either her gloves' knuckles were worn off or her hands broke, Galette started to walk faster, naturally forcing Kato to pick up the pace to keep up.

"Miss, we might shut him up if we put part of his underling into his mouth, perhaps a hand or foot"

Behind Galette, she could hear Cat Burglar gasp and shudder at the idea, she almost shared the sentiment "That's quite brutal of you to suggest that Kato"

"He's getting on my nerves too Miss" the pair turned around to look at the fuming strawhat captain and his terrified navigator "I'm certain Mama'll understand if both aren't whole when we hand 'em over"

"You harm Nami and I'll batter you across the sea!" the retort was more of a snarl than words, but it got through to the two opponents regardless, neither of whom cared much for it.

"Good luck trying that Strawhat, My powers are still keeping you trapped, and you wouldn't be able to keep all of Mama's crew on this island from doing whatever we want" Galette smirked at him, almost willing him to try, if not for the excuse to harm him dearly, but the allure of repeating their victory over him in Tottoland was almost too tempting. Even more so now, when it was just her vs those two and not an army at her back.

"What miss Galette said is true Strawhat, so be a good prisoner and shut your trap" the homie piped in "Or we'll have to sow it shut, perhaps with your own fingers…. Ye know miss" he turned to Galette again, his maliciousness momentarily gone (good, it was starting to get a bit on my nerves), instead replaced by an oddly innocent practicality "Perhaps we should do that just to keep him from stealing the candy you and miss Amande bought for Mama, we don't want him to do with that as he did little Miss Puddings' wedding cake" (Authors note: That was in chapter 1 and 2 of the previous fic Through the Jaws of death)

"You ain't cool anymore pufferfish head!"

"My head's a pumpkin you… you dolt!" the homie lifted his sword to strike the captain, a malicious gleam coming from the light that emanated from the squinted eyes and mouth, that had been carved into his head.

"Funny, I thought you were a bucket"

The blow stopped midslash, the homie looking around in confusion, casting light on everything and nothing, while he searched for the speaker that had suddenly arrived.

"Over there!" Galette called out, twisting Kato's head in the direction of the voice.

It didn't help them much, as they found nothing out of the ordinary, cabinets, paintings and the occasional sword and gun from some ancient pirate or other criminal. In some cases, there were even clothes, such a large faded kimono, hanging over the railing of a small dinghy, which itself hung from the ceiling, rocking in its chains.

It's that voice from before… that guy that asked for directions… Galette hadn't noticed at the time, but the voice had sounded vaguely familiar, if a bit out of breath…

it wasn't anymore…

"Yeah, that's not helping you two…" the voice mocked

While it had sounded like it came directly in front of them, the only thing Galette could see was the usual things in the exhibit. Turning around (and making Kato do the same) Galette noted that Strawhat looked confused, but his navigator…

"Remove that smirk Cat Burglar" she snarled at the younger woman, before adding a "Do you know who's talking?"

The navigator shook her head, but her captain was starting to smile "That sounded like Couple!"

While the two Big Mom pirates gave him a confused look, the navigator was sighing heavily "Luffy, for the last time: That's. Not. His. Name."

"Yeah not even close to it… even Fran isn't that dumb so you must get that from your dads' side…" again the voice had come up.

And again, both Galette and Kato failed to spot the owners' hiding place.

I've heard that voice somewhere before… but where?

What was weirder, was that there was another sound too… something she wasn't completely familiar with, but it sounded like a watergun being fired… (which many of her younger siblings, herself included, had had many happy hours doing when they were younger, before becoming part of the crew (and a few times after)).

And there was a faint smell of something else…

The next moment the scent became even more apparent and Galette whipped herself and Kato around, only to see the huge faded kimono being thrown towards them.

It was too close to dodge and Kato couldn't get his sword up in time to cut the fabric as it smacked into the two pirates, enveloping them completely.

A second later, Galette felt something barrel into her with a dull and heavy thud, sending her sprawling on the ground, arms and legs flailing as she tried to get out of the odd smelling cloths' embrace.

Then it hit her, she knew what the smell was (or she had a very good idea at least) "Kato! Don't open your mouth or eyes! That's an order!"

A muffled sound told her that Kato had obeyed. If the homie was asking what for Galette explained "This freak had soaked this rag in gasoline! We'll be set aflame if there's a fire!"

"It's just household ethanol, but the effects are pretty much the same if you hold a match close enough"

Then Galette felt something poke her in the side, and before she knew it, she was gliding down the hallway.

(On the seas)

"What'd'ya mean NO?!"

"Well, it's all very simple really" Neptune stroked his beard, contemplating the situation and how best to respond to the angry longarm pirate captain.

"We can't let out a bunch of dangerous criminals to the world"

The much smaller pirate scoffed in response "You can't be serious! We helped your daughter get to you and there's no reward!"

Neptune sighed heavily, his head was still a little cloudy from the bloodtransfusion "We can't let those crazies out into the world, they damn near destroyed Fishman Island!"

"Then how about the ones that weren't doing that?"

"No Ideo-san, I can't have that…" the fishman king leaned back "cann'd hav'at…" Neptune swayed in his seat, beginning to tilt over, barely aware of what Ideo was starting yell

"Hey we're loozziiinq zte biggu hai… mejiq!"

A moment later he felt a stinging in his arm, and then his head cleared almost instantly

"Huh, wha-what?" he whipped his head around, blinking rapidly

"You were passing out, Neptune-boy" the largeheaded Okama said next to him "Shouldn't have given all that blood… Heeehaw!"

"Nonsense!" Neptune bellowed furiously "It was necessary for Shirahoshi to survive! I'd have donated triple that in less than a heartbeat JAMON!"

"If you'd have given a drop more, you heart wouldn't have beat again…"

"You don't know that Ivankob!"

"Wanna try me?" the revolutionary responded with a sneer "I've seen enough wounded men to know how much they can lose before they fall permanently!"

"Don't try and change the subject!" Ideo strode forth, flanked by what Neptune assumed was his second-in-command, a bluehaired longleg that looked equally peeved to his captain. Must've gotten tired of poking fun of little Kelp-ji Neptune thought, before supressing a snicker sure is funny what Ibanbow did to him…uh HER, though… he corrected himself.

"We still have some business to attend to!"

"Zat's not as important as my mission from Dragon!"

"Dragon whose plan got my daughter into this mess IN THE FIRST PLACE?!" Neptune's voice rose, it's tone and volume rivalling thunder, while its' owner tried to stand.

At this the petite form of the Strawhats' archaeologist strode forth and addressed the three feuding men with raised arms "Please! This isn't the place or time to be at each other's throats!"

"Yes" the gangly and skeletal strawhat musician added "All of this commotion could upset the mermaid princess!"

Sulking, Neptune cooled down a bit, not wanting to cause his daughter any more discomfort, it was bad enough what'd happened already… then again, she was crying less… but that might be because she's so tired

"How about we get this whole situation over with before we start on your different business ideas?" Robin offered diplomatically "Ivankov-san, I'm certain that Dragon can wait just a while longer for the kings' answer"

The bigheaded Okama pursed his lips and nodded with a frown

"And King Neptune, Dragon wouldn't want to cause all of this trouble"

"And Ideo-san, isn't it the honourable thing to let King Neptune attend to his daughter?" the longarm crossed his arms while leering at the raven-haired beauty "And NOT try and take advantage of the situation?"

"But we need more crewmembers!" the boxing captain protested, the longleg next to him added a sombre, but no less displeased "Hard to do your duty if we can't gather the strength to do it"

"I'm not saying, that you're banned from recruiting…"

"I am!" the king added brusquely "Not one of the prisoners in fishman islands' jails are going to join your crew! They're simply too dangerous to be let out"

"Why not let us be the judges of that?" Ideo retorted, while gnashing his teeth "We'll turn them around into right proper champions!" he pumped a fist to emphasise his point, while the other three crewmates let out a cheer in support of their captain.

Eyes twitching, fists trembling, nostrils flaring, Neptune's expression would have turned most people afraid long ago, most often it didn't get to that point as his size was intimidating enough, but to the kings' increased anger, the foursome of pirates before him weren't most people.

"I said NO!" he emphasized the last word, a hammer would've gotten the message, the others certainly did.

The skeleton had stopped tuning his instrument.

The archaeologist was watching the situation unfurl with rapt attention.

And the revolutionary leader had for once fallen silent, his huge lips pressed together in an angry grimace.

"What else are you going to offer us?" the longarm responded "Money to hire mercenaries? We need people that're strong and loyal!"

The three others' chimed in: "And not constantly out for the next payday!"

"After you frightened my daughter, you'd be lucky if you got anything!" Neptune sputtered angrily "She's still shivering when you're around!"

The sound of Robin clearing her throat, made the near-furious king turn down a notch "In all fairness, she isn't the most courageous girl King Neptune" she began, voice soothing, but with an edge of sternness that'd be a terrible mistake to ignore "Besides, part of her fear of Ideo-san here…" multiple hands sprung out f the deck to gesture at the young captain "Is based on misunderstandings where he fought other pirates, such as a group of slavers who were after your daughter…"

Neptune scratched his neck at this, his face turning red, a mix of rage and embarrassment boiling away beneath his skin and inside his head

How the heck do I get out of this?

"And he did help save your daughter from the bombardment outside Runny Rum, which I can verify"

The king started shivering a little, not enough to be discernible from the rage he'd exuded barely a moment before, but because of what the archaeologist could think of doing if he didn't comply

She might talk about my daughters' situation! She could do it! She's been talking their case from the beginning! Has the New World turned her so rotten that she'd blackmail us with Shirahoshi is Poseidon?!

"King Neptune, are you well?"

"Do you want me to play some soothing music?"

The huge king shook his head and looked down at the worried faces of Nico Robin and Soul King Brook.

How could I ever think that? he scolded himself internally, the devil in her epithet is cruelly wrong, but the child fits her all too well…

"Just… lot of stress getting to me" he consoled them "It's been a rough time after the Reverie"

"And you just can't deal with all the stress, we understand" the archaeologist looked past the Mermans' huge frame, locking eyes with the captain "Don't we?"

The longarm pirate scoffed, but still nodded, albeit with a certain reluctance

At least he knows the pecking order Neptune reassured himself, we might work with that later on…

The sound of rapid footsteps made the group turn towards a Germa Soldier

"What is it?" Neptunes' word shook the smaller man, his voice having regained it's booming edge and royal authority.

"Well, given that prince Yonji is… not much princely right now" the soldier gave Ivankov a nervous look (although laden with resentment) "We, that is… the troops and I… assume you're the highest commander present"

"Hmm, I can't take that burden at the moment" the king stroked his beard in contemplation "But I'm sure you can handle whatever happens quite fine"

"If you say so your highness, orders have just come in from King Judge: We are to return to Germa Kingdom immediately"

"Then what did you need me for?" he squinted at the man, who quickly consulted a little chart he'd brought with him

"Well, the Marines called too and wants to know if we need an escort back to Germa…" the soldier began, only to be cut off by a half a dozen shocked voices.

"The Marines are coming here?!"

"Yes" the soldier confirmed with a stiff nod "Led by a female Rear Admiral Malta, they're escorting the Dressrosan Princess back to her father for similar treatment to your highness' dau-" the soldier didn't have time to explain further as a quick argument followed between the pirates, rebels and the king.

"Let's fight 'em!"

"No! That will put Viola-sans' life in danger!"

"Ve don't have time for zis!"

"Do you think this Malta will let me see her panties?"

"VI'm not dealing in undergarments!"

"We can win if we attack 'em first! No need to endanger anyone!"

"Viola-san is on the marines' ship, Jeet!"

The only thing Neptune thought he could do, was to play the royalty card, depending on countless generations of regents and the instincts of the common man to follows their words, the king took a deep breath, summoning the authority of a hundred forebears, the experience of commanding his troops in battle and the same sort of tone he'd denied Roger's crazy ideas with (even if the Pirate King had found some way to outdo all of Neptunes' efforts anyway, Neptune objecting to it had delayed him for a short while).

"Royal decree:! This is what we're gonna do!"

(In the museum)

"Where were you Frouble?" Luffy asked excitedly as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the hallway "You missed the cool lamb!"

"Well, I was trying to find the exit, but then you guys went missing, because of those two…" Luffy could see the silhouette of his uncle point in the direction that he'd sent the two pirates "got you caught in this stuff"

"Hey don't eat it! I want some too!"

"Luffy, don't' start now!" Nami scorned him from the side "We need to get out of here, fast!"

"Got it covered"

The next thing Luffy knew, was something being forced down next to his throat, then there was an odd sound and something wet and hot running down his neck and chest "Whaaaa? Hey, Frois, is this… is this pee?"

A swift slap to the cheek later, Luffy was hearing the resemblance between his mother and her brother "Nope, it's soap and water, excellent for dealing with fats and the like"

"Where'd you find that? And when?"

"In one of the closets that the staff use, plenty of things in there too, I found a bottle of Rum too!" Luffy could almost hear his uncle smile as he answered Nami's question "And some newspapers… And I looked for it just after the gourd-headed guy lit up"

"…Why didn't you intervene before?"

"Well Bird, I didn't know if this was some sort of ex of my nephew see, one not approving of you two being here and all"

"…For the last time, I'm not dating Luffy!" the captain knew that tone: Nami was loosing her patience.

"Yeah, that'd be kinda hard if you did, according to the newspaper you two are on the same crew and your ship isn't that large either, dating would be a bit odd, now if you sailed on different ships however…"

The captain/nephew in question didn't know what they were talking about, but he could tell something was wrong: "Giving me a bath this isn't helping my cousins, we need to go!"

"Sure it's helping, the soap should've dissolved enough of the butter by now, so you two can get out of the stuff" his uncle explained with a shrug "And after you, it's your navigators turn"

"…What happened to those two?" Luffy asked, a rare thought entering his head "Why're they not here?"

For a moment, his uncle didn't answer, instead focussing on pulling Luffy out of the buttery mass, the only sound being the dinghy's creaking chains from when it had collapsed with the two hostiles "Red Bird dragged you through quite a bit of hallway, tailing grease everywhere, easy to slip in"

Then the former smuggler went to work on releasing Nami.

"Hey… if you threw you clothes at those two…" she started, worry entering her voice "What're you wearing now?"

"Don't worry bird, found some nice clothes while I thought you guys talked things out"

"We weren't talking anything out!" Nami grumbled as she was freed "They had us captured and going to give us and our friends to Big Mom!"

"Those missing princess birds right?" Luffy's uncle asked, holding something up in the darkness "The newspaper mentions them a lot"

"Why'd you read the newspaper?!"

"I got bored listening to that red bird yapping off about this and that" their saviour shrugged before chiming happily: "But it gave me time for the crosswords"

Luffy snorted impatiently, just in time to stop Nami from trying to tear off his uncles' head

"Come on, we've got to hurryyyyyyy!"

"Nephew" the former smuggler said with a very reassuring confidence and a pat on the captains shoulder "…I've got it covered!" his smile was so bright, confident and earnest that it was practically contagious.

As soon as He'd told them what to do, Luffy smiled in the darkness,

It sounded pretty damn cool,

And any plan that would make Nami object that much was bound to be funny!

(In the town)

Again he ducked below the womans' swing.

It might be slow, but her technique was flawless, a deep cut in his chest bespoke to her finesse.

And to his chagrin, also of his recklessness.

But Zoro was too stubborn to care about talking a step backwards for strategic reasons (also, he was likely to step left and get kicked in the ribs again, and those heels hurt!) so he kept on pushing.

At some point the tall blueskinned woman would have to mess up!

Much to his relief, all of the locals had gotten out of the way and he didn't need concern himself with them, just on taking down this beanstalk of a terror.

If I'm lucky, I might get a higher bounty to rub it in shitty chefs' face!

Barely had he thought that however, before something rammed into him, knocking him to the side.

Only the fact that the blue woman was surprised as well, saved the greenhaired mans' life.

And that of whom ever had barrelled into him.

"Apologies Zoro-san!"

The swordsman angrily managed to push the struggling body off of him "What the hell Jinbe?!"

"I was aiming for Amande!"

"Well, you missed!" Zoro shouted back angrily as he rammed a fist into the gut of Big moms' winged underling, who coughed as the blow forced most the air out of his lungs.

"I'll take that as a compliment" the bluehaired woman said as she raised her sword behind her head, the words as devoid of emotion as her face, puffing on her stupid cigarette, looking at Zoro with grim cold eyes "This one doesn't even fight back properly"

"The hell!" Zoro snarled as he threw the underling at the woman, Amande or whatever, (I guess I'll call her Amy, once I've cut her down for size) who effortlessly dodged him and went for the kill.

Zoro swiftly raised his blades to block the attack, only to realise that the woman had switched targets, moving against Jinbe, who had just jabbed his other opponent away.

"Ji-…" was all Zoro could yell before the huge fishman spun around and caught the blade between his haki-covered palms, stopping Amandes' attack short in its' tracks.

"Watch your back Zoro-san"

As a response to the warning, the mosshaired swordsman only stomped the winged underling in the face, breaking the ground beneath him with a loud crack.

"Dacquise" the tall blue woman grumbled "Stop sleeping on the job!"

Almost on que, the winged man began to rise, albeit slowly, shook his head and adjusted the purple sunglasses with a grunt and stuck out jaw.

Zoro was almost impressed by the man's endurance but had already decided to cut him down regardless.

"BEHIND YOU!"

The swordsman had just enough time to turn as the voice called out, only to see the pointy heel far too close to his good eye.

Then the searing pain….

(In the museum)

Finding Ain had proven surprisingly easy.

The former neo marine (and also formerly normal non-omnicidal marine (ideally) had tripped in something in the ground, fallen, and nearly cracked her skull.

When Gion and her group had come upon her, the woman had been holding her head in pain, no doubt suffering a mild concussion (or at the least a severe headache for days to come) but why GIon hadn't heard yet.

But they didn't have the men to spare to get her to the medic, not with Strawhat and his underlings on the loose.

"Vice Admiral!"

Turning to her subordinate, the large man pointing down the hall where she could barely make out Strawhat amidst the shadows and gloom.

Unnervingly, the pirate caption was smiling excitedly, his rubber arms stretched out, hands holding onto cabinets and a doorway, himself standing atop of… something. Gion couldn't make out the basic shape as the deep shadows and lack of lightning limited her vision, but it wasn't huge. Big sure, but not much…

Next to him was his navigator, looking back at the marines with a nervous gulp. Another figure stood next to them, one she didn't recognise, but the presence brought a churning feeling to the bottom of her stomach. She felt as if she was about to throw up from anger, disease and shock all at once, while coldsweat broke out on her skin and a shudder went up her spine, threatening to make her teeth clatter.

But why? Gion knew that her observation haki was no where near the legendary levels of Katakuri, so where was this feeling of precognitive horror coming from?

Then Strawhat laughed excitedly, and Gion watched in surprise as whatever the trio stood on, shoot towards the marines at an extreme speed.

Gion had just enough time to register what had happened: Using his arms as a slingshot, Strawhat had flung the trio and the dinghy they were in forwards, the bow of the small boat making it tilt dangerously from side to side, before one of her subordinates tackled her to the side, saving her form being run over by the charging vessel.

As she pushed the man to the side, Gion was shocked to see what else had been put into the pirates escape.

Bound to the side of the dinghy, was a woman, dressed in red (one of big moms' daughter that had evaded capture earlier) head bound, spewing curses as Cat burglar (whom looked like she knew what she was doing would be a huge problem later on) continued to poke her in the head with her staff, forcing the Big Mom pirate to make a gliding track for the dinghy's passage.

On top of it, Strawhats' arms extended rapidly, flinging punches at her men, the marines flying off to the side, screaming something along the lines of "Gomu Gomu No Gatling!" as he did so, a broad smile dominating his face while stars twinkled in his eyes.

The person from before, the one she didn't recognise, was smiling smugly at the whole situation, an old maroon tricorne hat on his head, a matching captains' jacket (both at least 20 years out of style and vaguely recognisable from the museums' collection) which he kept unbuttoned to show off a lanky chest, green pants and standing with one leathery boot on the prow, looking almost noble as his proud miniature vessel barrelled through the ranks of marines and down the hallway, leaving nothing but destruction in its' wake.

When she laid eyes on his face, Gion had no doubt why she had felt so disturbed, recognising that monster brought it all back tenfold.

Face as plain as any sailors' or merchants', no eyebrows to speak of, cleanshaven, nothing to hide the youth of the man. What set him apart were the eyes, which even on his wanted poster had shined with a sort of malicious wit, intelligence and mind-numbing confidence.

Briefly looking to the side, the man smiled broadly (just like on his wanted poster) and even had the audacity to wave at her excitedly before throwing a bottle in her direction.

"Thanks for the hospitality, Gotta Gooooo!"

The plastic connected with her forehead with a sound thunk, dousing her shocked face in clear droplets. But she didn't care about that, not even the fact that there'd been a flaming rag attached to the bottle, which had ignited her official Vice Admirals' cape.

All that mattered had been hearing that mans' voice and seeing his face.

Falco isn't here… it can't be an echo then… then it has to be… she kept repeating within her mind, over and over.

Then they were gone, the crash and bang of their vessel connecting with the exhibit combined with the muffled curses of the Strawhat pirates' Prisoners (her underlings starring and commenting that there was a talking flaming (literally) pumpkin, tied in the back of the small boat). And then there was an inhumane ear-splitting racket.

It was a combination of glass getting shattered, the cracking of wood, screeching of metal and the snap of screws just as they were ripped from their groaning timber-frame, all of which told what little logic remained in Gion's mind, that the rubberpowered, butter gliding, bottle and punch throwing dinghy, had exited the museum. The only sound that they left behind were the echo of one woman screaming in panic, while another had cursed

Finally Gion's voice erupted from her mouth in an almost ear shattering scream, long and drawn out, a bustercall wouldn't have been able to silence it, the Vice Admiral was completely ignoring the frantic callings of her subordinates as they tried to put out the ethanol fire that had spread onto her face.

"COOOOOOOOYYYYYYYYYYYYYLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!?"

(In the town)

Red, all he saw was red.

Floating, liquid, warm, dripping, bubbly red,

Filling his vision more than rage at not having his sake at any point of the day, like Luffy if he hadn't had meat once during the day, or the shitty chef when it didn't get to see either of the crews' women.

Naturally this was worse than that.

"Damn woman!" he shouted, just as something connected with the side of his head.

Winged scumbag doesn't fight fair!

He swung out his swords, slashing at thin air, but he knew that his opponent had at the very least jumped out of range, giving him a slight amount of room.

Who the hell warned me? Wasn't Jinbe's voice… He wondered internally as he tried to wipe the blood from his eye, and why do I feel like I've heard that voice before?

"Duck" the voice called out again, the word blunt and cold, and despite himself Zoro swiftly followed the instruction, hearing the swish of a kick as the leg no doubt passed over his head at high speed.

His vision was swimming, the red haze still filling it, shifting and turning, thin and thick sloshing around, it was like starring into a can of diced tomatoes.

And it was starting to get on Zoro's nerves.

Grunting angrily, he tried to wipe it away with his arms, cutting himself on the blade in his mouth as ha did so.

Despite cursing softly under his strained breath, Zoro smiled as he realised that his eye wasn't damaged. The blue womans' (Amande or whatever) heel had apparently only pierced his eyebrow.

It wasn't a cut that'd turn lethal (unless untreated, Chopper'll fix it), but it was enough to blind him temporarily.

The fact was hammered into his skull when the winged man landed a double kick in his chest that knocked the air out of his lungs.

Even as he gasped for breath, Zoro frantically struck back, his blade missing his opponents' throat by less than an inch.

Enough to rattle, but not enough to harm anything else but the man's pride.

But it did nothing to stop the woman from striking while his back was turned.

(Elsewhere in town)

"Ok, what way now?"

"We've got our ship at the harbour!" Luffy Smiled, still excited from their short, but funny, boatride.

"What're you going to do about them?" Nami pointed at the two prisoners, both of whom were staring angrily at the trio.

"Well…" Coyle said as he scratched his chin, while the other retrieved a pistol from his jacket "They did threaten you two…"

"NO!" Nami stood in between the smuggler and the Big Mom Pirates "We don't need any more trouble!"

"They're trouble!" Coyle protested "Might as well remove them now instead of later"

"Big Mom would find out!"

"That old crazy bird still out and about?" the smuggler raised a non-existing eyebrow at her "I thought she'd have died from obesity or some other disease by now" he scratched his head "Hell, if she squeezed enough of 'em out, it'd have to from childbirth or… some sort of complications right?" the smuggler turned to the red haired Big mom Pirate with a nonplussed look on his face "Please tell me she has at least stopped popping them out by now?"

What the… I already told him Big mom was after us, why's he only understanding it now? The thought ran through Nami's head a few times while the redressed woman (Gavroche or whatever) snared at the smuggler.

"Mama hasn't been pregnant for 8 years" she leered at the trio, before giving them a confident and intimidating smile "I have 84 siblings that…"

"Well that's just disturbing that she kept doing it that long…" he cocked the pistol at the redhead "I mean, I get that it's the way she rolls, but really? All those guys who could aid her, some of them might even have loved her, and she just throws them away, doesn't even give them a boat home… it's sad really" he lamented while he aimed the gun at the defiant woman.

"I said don't do it!" Nami protested angrily "It's better if we…"

"He isn't going to, Cat Burglar"

"Huh?" the navigator gave the tied redhead a confused look.

"If he was going to kill us, he'd have done it already…" she shot the smuggler a furious look while gritting her teeht "He's planning to use us as a diversion for the marines, just-"

"-like last time?" Nami slowly said, giving both the smuggler and redhead a surprised look (authors note: that was chapter 16)

"Well at least not all of Big Moms' kids are morons" Coyle said with a shrug and a smile, pocketing the pistol in one fluid motion.

He's not even denying it?

"How the hell are you even here?" Big moms' daughter sneered at them "Everyone thinks you're a goner Coyle!"

"We found him in the museum" Luffy smiled "And SHE might not yell when we get him back!" he said with eyes shining hopefully. Nami doubted that they'd be that lucky with Luffy's mother and from the way he scoffed, she could tell Coyle agreed with her.

"You haven't spent much time with Fran have you kiddo?" then he laughed "Guhaha! She's going to yell at us until our ears fall off!" then in a more hushed tone "And if we're really unlucky she'll make us clean the house with her…" Nami and Luffy shared a nervous shiver at what could happen if Luffy's mother, who was even worse than Luffy at housework, got her hands on a broom.

"How about we just get going now?"

"Sure thing Bird, but first…" the smuggler said as he pointed a dark finger at Big Mom's daughters leg

"Woah woah woah, what're you doing now?!"

"You won't even let me hamstring her a little?" the smuggler gave her a surprised look "You know that she's going to be a bigger problem if I don't do it!"

"That's not what we do…"

"…Fine, but can we at least keep the gourd head, so we can make a pie out of him?" he pointed at the, now very nervous looking, pumpkin headed homie "I've also got some things I'd like to try out…" he rubbed his hands eagerly.

"Yeah, let's do that Cobbler!" Nami's meatheaded captain chimed in, his tongue lopping out like a dogs.

The only thing that prevented the navigator from throttling him (and his mental uncle) was a high shout

"GET COYLE!"

Even with a voice marred by rage and screaming at the top of their lungs, bordering on breaking from the strain and very far off, Nami could recognise that it belonged to the Vice Admiral.

"The hell did I do to piss her off?"

"Never mind that?" Luffy pulled at him, all thoughts of food forgotten

"We need to go now!"

(In town, on a plaza)

"To the left Zoro-san!"

To Jinbes' relief, the swordsman followed his directions and dodged immediately, avoiding Amande's attack.

Even if it was slow, the womans' strikes could be devastating. The former shichibukai had personally seen the reedthin woman cut down a Seaking without a problem. It took five minutes, sure, but that was full of the humongous animal trying to strike back without any luck.

Quickly reassessing the situation (and punching the large, and painfully durable, Durum to the side) Jinbei called out for Zoro's attention.

"We need to move!" he pointed downhill, hoping to drag the fighting away from Nami, Luffy and their search further up "We'll go towards the docks!" almost too late he remembered:

Zoro had been cursed with the directional sense of a blind monkey, that had been spun around for 15 minutes before it was placed on a skateboard to go up a ladder.

When he saw the swordsman charge straight up a building, Jinbe almost didn't resist the overwhelming urge to facepalm.

That he avoided the attacks of both Amande and Dacquoise was a bonus though.

"How can he mistake down for up?" he grumbled to himself before he rushed at Dacquoise. Distracted by Zoro's antics, the winged man couldn't dodge.

A moment after Jinbe's fist connected with the fools' jaw, Dacquoise was slammed through a brickwall with a crash. Jinbe didn't stay to make sure he was out cold, but instead ran on, dodging Amande's attacks.

He cringed as the sword strikes left humongous gashes in both the streets and the surrounding buildings, the swordswoman was, as per usual, indifferent towards civilian casualties.

"Honourless cur" Jinbe spat silently as he raced on

The street was alight with screams and the trampling of feet. Whatever people had remained out of some morbid curiosity for the pirates' battle had at last begun to flee.

Thanks to Amande's sword strikes, not all made it away, their bodies landing on the cobbles with dull thuds.

A few stood stockstill, frozen solid by shock and fear.

One woman in a red shirt and skirt clutched her chest and were moments away from collapsing from the pirates' battle, whether by fainting or a stroke, it was impossible to tell. A street urchin in rags was hiding behind an adult mans' leg, too scared to run, too scared to look away, lest he didn't see the end come. One huge man in a trench-coat, large brimmed hat and a suitcase didn't even move. Just watched how Zoro kept getting lost up on the house walls.

If Jinbe hadn't seen it all before, the sight would've rattled him to the core. Taking a deep breath, just as he dodged beneath another of Amande's slashes.

"CITISENS!" he bellowed, so loud his voice made the buildings tremble as the sound resonated off of them "IF OU VALLUE YOUR LIVES! THEN FLEEEEE!"

It seemed to snap most people out of their trance. The urchin was the first th reach the edge of the plaza, though still so scared that he hadn't let go of his hiding places' pants. Jinbe chuckled, impressed, that the kid could drag the adult man after him like a baby's blanket. The man didn't look dissatisfied at the arrangement at all.

Kid might have a home at the end of all this

As the crowd dispersed, Jinbe's relief turned to dread as the flight slowed down to a halt, something stopping them at the edge of the plaza.

The fishman gritted his teeth when he saw the reason and groaned deeply.

"What the hell are YOU doing here?"

(Elsewhere in the town)

"You're both nuts!" Nami muttered under her breath as she struggled to hang on to Luffy, who was smiling like a madman, gleefully snickering at the smugglers' escape plan "Great idea Coral!"

"Kid, you can call me Francis, we're family!" Francis shrugged with a chuckle, before he addressed Nami "Besides Bird, this isn't a bad disguise"

"Everyone is going to look at us!"

"Exactly" Francis smiled, at least Nami assumed he did since she couldn't see his face at the moment "Some might think it's a disguise, but dismiss it, because they'd think no one is that stupid to do it like this! Or they might think it's a huge diversion, and look in every other direction for something that's right in front of them already"

"…Luffy, your uncle is insane!"

"Nuhuh Nami! Everyone'll just look at how cool this is!" Luffy grinned broadly, his face a mere two inches from her own, leaving no doubt in Nami's mind that he was looking forward to when it happened.

The navigator could only shake her head at this, as her captains' uncle kept walking down the street, the titanic black afro wig on his head swaying from side to side, threatening to tilt him over at any given time!

If Francis had been the diversion for Nami and Luffy to get away, she might have been okay with it (if it wasn't for Rindo and Marguerite's lives depending on him getting there in time. Privately she still had a hard time believing that).

But when both her and Luffy were hiding within the huge hedgerow thick haircut, she considered it beyond dangerous! Let alone ridiculous.

But the nephew-uncle duo had both voted for it (not entirely correct, because as soon as Francis had found the giant wig in the shop they'd hid in (a gift and jokeshop no less (which somehow had a storage of wigs meant for giants)), the stars in Luffy's eyes had made any discussion redundant (especially since Luffy'd use the I'm-the-captain-card to get his way (Nami knew the argument, she'd used it several times to get more gold for herself from the others share))). At least Francis had also put on an extra jacket and a fake moustache and beard so that he might not get recognised at the second glance.

So, shaking (and not just from fear, the whole haircut-cover had an alarming tendency to tilt of Coyle leaned a bit to any side) Nami dreaded meeting their first patrol of marines or pirates in the town.

At least this is better than going through the sewer…

(on the seas, on board the Blade of Sora)

The seas had begun to get restless, waves slamming into the sleek galley with increased strength and speed. The animal that pulled it wasn't being affected however, the titanic finned dog wasn't allowed to, the animal handlers whipping it severely when it started to slow down. It was like that on all of Germa's little attack crafts.

"Is everything to your liking your highness?"

Reiju turned to look at the captain, standing at attention like a good little toy soldier, just like he'd been bred to.

It's cold, that poor animal is being mistreated, I'm pretty sure a storm is brewing and to top it all off, I've been sent to imprison my favourite little brother and his friends on my fathers' orders… just so we can force some princesses to marry my monster brothers… Poop day (Reiju's upbringing prevented her from using more colourful language, despite how well it'd fit the situation).

But instead of that, she said "Everything is fine, captain, you can get back to your duties"

"This is my duty your highness, ensuring that you're satisfied"

Now there's very few men who wouldn't want to do that! she thought with a raised eyebrow, before she waved him off and looked out of the ships' window. The sprays of water running down the outside of the glass made it looked like Reiju's reflection was crying.

It fit her mood all too well.

I hope we don't' run into your friends Sanji, I truly do… father has given me strict orders and I can't disobey him…even if it's to capture you and turn you over to the marines.

Despite her genetical modifications, Reiju Vinsmoke shivered at the thought of what'd happen to her little brother in Impel Down. That She knew Strawhat had escaped the place two years prior did nothing to assuage her fears.

Strawhat just got lucky that one time… lots of strong people down there to help him... his whole crew can't be that lucky twice in a row.

But perhaps they can be that lucky tonight...

They could avoid Germa by land or sea, but she didn't like their chances on either front.

She'd caught a brief glimpse of the Strawhats' ship in Tottoland, and she judged it to be smaller than her own, more unique no doubt, but it could still be outgunned easily, boarded, rammed and sunk if necessary.

On land they could be outmanoeuvred and, if need be, captured one by one. Either that… or killed outright, whichever way, Germa would claim the honour for the deed in front of the marines.

Her latest conversation with Ichiji had made it readily apparent that her oldest little brother wanted to rub the local vice admirals' nose in it for some reason, but Reiju hadn't cared to hear why.

He'd probably talked about it, but she'd tuned out, being more concerned about Germa getting the sizeable bounty for the Strawhat Crew. The over 2 billion Beli could help Germa rebuild their forces after the Big Mom Pirates had thrashed them at Tottoland scant weeks ago. Several platoons had yet to be found and there were significant damages to several of the giant castlesnails. That defeat had set them back, but not broken the Germa 66.

And her father had given her express orders to make sure the rest of the world knew that, and remembered the dread the Germa 66 could inspire, by any means necessary.

I hope we don't meet tonight little brother…

(Elsewhere)

Galette grumbled as she ran, furiously rubbing her wrists where the rope had dug in

"Hurry up Kato!" she hissed at her companion "We need to move"

"Yes ma'am" the homie responded huffing beside her "But…"

"WHAT?" she snarled at the gourdheaded automaton

"Don't you think the marines would go after Strawhat and his weird uncle rather than us?"

"Kato, we're Big Mom pirates!" Galette answered brusquely, a vein throbbing in her head that she had to explain this simple fact "We're naturally more worth than Strawhats' entire crew by definition!"

"But the Vice Admiral yelled that smuggler-guys' name like Mama does with food during her spells…" the homie kept on as he managed to get up on Galettes' side "…and I don't think either would go after us under the circumstances"

The redhead grumbled, unable to refute his logic.

"Fine we can slow down… a little" she relented reluctantly, but still skidded down the street as swiftly as possible "But we're not stopping."

"Course not Ma'am" the homie responded dutifully as he kept pace beside her "I assume we haven't abandoned the hunt for Strawhat?"

"Course not" Galette growled "I'm going to get all three of them for what they've done"

"Glad to hear it Ma'am" the homie smiled at her, perhaps unconsciously gripping his sword in the process.

"You want to return the favour for the uncles' pie idea?" She had a hard time to supress a smirk at the homies' expense

"…Yes" Kato relented sheepishly, before turning defensive "You know for all his cherryness, he sure was creepy" the pumpkin-head whined.

Snickering, Galette looked determined at the street in front of her "I've got a better idea for dealing with that guy"

Kato gave her an inquisitive look "Are you going to do that thing that…. uh…" the homie trailed off, unsure how to proceed

"NO" the redhead cut him off sharply, before she mumbled "I haven't trained that enough yet… besides the situation with Strawhat just keeps on providing opportunities…"

"Oh…" the homie looked at her confused, until a light dawned in his hollow cut-out eyes and a smile spread across his ridged face.

"Ooooooh I get it…"

"Good, now hurry up, we have to find them and get this whole thing over with"

"But shouldn't we go back then?"

"Not Strawhat and Cat Burglar" Galette groaned "Big sister Amande!"

"Oh… does that mean we're getting mister Dacquoise and Durum too?"

"We can leave those idiots behind in a dumpster for all I care! We need strength and brains here!"

Kato shut up after that, unwilling to test his luck any further.

(The Plaza)

"Who the hell are they?" Zoro called down to Jinbe, annoyed that the fishman had stopped fighting to stare at some fop and a group of about 15 soldiers. What was even odder was that the Big Mom pirates were watching the newcomers just as intently, waiting for them to make the first move.

The pain in his face hadn't gone away yet, the blue womans' heel had seen to that and his mood was turning evermore sour as a result.

Jimbe looked alert at the newcomer, a man in white cloak with a huge black "1" over a red uniform that matched his gaudy hair.

Then he noticed the eyebrows, a swirling line.

"Hey that's one of shitty chefs' brothers isn't it?" he shouted at Jinbe, who only gave a quick nod and huffed in response.

For a moment the redhaired man looked annoyed up at him before he scoffed, with an air of snobbish dismissal "I don't have any brothers that'd do menial labour, that's for peasants like you and them" he waved at the assembled pirates, who all gave him a look that all but screamed twat.

"But to answer your question, oh knight of the sea" the redhead turned to Jinbe with a smug grin and arms spread wide "None of your business" he laughed, much to the fishmans' displeasure.

Even the Big mom pirates looked at him annoyed. Zoro assumed that they were staying their hand (the blue swordswoman was holding the big, broad and dumb-looking one back with her blade) no doubt contemplating if they now had a second front to deal with.

"You're here to try and get the princesses earlier than what we agreed with their parents" Jinbe simply stated, his face a mask of stone, the look he was giving the prince could've stopped a Seasnake in its' tracks, though his tone was even more unsettling, the level of displeasure and scorn would've made Big Mom feel ashamed "So low… to try and get an advantage during a time like this!"

To the redhaired princes' credit, he didn't back down.

"Listen here fish!" the redhead growled as the soldiers began to level their rifles at the former shichibukai "I'm royalty!" the words were said with as much conviction as could be mustered by a human mouth "You mere pirates couldn't hope to ever criticise me!"

"Whatever…" Zoro muttered as he swung his blade in the princes' direction, convinced that if he didin't attack soon it'd just give the princes' soldiers more time to attack (not to mention the Big Mom pirates) as the redhead was sure to give the order the more agitated he got.

The airwave that followed the slash cut cleanly though the princes' furious rant, and would have cleaved him in two, if one of the soldiers, a large burly man with as much upperbody as Franky, hadn't jumped in between, sacrificing his life for the prince.

The redhead in turn, didn't even acknowledge the mans' demise, instead he showed the corpse aside while he looked straight at Zoro, grabbing the corpses' sword in the process, twin expressions of anger and glee fighting for dominance on his face.

"Shoot 'em down… I'll deal with that peasant myself"

(elsewhere)

"Oi! Huff! Who goes there? huff!" the large man called out as he spotted a lonely figure on the street.

"You talking to me Mr. mariner sir?"

Breathing heavily the large captain walked up to the man he'd stopped, finally being able to see him properly.

In front of Jolland stood a normal sized man in a beige jacket that was several sizes too big (though still couldn't have fit the marine captains' own frame), a red jacket underneath for some reason, a full blonde beard with a waxed moustache that covered most of the mans' face and on top of his head, a black afro the size of a baby elephant (which Jolland couldn't help both admire and be unnerved by in equal measures). Perhaps it was the way it shivered?

Why'd you even grow something that big?

"Mr. mariner sir?"

"Oh yeah, I was talking to you… citizen… (huff!)" Jolland bent as he addressed the man, both because the afro made it a necessity, and because of his recent run.

Why'd Cliffy have to insist on going double pace anyway?

"Have you seen anything suspicious lately" he emphazied, giving oddly dressed man a serious look

"Yes sir, I have sir" the man nodded vigorously, setting the whole afro wobbling

Wait… did the hair just squeal?

But before Jolland could inquire, the man did something that any investigator secretly dreads: He started talking like an army of housewives "First things first Mr. Mariner sir, I wake up and I'm all confused see, don't remember a thing, must have been one hell of a binge… then what have ye, there's all these people all over the place in this mess see, uphill see, ye can't miss it" he pointed in the direction he'd come from, with an offhand gesture, shaking his head, the huge afro running as if it was a carousel at a fair (Jolland almost thought he could hear little children squeal in fear and delight in there) "And then I found out I didn't have any clothes on! And then there was a scream and I had to find clothes fast, ye ken? And there were theses two… or three… definitely three, I forgot this little girl that was screaming, but theses two I mentioned before, you remember right?" Before Jolland could even respond the man continued on with his yapping, waving off his previous question like a case bad stomach "They were an item see, and just wanted to be left alone you know, they were that kinda rare couple where the guy and girl are about as attractive as each other, they practically glowed with it" he winked at Jolland, the afro shaking on top of his head "So nice guy that I am, I go to get my clothes to leave and… Mr. mariner are you listening?"

Jolland stared at him, his face a painting of slackjawed dismay and impatience on a canvas of unbelieving confusion and sincere regret that he'd ever been stupid enough to ask.

It didn't get better when the man snatched a notebook from his front pocket and a pen, which he then gave to him!

For a moment the marine captain looked at the objects before the odd man continued yapping off faster than Jolland could jump away with his Devilfruit powers.

"Sure you are, what am I thinking?" but before the captain could interrupt him, the man continued at an increased speed "And while I was gone, there was this dame see, she went in and tied up the guy and his girlfriend I mentioned before, I did didn't I? I did. Anyway, she tied the girl up and had this guy with a really funny helm hold her so she could watch whatever this new dame wanted to do to her guy, not the new dames', the girlfriends'…" the afroed man waved a hand in front of Jollands' face, a confused look briefly coming over his face, only for it to be exchanged with one of stone cold certainness, which only reminded Jolland of Redcliffs' face when they spoke about how pirates should be punished.

"You know what, I might as well just call them Boyfriend and girlfriend from now on, makes it easier doesn't it? Cute couple see, it just fits. Anyway what happened next was: There was this whole lot of soap and butter all over the place, kinda like huge case of cleaning…"

Jolland was starting to tear up inside as he attempted to get half of what the man said down on paper, how can anyone expect me to try and get all that? and write it down? Hell, I don't even know if the guy got some of it himself…

The large captain was almost happy when he heard a sharp voice from behind, one he knew quite well by now.

"Jolland what's going on here?"

My saviour! Jolland thought as he turned to see his colleague come storming up towards him, a small group of very tired marines trailing behind him.

Poor devils… Jolland mused as Captain Redcliff came closer, the marine underlings behind him taking a well-deserved rest (running up and down a hill all the time because two captains couldn't agree where to patrol could do that to most people)

"Well Cliffy, I saw this man here -" he pointed at the man, who thankfully had decided to shut up (for the time being) "- and decided to ask if he'd seen anything suspicious…" a tic went off continually when he recalled all the stuff he'd just been told, his voice growing tired beyond belief "According to him he has…"

"No kidding" Redcliff said while giving the man (and his afro) a peculiar look, wrinkling his nose as some unseemly smell became apparent, before sneering condescendingly at Jolland "You sure you just couldn't keep up with the patrol?"

"No definitely not." The large man shook his head vehemently "Saw this man and had to ask what he'd seen Cliffy" the large man shrugged as a determined look came over the other captains' weaselly face almost as in a lightbulb lit up in his head.

"There's a faster way to do that!" the reed thin captain said as he pulled something out of his uniform…

(In the Plaza)

Zoro grumbled as the redhaired prince jumped into the air towards his position on the side of the building. Meanwhile, the Germa soldiers had started to charge at the pirates that were on the ground. Jinbe was giving him a conflicted look, a mixture of disapproval but also the kind of understanding that bordered on envy (but mostly disapproval).

Still he had to deal with the shittychefs' brother, whose face had almost gone as red as his hair.

"Have you any idea how long it takes to get their blood off my clothes you ruffian?"

The swordsman gritted his teeth as the prince's blade met his own, he instantly knew that the power behind the strike wasn't something to sneeze at.

Still, he smiled as a thought came to him.

"I see that you take after your blonde moron brother" his smiled broadened, even as he whipped his head around to strike with the blade held in his teeth "Just as vain"

The prince avoided the strike, and since he hadn't gotten a foothold gravity began to pull at him. That wasn't the reason he snarled though.

"And you're as weak as he is!"

Zoros' eyes widened as anger flowed through his body as if it was his very blood.

Disregarding any common sense, the swordsman stepped off the outcrop of the building so he could stomp the prince in the stomach, scooting gravity to the side so the redhead rammed into the ground faster. The redhead wasn't so easily outdone however, grabbing Zoro's leg and dragging him along for the fall.

Zoro didn't fight it, he simply stepped completely off the building, and let himself fall alongside the prince, trading blows as the ground came closer.

(Elsewhere)

Jolland had just enough time to swallow and think Please don't do that Cliffy! Before captain Redcliff withdrew a stack of papers from his jacket, which he promptly held up in front of the other mans' bearded face.

"Good… civilian" the thin captain began, eyeing the huge afro once more with a curled lip, almost unsure how too talk to him "Have you seen any of these individuals tonight?"

"What?" Redcliff gave Jolland a confused look as the larger captain sighed in relief (mirrored by the other marines behind Redcliff), which soon turned to outrage "I wasn't going to threaten him! He's a civilian, not a pirate!"

Jolland held his hands up to try and stop his colleague from beginning to rant at him (he'd heard enough talk for the evening in the span of a minute already), while the afroed man leafed through the bountyposters.

"Nope mr. mariner sir, can't say I have…" he handed Redcliff the posters he'd gone through, a mix of crumbled confetti, shreds and intact paper, which was the only thing that could've helped them recognise the pirates in question (Jewelry Bonnie, Whitey Bay, Pirate hunter Zoro, Jinbe, God Usopp, Iron Shogun Franky to name a few of them).

"Cliffy, you really need another hobby than stabbing wanted posters…" he shook his head

"It's not a hobby" the thin captain replied defensively, a lecturing finger trembling in front of Jollands' jowls "Its' visualisation! For the future!"

The captain was about to continue when the afroed man mumbled something about "Damn that's a nasty gash…"

"Cliffy, he can't tell us anything if he can't even see who it is" Jolland groaned as he held a ham-sized hand to his head, sliding the green marinecap up his forehead "You and your gibberish visualisation!"

"It's not gibberish!" Redcliff almost exploded at him "Besides, I haven't had time to stab those he's holding… yet!"

"And I'm talking about that scar on her shoulder here see" the afroed man showed the pair the bounty poster he'd been expecting. As Jolland read the poster (while also studied the curvature of the shapely young womans' back and shoulders with poorly concealed interest): Cat Burglar Nami, bounty: 66 million, the man he'd stopped continued with his explanation "Right there half covered by the tattoo, see, you can't miss it"

Jolland could barely make out a scar on the picture, but he assumed the man was right.

"I suppose you haven't seen her either…"

"Sure did Mr. mariner sir, I'm pretty certain I told you there was this woman that screamed a lot and then this other woman with the man, and then this third woman that wanted the second one's man and then all this…"

Jolland looked mortified at the prospect of the man resuming his testimony from hell. Redcliffs' eye began to tick at the possibility of fighting pirates.

"Where'd you see her?" the thin captain asked, his voice raising in pitch as the tick grew worse "And were she with anyone?"

"Sure was, this dummy motormouthed moron, hair black as tar and as messy as Vierno after that catastrophe it got through, scar on his face, an even bigger one on the chest… want me to draw him for ye?"

"Jolland, I don't say this enough, but good job!" the smile on Redcliffs' face was almost enough to make the larger captain forget the smaller one was despairingly unhinged from reality when it came to pirates, almost as bad as the living chatterbox in front of them, whom at the moment were making a sketch of (what would most likely turn out to be Strawhat Luffy) the man he'd seen earlier.

When Jolland got his notebook back, his shoulders fell as he looked at the paper in dismay.

To call it a drawing was in insult to randomly scribbled lines. Both he and Redcliff had to tilt their heads to try and make it appear halfway human and not like an upside down serving of ramen in a mousetrap. And even then, the man had forgotten several key factors, like the two scars he'd clearly mentioned before.

"Oh, Gotta sign that" the man snatched the notebook back, scribbled something and returned it with a smile.

Jolland simply pocketed it nervously "Are you certain you saw them?"

"I never forget a tattoo… or a mark… or a detail…" the man smiled at him, pulled at the strings of his fake beard and scratched his chin "Sorry this thing is a bit itchy…" he replied sheepishly, giving the captains a thumbs-up, before holding his head as if he was in pain, grumbling about his "Damn headache getting worse…"

Both captains looked at him in confusion, Jolland whispering to his colleague "See… this guy is suspicious! And he looks a lot like that smuggler the Vice Admirals'…"

"Impossible, it can't be him" Redcliff shook his head and sneered "That was decades ago and who'd be dumb enough to take a disguise, even an obvious one" he nodded at the afroed man "…off in front of the marines?"

"But still…"

"He's obviously off to a party Jolland! Can't you smell the rum on him? Mans' practically been marinated in it." Redcliff snarled at him, before he pulled at the larger man, forcing him (and, reluctantly, the seamen) to go uphill to hunt for pirates.

Behind them, the afroed man was waving at them "Good bye mr. mariner sirs, have a nice evening and say hi to the Vice Admiral for me!"

For a few moments, Jolland managed to outpace Redcliff in his zeal to get away from the motormouthed man behind them.

(On the seas, on board the Sultana Triffle)

"We should be there shortly, half an hour at most"

The tall man nodded as he turned on the bridge towards the navigator "Good keep up the speed and prepare for everything"

The navigator nodded and strode off, though it wasn't easy, even the bridge had been stuffed with crewmembers from the wrecked Honey Pie. (authors note, that ship got wrecked back in chapter 13)

That they had to share the room with the cannons and mortars wasn't making things easier (Raisin had insisted on having both out and ready, just in case there were more people falling from the sky).

"You sure we should go there?" a voice piped in from behind him. Charlotte Raisin knew who it was, Tablet, small, verbally vexing and not in the best of moods "Like, man, it's pretty dangerous with all those cannon and warships and all that" the diminutive man told him as he showed another crewmember to the side for him to pass.

"With nightfall and with good enough planning, we can get to the shore and do what we came to do" he brushed off the worries with a shrug "Besides, it might do us well to lose a few soldiers"

Several of mama's underlings shivered at this, not being completely happy with that assessment, but too scared of Big Mom to even consider mutiny something about it.

"Uhmmm…" Tablet scratched his chin thoughtfully "Wouldn't it better if we lost some, fighting the marines, or Strawhat, the Firetanks, the Kid Pirates, Beast Pirates, Redhairs, Blackbeard…" he trailed off

"I said it as a joke." Raisin groaned at the smaller man, who just continued "… or one of the shichibukai, Germa or… whatever it was that took Caesar from me!"

At this a large part of the crew again shivered (they'd gotten enough the first time around), some even hid behind the others while a bloodthirsty few (all from Raisins' crew) cracked their knuckles, gripped swords and pistol or lovingly patted the Sultana Triffles' cannons and smiled in anticipation.

"Who knows, we might get a chance soon, but it's even better if we can secure another ship while we're at it"

"You've no idea how much I agree man" Tablet nodded, looking around the deck "This place is starting to reek!"

"You should spend more time on the deck than in the lazarette then" Raisin wrinkled his nose "I heard one man voided his bowels when his injuries caught up"

"Not just that, like, you've got to understand" Tablet motioned "When you're my height, the scent every unwashed pair of briefs just goes right up your nostrils!" he said with his teeth starting to clatter "Sometimes it's even straight into my face man!" he shuddered, closing his eyes as if to shield himself from the image (and memory).

While the most of the crewmembers looked around sheepishly (some even nodding in understanding) Raisin looked down at Tablet with an empathic expression "….You want to get a piggyback?"

The smaller man looked at him with a bemused expression, before tentatively replying "…I actually wouldn't mind…"

(In the plaza, on the main island of Runny Rum Archipelago)

The ground was approaching fast, and Zoro knew it'd hurt when the pair landed. His opponent had realised it too, as he tried to grapple the pirate and turn him over to absorb the shock of the impact.

But Zoro wasn't having any of that.

Pulling up his other leg to his chest, he stomped down, pushing the prince away from him, just as they crashed into the pavement.

As expected, the impact was massive, and the tiles and cobblestones were shattered as easily as glass against a baseball bat.

"PRINCE ICHIJI!" several of the soldiers wailed, even as jinbe blasted them aside with a well placed punch.

But, the redheaded prince hadn't taken any damage. Instead the man angrily swiped at Zoro with his blade.

Zoro simply stepped back to avoid the weapon, though he didn't have to. Unlike it's wielder, the sword had been bent and looked ready to crack if someone stared at it too much.

The man hadn't noticed it at this point, scowling at Zoro with naked disdain and continually muttering things like "dirty peasant" or "foul knave" and Zoro's favorite so far "insufferable pirate". The green haired swordsman had a feeling that he was going to struggle a bit against him, but also that it would remain at that.

If he's got time to spare to blabber about the small stuff… Zoro smiled there's no way he can focus on the battle!

(On another street up the hill)

"Francis… I hate you so much right now…"

"Hey, I told you I'd be right!" the smuggler jeered at her, no doubt with a huge triumphant smile on his face "And that's Coyle to you!" he held an arm up into the afro, poking her sharply in the thigh "You can call me Francis when you're part of the family, not a moment before!"

Grumbling, Nami tuned out Luffy's voice, as her captain spouted support for his uncle's crazed reasoning (again).

Don't hit him Nami… don't hit him... don't! she repeated mentally as the smuggler carried them further away from the marine patrol.

"Can we please just move on?" the navigator finally said under her breath, hoping that they wouldn't catch more attention.

"Sure!" the smuggler shrugged as he waddled down the street "Oh yeah, would you hold on to this thing here?" the smuggler reached a hand into his pocket and thrust it up into the afrowig "Might be useful later"

Nami snatched the thing before Luffy could stop her

"What the…" she said eyeing the snail he'd given her "You stole their Den den Mushi?"

"It was that or leaving empty handed!" Francis responded confidently

"You could've taken their wallets instead!"

"I'm not a pickpocket, I'm a smuggler, big difference bird"

Nami decided that she wasn't going to discuss that one at the moment and instead focus on cutting her losses and focus on their objective. "…How about we find Jinbe and Zoro and get the hell out of here?"

"Part of your crew too eh?" Coyle blurted on "Saw their bounties, you've got some strong friends nephew"

"Yeah all my crew is awesome" the captain smiled gleefully "You'll love meeting them Fruitloop"

The rubbermans' uncle groaned in annoyance as Nami corrected her captain, not that it helped, Luffy was more concerned about the guy carrying them.

"You ok?"

"Just this weird headache that keeps flashing up" his uncle waved him off "Don't you worry about it, let's just go save your cousins and we'll sweat whatever's rummaging upstairs" he continued as he waved a hand next to his head.

"Isn't that us?" Luffy asked after a short while a look of confusion on his face "… and shouldn't we be running down there with you?"

"Do you want to get out of the afro?"

"NO! this is cool!"

"I'd like to get out"

"And let go of my nephew? I don't think so"

"I've said it countless times already! We're not dating!"

"And my instincts say that it won't stay that way, Now who do you think I'll listen to first?"

"…just keep on walking"

"I knew you'd agree with me"

Nami couldn't see it, but she knew the smuggler was smirking. The highfive he did with Luffy, who didn't know what they'd been talking about, only made her grit her teeth more.

At least he's not trying to force us to hook up… she thought, before adding too forcefully

"Can we just get back to your mother and save Rindo and Marguerite?"

"That's their names?" Coyle responded with dash of surprise "Kinda breaks with the family tradition… eh, bet they're Nandos', that boy never could follow the rules anyway… then again Forte isn't…."

"Who're they?"

"Wha?!" Coyle almost exploded at Luffy's question, a hint of outrage over his ignorance

"They're your other uncles Luffy!" Nami clapped him over the head "And now focus, we need to get to your mothers place!"

"Couldn't we just have brought them with us?"

"Because Chopper said NO, remem-?"

Nami briefly stopped telling off Luffy, as the smuggler shook his head with a sigh, making the entire afro shudder and tilt from side to side,

"So you left someone alone with Fran huh…" he shook his head

"Poor devils"

(On Dvorak)

"And another thing!"

No wonder Luffy's terrified of his mother Chopper groaned inwardly as the woman continued to rant at Usopp, though to be fair, her annoyance was partially justified, Chopper had never met anyone who liked it when the ceiling in their Livingroom came crashing down, nor anyone who wouldn't believe it was the cause of the man that crashed down with it.

Except they were in Fran's house, and that woman wasn't easy to deal with. The same way that Luffy would see out adventure, accidents and natural disasters would somehow develop bloodhound tracking skills for sniffing out Fran's immediate vicinity.

If she hammered in a nail, a fire broke out.

Wipe a plate dry, sinkholes would start to appear across the island.

The gods only knew what'd have happened if Carrot hadn't stopped her from cleaning the table or clean up after the other problems that had sprung up. Usopp had naturally hid from the disasters and the damaged ceiling hadn't been able to support his weight. Through due to Chopper administering a strong sedative, neither of his two patients had woken up, even when their aunt started to tear Usopp out for the devastation.

"Please mrs. Fran God-san really didn't mean to make your home dirty(er)" Rebecca defended Usopp that had hidden behind her "Please calm down, I don't think getting upset will help you after you donated all that blood"

For a moment their host simply grumbled before demanding her pipe and her rocking chair. Franky had been thinking ahead and repaired the furniture after she'd bashed Luffy over the head with it (Authorsnote: that was back in chapter 17). It had been a small job compared to the rest of the house.

As the woman sat down and lit her pipe, the other residents in the house gathered up for a quick meeting.

"Is it just me. or is she getting worse?" a whiny voice quivered as the owner looked over his shoulder at their host.

"Women don't' get worse Usopp" another voice reprimanded him "They just get displeased with you, man up!"

"Sanji… that's really not how this works" Franky pushed his nose, making his haircut change into a small foremans' helmet as he looked at the ceiling "But seriously, this place is about to collapse, It's super rickety from all of the…erhm" he scratched his neck as he looked for the right words.

"Freak weather?"

"Yes, SUPER freak weather, thank you Vivi-san"

"Just keep her away from anything that can cause her to get angry… or want to try and help" As Chopper said it, he glanced nervously at the matron in the chair, the puffing pipe in her mouth sending cinders and near black smoke into the air, making her resemble a volcano more than a worried aunt, mother or little sister.

Chopper nearly screamed when the den den mushi started to ring,

And Fran grabbed the snail:

"This better be important!" her gravely tone setting every ones' nerves on end, they knew that the volcano was about to erupt, and the caller wasn't doing anything to avert it. The smoulderingly chipper response made it far too obvious that the caller both wasn't having any lip and would disregard it at leisure.

"You better start making nice, or else I'll make certain, that you'll eat vegetarian from now on!"

"Whaaa…" the woman blinked, then her dark eyes widened, and her jaw started to drop (somehow the pipe didn't fall out of her gob), her voice turning incredulous, worried and hopeful "Francis?!"

"The one and only, your big brother" the assembled pirates and princesses could almost see the proud smile of the speaker as his words escaped the snail "Your twit son found me, and that bird he's dragging along, now let me hear how Margaretta and Renata are doing"

"…Who?" the woman rapidly blinked in confusion, her eyes unfocussed "The hell are you talking about?"

"Their names are Marguerite-chan and Rindo-chan!" Sanji appeared next to the woman, his tone halfway scolding while his face showed all the telltale signs of feeling romantic.

Gotta be because he thinks he's protecting the kuja's honour or something Chopper mused as he made his way to the pair with the den den mushi (and hopefully prevent Fran from slapping Sanji away, the womans arm was already raised) alongside everyone else, more than a bit curious as to what sort of character Luffy's uncle were (Sanji had complained more than once over his… spectres' treatment of Viola (Authorsnote: chapter 16) much to Rebecca's dismay) and Gods knew Fran's description wasn't a reliable source.

"Those are their names? I thought they were nicknames or something…" Francis responded bemused "Anyway, tell me how my nieces are doing?"

A tick went of on Fran's forehead before she answered "…They're your daughters!"

"Whaaaa?" he halted momentarily before he yelled "Hey nephew, you didn't say that!"

"Well, after all that happened, we…" Nami explained the situation quickly, mostly for the pirates in the house, as Francis had already gotten the gist for it.

"So… your brother is caught in his younger body and mind" Chopper summarized for Fran , who'd looked very confused over the entirety of the story, only looking worried when certain things came up, like the trio on the main island being followed by Big Mom pirates and the marines. Other than that, Chopper thought she looked pretty stoic about the whole thing.

"It sounds like you've been through a lot Nami-schwann" Sanji exclaimed before his voice got a harsh accusing edge "Luffy's uncle really lacks when it comes to treating people nicely!"

"…What's this guy talking about?"

"Sanji don't start now… Also, there's something you're forgetting isn't there?" the dangerous edge to Nami's voice made the chef go a little blue, before he piped in with a sheepish "Nami-schawann-sama…"

The chef quickly piped in with a "But I have to say it! His ghost memory thing really thought some mean and bad things about Violet!"

"Yeah!" Rebecca chimed in "Viola-san doesn't deserve that kind of treatment from anyone!"

"Could someone give me some context here?" the smuggler asked "Because I can't make heads or tails of this"

Nami told him, and to Chopper it was practically audible that he slowly blinked, taking it all in and then shrugged a little annoyed.

"Well 1:" He began with a groaning tone "You're holding me responsible for what some echo of me said, after some bird you're hot on pried into my head without any permission whatsoever" To Chopper it looked like Sanji wanted to protest, but Luffy's uncle wasn't in the mood to care and continued "And 2. Sounds to me that the bitch deserved it for snooping in my head, whatever happened to privacy?"

Chopper blinked, and aside from the sound of Sanji and Rebecca's jaws hitting the floor with a pair of dull thuds, the room was silent.

"Just get him here quick and we'll take it from there" Chopper ended the call swiftly (just as Luffy started to voice his approval), hoping that it wouldn't end up with a shouting match over the line.

The look on both Sanji and Rebecca's faces was one of furious astonishment, trembling eyebrows, jaws hanging and veins on their foreheads shaking so furiously that the reindeer feared they'd pop.

The rest of the people in the room were trying to get back to work hoping to avoid any more drama, Franky hauled Usopp off to repair the ceiling, While Vivi and Carrot tried to make the shocked ones' calm down.

Chopper checked on his charges, smiling when he found them both still sleeping.

Then he checked on their host.

Fran was looking at the den den mushi, one eyebrow raised, slowly smoking her pipe. If She didn't resemble his captain in several ways, Chopper would have thought the woman was thinking, seriously thinking!

"Is something on your mind?" the reindeer asked tentatively, the sentence Aside from hitting or yelling at someone in the back of his mind.

Their host blinked slowly before she shook her head in disbelief, cracking a small smile

"I… I just haven't heard my brother be this nice in ages…"

"Nice! You call that Nice?" both Sanji and Rebecca twitched at her "Did you hear what he called her?"

"Sure did" Fran gave the pair an surprisingly energetic and wide eyed nod "I also heard he didn't threaten anyone or make a follow up on that snoopy girl…" she started to smirk, her face becoming eerily similar to her sons' disarming grin right after he'd been fed his second breakfast of the day (and been told there was an extra plate of meat waiting for him)

"You guys got it cheap kushishishishishi!" she cackled and almost doubled over in her chair. As she began to wheeze, Chopper stepped in to support the woman, who at this point was teary eyed from laughter.

"Is this thing real?" She asked the little reindeer "Please tell me my brother is going to stay like this!" she continued to smile and laugh as she leaned backwards in her chair, starting to rock back and forth, snickering like a little girl, playfully blowing little smoke rings from her pipe.

Chopper could only blink at her "It's not impossible…" he explained soothingly, happy that for once their host was showing some sort of pleasant side, yet also alarmed at the implications of what sort of person her brother was like in his adult years.

He reasoned that Luffy and Nami already knew a bit of it but hoped he wouldn't find out.

If they got lucky.

(On the Main Island of Runny Rum Archipelago, The Plaza)

She gritted her teeth and almost bit her cigarette in two.

Damn them! Things were going well until those curs showed up!

Cutting down yet another of the Germa soldiers (one of the big ones, a Man Heavy if she remembered correctly…)

Such a dull way to define your soldiers she scoffed inwardly as the clone fell and she stepped over the corpse to better take in the situation.

Charlotte Amande scoffed at the sight.

Her two underlings, stupid Durum and annoying Dacquoise, had been pushed back by the wall of Germa soldiers that had accompanied their red haired and insufferable prince Ichiji to the plaza. Reports gathered by her little sister Smoothie told that Germa was also trying to find the princesses, so she knew what they were doing there.

The two Strawhat they'd cornered wasn't faring any better than her own group. Jinbe had fought on two fronts initially, taking care of both Durums' clumsy attempt at a bearhug and several of the big clone soldiers. Now he was dealing with about half the regiment that had come. The green haired swordsman (Sorryo or something) fared not much better. While he had landed a good blow on Ichiji, the Germa soldier had swarmed him and pushed the swordsman back before he could deliver the coup de grace. The prince had struck back almost immediately after getting up from the crater, pushing his soldiers out of his way and in two cases into, the green haired mans' blades. It might have been the only way he could've rammed his foot into the swordsmans' stomach.

What puzzled her was one of the onlookers (or rather the one remaining) had shouted a warning before the blow struck and the green hair had been slammed into a building, coughing blood. The shouter hadn't done anything else.

Amande inspected the man for the briefest of moments before she cut down another man, slowly as was her wont.

Tall, clad in a beige trenchcoat with a matching bowler-hat that obscured his face and holding onto a large and heavy looking suitcase, the man cut an imposing and intimidating figure.

Taking a deep puff on her cigarette, Demon lady Amande dealt with yet another of the clone soldiers, acknowledging that they weren't making a progress against the tide of soldiers. She had an uncharacteristic shudder as a thought crept its' way through her mind.

Wonder what those freaks will do for vengeance for their defeat in Tottoland (Authors note: that was the previous fic, Out of the Jaws of Death, chapter 4).

Narrowing her eyes, Amande took a slight amount of solace that her little sister wasn't with them, Galette didn't take that sorts of thoughts, and especially implications, too well.

And remembering the way Ichiji and his uncouth brothers had acted when little cute Pudding had almost married the third Vinsmoke brother, Amande didn't doubt the redhead would let the clones do whatever they wanted. As her little sister Cinnamon had once said: "Men are so stupid, they only got two things on their mind!" which Amande was willing to admit that one was fighting, and they'd been doing that for a while now…

The other one was far more… base, and she'd noted how the soldiers looked at her. Those blasted Vinsmoke princes hadn't been any different at Puddings' almost-wedding. The thought of those leers they gave her little innocent sister was enough to make Amande happy they'd been going to kill them all.

Too bad it hadn't happened.

Still she had a chance now,

if she could cut her way through the swarm of cloned soldiers and the two Strawhat pirates.

Parting another man from his head, Amande's eyes suddenly widened and she jumped to the side out of reflex.

It was just in time to avoid Ichiji sprinting by, as the princes' attempted to avoid the greenhaired swordsmans' attacks while simultaneously try and jab at her, looking for some opening.

The next second the pair were gone, and Amande cursed that she hadn't had the time to strike herself.

Scoffing, she began to follow the pair, dispatching more of the Germa soldiers as the two men knocked them over and ruined their formation, scoffing all the way

"Stand still you rats…" she grumbled in her low deep voice "I just want to kill you both…"

(Elsewhere in Town)

"So, a civilian oddball said that he saw Cat Burglar and Strawhat up here on the hill?"

"Yes Vice Admiral Ma'am" Captain Redcliff replied while saluting her.

"And no mention of a third person?" Gion questioned with a sigh, annoyed he wasn't giving her anything new.

"Eh, third person?" the captain looked confused at her

"Yes! A third person, COYLE! Strawhat found him! His uncle! COYLE THE FRUIT MERCHANT!" her voice raised as her temper began to flare. Taking a breath, she tried to hold her impatience in check. Meanwhile the captain was looking at her in an unusual way.

"Are…Are you well Vice Admiral?" he started with a concerned tone "Are you certain that Strawhat is hauling a corpse around?"

"Perhaps you've been working too hard Vice Admiral" the large Captain Jolland added soothingly "All of these different things: pirates, kings, princesses and that dead smugglers' ghost, it all takes its toll on…"

He didn't finish, as he noted the expression on Gions' face. Lips pressed so tight together that they'd practically gone alabaster, and not a single movement at all, not even a twitch in the nostrils. The nearest thing to it, was the look in her eyes, smouldering, yet so harsh and flaming, that it was almost indistinguishable from rock that was on the cusp of turning to magma from the raging fury that burned within her core.

"Strawhat. Has. Coyle." She stated slowly for the two captains "He's alive and has been turned young thanks to Ain here" she pointed at the neo Marine with her thumb "I gave the description of a large man earlier! One that fought us in the museum. That. Was. Coyle!"

Both captains looked nervously at the Vice Admiral, droplets of sweat running lazily down their foreheads.

"You mean… that third individual that you identified earlier… was actually Coyle?"

The look his female superior shot him, mouth a thin line, gaze hard and unflinching as stone and the silence that threatened to turn into a thunderstorm if he said something that could even be considered remotely stupid, made Jolland shut up immediately.

Next to him Redcliff swallowed, trying desperately not to make a sound, yet the movement was enough to alert Gion to his demeanour.

"What is it?"

The thin captain swallowed again, looking as if he wanted to dig down into the ground and never come back up.

But not because he was afraid,

It looked to Gion as if he was ashamed at something.

"Well, spit it out already!"

(Elsewhere)

"Why do you want it now Coyle?"

"Just hand it over Bird"

"Why'd you need it now Frunnel?"

"Just give it! Also, you really need to decide on what to call me…"

(Elsewhere in town)

Gions' shoulders trembled, both eyes twitched, fist were balling, nails digging into her palms and she was beginning to grind her teeth so hard it hurt and she could faintly taste blood.

"You had… him?!" she finally managed after a lengthy silence, which had until then made both her subordinate captains fear for their careers (in addition to their lives and physical health)

"And you let him…" she stopped, her mouth turning into a thin line, barely holding back the barrage of insults that she was prepared to hew their way, until Gion finally managed a: "And you let him go?"

"He was in a disguise…" Redcliff offered feebly, still holding his salute "We got his testimony…"

"And what did the beast tell you?"

"…Jolland took it"

The larger captain shot him a harsh glare "There was a lot to take in!" he started clapping his pockets "He wrote it down for us… but it was just doodles"

Gion yanked the notebook out of the huge mans' hands and flipped through the pages, stopping the second she spotted the scribbles the smuggler had left behind, her face turning pale as all blood left it.

Then she read it out loud

"Don't get too angry with your cronies, bird, they're just not that smart, Yours truly, Coyle the Fruitmerchant, Smuggler extraordinaire. Ps. Thank you in advance"

She looked furiously at the two captains who started to shiver even more under her stern gaze.

When a den den mushi started to ring both men jerked violently.

Gion searched her pocket for the small chiming gastropod "Yes, this is Vice admi-" she managed, before a jolly voice interrupted her.

"Alright Marine bird, I assume you've found those other two by now right?

(Elsewhere)

"No… you're not calling the marines…" Nami looked down at the smuggler in abhorrent shock.

"Sure am, bird, now be quiet, it's impolite to interrupt when someone's talking"

"COYLE!" the den den mushi half screeched at the criminal trio. Nearby the were glass shattering and a dog howled.

"Yep that's me"

"I WILL KILL YOU!"

After Coyles' response of: What did I do? The Vice Admiral had all but exploded in an incoherent waterfall of growling, shouts, snarling, roars and furious groaning directed at the smuggler.

Nami felt her ears start to hurt, it was as if she'd simultaneously heard Luffy try to sing, Sanji fight with Zoro while Franky and Usopp were hammering the Sunny back together with cowbells instead of hammers. She nudged her captain in the side so he too could try and block out the racket.

How Coyle managed to make himself heard through it, was something she wished she knew, just incase...

"You know, you're not making this easier by being like that!"

To Nami's amazement, the furious female marine took a number of deep breaths and actually calmed enough down to respond to the question.

"Because of you…wheeze… My home… Was ANNIHALATED!" no one dared to interrupt the woman for fear of her exploding again "If you hadn't burned down that orphanage! Or taken those hostages, the city wouldn't have lost the devilfruits and been destroyed!"

Both Luffy and Nami gave the smuggler searching looks, both thinking the same: an orphanage, really?

Coyle was silent for a moment before he sighed "…So it's personal eh? Too bad, I had an offer you'd really appreciate… but if you're not interested…"

"…What could you possibly have to offer?"

To Nami's dread,

Coyle face split in a wide fox-like smile.

(On the plaza)

Zoro huffed as he slashed at the annoying redhead in front of him.

"Still can't hit me peasant?" the prince laughed at him haughtily as he dodged the first swing, duck the second and block the third with his own (almost destroyed blade).

"How you're worth so much to the marines is unfathomable!" he laughed again, right before Zoro headbutted him, leaving his glasses broken and nose bent.

Before the prince could snarl a curse, a voice rung out, the same that had warned Zoro before

"You're open"

Instinctively the greenhaired swordsman jumped back.

A hairs width from his nose the shockwave from a slash whished past, splitting the ground he'd stood on and the building in front of it.

Zoro didn't need to turn and look whom had unleashed the attack.

He did anyway,

and was greeted with the silhouette of the tall blue daughter of Big Mom, barely visible beneath the shadow of her broad hat, the ember glow from her cigarette moving jerkily in the darkness.

Zoro briefly imagined her twirling it between her lips in exasperation before she started to advance through the throng of Germa soldiers, mowing them down with contemptuous ease and slow cuts.

Truth be told, if he hadn't been busy with the shitty chefs' brother (and the high heel she'd planted in his face earlier, he could still feel the wound throb), Zoro would've been impressed by her skill.

He'd particularly enjoy showing that he was better.

The tall womans' voice rang out atop the din of battle, deep, annoyed and severe, a half-empty barrel being struck like a gong.

"Would someone deal with that darn lookout!"

Zoro barely had time to dodge another of the princes' attacks, trying as he might to figure out where it was the woman was looking.

That voice had helped him twice now, and he still didn't know why…

Or why he thought that leathery voice had sounded so familiar to him. It wa aa weirdly good memory for him for some reason…

Like victory.

I'm going to enjoy feeling that again in a moments' time Zoro smiled inwardly as he struck back and nearly gave the redhead a new haircut.

"You measly little…. One of my hairs is more worth than you entire shi…"

He didn't get to say anymore at the prince was tackled away from Zoro's next strike.

Instead Zoro's swords slashed deeply into a large germa soldier, but completely missed the prince in question.

Off to the side, Zoro was certain he could hear the huge bucktoothed Big Mom pirate yell… something that faintly resembled words "Aww, Oi missud da owwa wun!"

Less than a moment later, Zoro ducked underneath another thrown germa soldier, the man smashing through the window (and frame) of a nearby house with a glassy crash.

Meanwhile, the redhead threw the corpse aside, scowled and aimed a gun straight at Zoro's chest.

"This has gone on for too long you little pest!"

Zoro's leg instantly flew out and he planted a heel deep in prince Ichiji's solar plexus.

The sight of the man as he slammed into the opposite wall was something of beauty that the greenhaired swordsman usually reserved for winning a swordfight. But he didn't have time to collapse and have his wounds tended to at the moment (not that they were that severe to begin with anyway, so far this didn't feel like a real battle…).

The big mom pirates were still advancing towards his position, and a moment later he raised all three swords to block the blue woman's' descending blade.

The clash made his knees buckle and almost forced him to kneel before his towering opponent.

The lady in question didn't even look like she was struggling.

Around them the remaining Germa soldiers were falling like drops of rain and hitting the pavement (and roofs) with dull meaty thuds, ceramical cracks and soft wet pops. To Zoro it seemed that Jinbe and the two other Big mom pirates were doing their part.

Which meant…

"They'll be back to fighting each other in a moment" the deep unfeminine voice of the blue woman grumbled "Worry about yourself"

"I have bigger things to deal with than you!" Zoro snarked as he pushed her blade back

"On the contrary" she pushed back and Zoro could feel his soles slide across the cobblestones and until he found proper footing, the tall woman continued talking "I'm the strongest opponent you'll face in this island. However long it will take me, however many germa curs will get in my way, you will bleed on the ground, carved by my blade like a roast turkey You'll wish my heel killed you before I've even started slicing!"

"However many will come from above?" the voice called out again, cutting through the blue womans' threats faster than fire through a newspaper

But not as fast as whatever was descending upon the two fighters….

(Elsewhere)

"Vice Admiral, y-you cannot possibly agree to those t-terms!" Redcliff stuttered as he looked at his superior with barely concealed shock and horror "The Strawhat crew would get away!"

"Calm down will you" Gion waved him off, and bar a few angry mumblings, it silenced the captain "His offer is just a trick to get us off his trail" she shook her head "He thinks he's so clever… making you into laughing stocks…" she hot the captains yet another angry glare, both men squirming underneath her gaze, either wishing they'd rather be starring into the sun "…And then proceeding to infuriate me to no end…" her fist trembled around the hilt of her sword "He's up to something…" Gion spun around, making all the marines stand to attention "We have to be ready!"

Turning to the elite Marines she'd brought along, Gion quickly gave her instructions.

Then, swiftly and as inevitably as a tidal wave, she sped off.

She knew some of her marines would follow her, while others would see to it her orders were carried out.

Gion didn't care.

What mattered now was her duty.

She prided herself never on having taken a bribe or indulged in any of the luxurious nonsense (bar a bottle of wine and a hot bath once in a while) that the higher ranking marines were privy to.

What mattered was duty.

For all of them, from the highest fleet admiral to the lowliest cabin boy.

What mattered was duty.

That it this time coincided with vengeance,

was one of the few perks she'd ever indulge in.

And she planned on revelling in it!

(Elsewhere)

He didn't like this.

None of it.

Bad enough that he'd been trapped on a mission with Dacquoise and Durum (although the former made a great omelette and the latter liked reading aloud from the comic section neither were very effective) but dealing with a nutjob friend of Strawhat (Furball or Crochet or something) whom Kato had a very strong feeling wanted to turn his head into pumpkin pie was way too far out of the ordinary for him (and that came from a denizen of Tottoland!).

But I can't let the Charlotte family down, I just can't the homie shook his head violently s he and Galette stalked down the street, avoiding marines whenever possible, damn bastards had been storming up and down the hill in ever increasing numbers as the racket of broken buildings and clashing steel grew louder.

All of the Charlottes' around the age of 30 were awesome to work with really, Kato didn't know why, but they always treated him kindly for some reason (Sweet Commander Katakuri-sama even made express note to congratulate him on the day Big Mom put a soul into his pumpkinhead and fashioned it on a body 28 years ago).

None of the other Homies were treated this way by the Charlottes, at least not that Kato knew.

"Miss Galette, shouldn't I be the one to see if the coast's clear?"

A moment passed where the woman just gave him a searching look

She's mulling it over, but… Kato saw her take a breath, shoulders slump, but also that her mouth was set in a determined line before she shook her head.

"No, I'm doing this Kato, you stay back and calm down… that man spooked you afterall…"

She doesn't want me getting harmed, even when that man forced her to help them escape and wanted to shoot her… even I was goofed up with that lantern idea… the pumpkin head swallowed I've got to do my best for the Charlottee family, whatever it takes!

He followed the Charlotte daughter out of the alley and out into the darkened streets.

(Another Elsewhere)

"Why did you say that?!"

"To set up a deal" the smuggler replied as he rearranged the huge afro atop his head after Nami and Luffy had excited their makeshift hideout.

"But…" Luffy looked around confused "You don't' have Big moms daughters to trade…" he looked at the suitcase while scratching his head "Or do you?"

"I doubt it, any of that old broads' kids wouldn't fit in here anyway" Coyle shrugged and gave the suitcase a tug "Got to be something important in it though, I can't seem to let go of it for some reason…"

"Let's get going instead of you two getting sidetracked!" Nami grunted as she pushed both guys down the street.

"Nephew, I think your… friend, isn't cut out for this type of life"

"Yeah, Nami isn't good with fight and fun" Luffy responded "But she's great when it comes to fun" he smiled and gave Coyle a thumbs-up ""

The navigator could only grumble as the uncle-nephew duo got serious and run down the street.

Faster than her.

"Hey, wait for me!"

(On the plaza)

Zoro and the blue woman had just enough time to disengage before something crashed into the ground where both had stood a moment before.

Neither of the two swordfighters were surprised to see that it was the germa prince again, blood dripping from his temple, only slightly darker than his hair.

Wherever it fell in his mane made it look like an odd painting after the blue woman planted her heel in his face. The blow sent the prince crashing into a barrel and reducing the wood to splinters and bent iron.

Another rush of germa soldier prevented her from following up with another attack, however.

Even as she cut them down, she was pushed away from the prone prince.

In the direction of Zoro.

Goddamn it! Can't I catch a break today? He raised his blades to strike at the woman.

He never landed a blow as something rammed into him from behind.

The first thing he thought was: What the hell?! As he struggled in the grasp of whatever had barrelled into him and the second: Why wasn't there any warning this time?!

Then he howled "Fight me like a man you…" he blinked as he looked at the grasper "Jinbe?!"

"We can't keep this stupid battle up" the fishman grumbled, not bothering to look the swordsman in the eye "We've already spent too much time on this!"

Zoro was about to disagree but the silhouette of the woman loomed not far behind them, hat tilted, sword raised and cigarette glowing faintly between her thick lips.

"Let me go so I can fight her!"

Jinbe didn't obey, instead he took the swordsman by the collar and swung him around, just in time for Zoro's three blades to deflect the woman's blow with a loud clang.

Not for the first time, Zoro wondered how hard he'd be pressed if it'd just been him against that woman, without this annoying press of bodies getting in the way all the time.

He was just about to repeat himself when the voice suddenly cried out a warning again and Jinbe threw himself to one side in response, taking a flabbergasted Zoro with him.

A moment later the spot they'd just stood in exploded in a cloud of broken stone, red energy and whipped up dirt.

As the two rolled around, Zoro had just enough time to see that the woman had gone after them and had aimed a lunge at them.

He swiftly whipped out one arm, letting the swords clash and block the attack, while the other one brought the two pirates' roll to a swift halt.

Zoro smiled as Jinbe finally released his hold on him, he knew it was only because the fishman had to get up, but it was nice to be free all the same. To his surprise, the woman wasn't following up her assault, instead, she was looked behind them, to the one responsible for their unpleasant dive.

Around the prince, ball of electrified red light had started to appear, crackling with devastating power to be unleashed upon his foes.

"You're not going anywhere you filthy scum!" the prince smiled deviously "You'll all pay for your insolence!"

Next to Zoro the tall woman didn't miss a beat, no emotion visible on her face or voice.

"When will you pay for your fathers'?" she blew a small stream of smoke before continuing "He didn't show Mama the proper respect back in Tottoland"

"Royalty can do no wrong Pirate!"

"Mama has been a queen for longer than your father has been alive, boy" the woman levelled her sword at him "She'll outlive you as well"

"In a cell in Impel Down perhaps" the prince smiled and lunged forward alongside his remaining men, blades levelled at the pirates in front of them, their glasses shinning with a dull glow, devoid of emotion and of pride, but full of malice nonetheless.

(Not far away)

"Are you sure it's here?"

"With that Racket?" she shrugged with an annoyed groan "Who else would it be but Zoro? He can't keep out of trouble even when we he has a nanny!" Nami silently apologized to Jinbe for the comparisson

"No wonder with that bounty" the smuggler said on the other side of Luffy, taking another look in the newspaper "Bet he's good in a fight though"

"Let's just get in there and help them!" Luffy "Rindo and Marguerite won't last forever!"

(in the plaza)

Jinbe blinked as the entire platoon tripped on the cobbles and slammed headfirst into the street.

He it did again as the Germa soldiers began to rapidly slide downhill, much to their own confusion and protest.

Then he realized what'd happened and grabbed Zoro by the collar

"What the hell?!"

Jinbe had barely gotten ten steps before someone blocked his path.

One he expected to see, the hand she held up in the direction of the now disappeared Germa troops confirmed his suspicion.

"Hello Miss Galette"

"Jinbe-sama" the woman replied with mock politeness (Jinbe had attempted to be polite, some habits died hard when you'd been a member of Big Mom's crew), her eyes shining with harsh malicious behind the red ruffled locks.

She hasn't had a good evening so far either Jinbe thought silently, then again, she never were much for smiles and laughs

"Who's that"

"Another of Big Mom's daughters" Jinbe was just about to let go of his comrade so they could better defend themselves when the aiding voice called out again

"JUMP!"

The fishman reacted instantly,

And not a moment too soon,

As another of Big mom's underlings, some homie Jinbe had become acquainted with in Tottoland tried to slash at his feet.

"Aw Man! This just isn't my night!"

"Sister" He could hear Amande approach from behind and quickly spun around so that the two didin't have their backs to any of big mom's crew. Behind the tall woman, the Fishman noted that Durum was looking around with a searching look in his piggish eyes, while Dacquoise was looking excitedly at Galette

Did he just throw her an air kiss?

"Did you not get Strawhat?"

Jinbe gave the redhead a look, curious to what she had to tell her elder sibling. As she slumped her shoulders knew the answer.

"They got away, both him, his navigator…"

"And that creepy happy nasty guy!" Kato shuddered

Amande looked at both of them with as much surprise as her stoicism would allow "What guy?"

"Coyle" Jinbe Finished for them and smirked "They found him"

The bluedressed woman raised an eyebrow and sucked on her cigarette "I thought he was dead"

"Wish he was" the homie exclaimed "He was even crazier than Strawhat!"

Amande was silent for a short moment before she turned "So Strawhat is starting to deal on the blackmarket… interesting…"

Next to him, Zoro gave Jinbe a perplexed look, to which the fishman could only shrug and shake his head

How the heck would I know what Luffy-kuns' uncle hauled years ago? We only got the guys' name…

The fishman swiftly decided to turn his attention back to the hostiles in front of him, all five of Big moms' daughters and underlings were poised and ready for round two.

He scoffed "Well, at least this is going to be all the more interesting"

"We can take them" Zoro reaffirmed confidently "Just don't try and stop me again"

"If I hadn't done that, you'd have been a head shorter!" Jinbe snorted derisively "Amande almost took your eye, isn't that enough of damage for you to sustain in one fight?"

The swordsmans' response was so angry he almost spat his sword out "It's not about that! I can't let it stand that I haven't cut her once!"

Jinbe almost facepalmed, the swordsmans' vindictiveness was starting to be more of a hindrance than his sense of direction that'd landed them in the mess to begin with.

"It's practically the same Zoro!" he grunted and gave him a harsh look, which the greenheaded swordsman returned with equal righteous fury.

"Is not!"

Both glared at each other, while their fists and swords were raised towards their opponents

"Not that I'm against you two killing yourselves" both men turned back to the big mom pirates, Galette had one hand on her hips, the other raised, a glob of translucent butter floating around it "But we wouldn't mind telling Mama we did it"

Next to her, the older sister Amande levelled her blade, her cigarette glowing faintly "And that requires your heads"

Jinbe pursed his lips, he knew what was coming, so did everyone else,

A huge crash as the Yonko crew would charge straight at the pair and give them a similar beating as Germa kingdom had received in Tottoland, only more localized and less brutal.

Confidently, the Big Mom pirates strode forward to the slaughter…

(On the streets)

Poverty

Dread

Ruins

Death and famine

Gion remembered all of it from her childhood in Vierno.

And it had all been Coyle's fault!

Even years after his attack on her home, there had still been corpses found and buried, crops still failed and families still shivered at the mere mention of Devil Fruits.

When she'd heard in school how he'd been defeated by Vice Admiral Hoodie, she'd been elevated.

There had been some justice in the world.

That monster had died.

Or so she'd thought.

Now that beast was alive and right under her nose.

26 years… more than two decades he'd laid low, no one knowing where he'd been… what' he'd been doing, his projects… or what his mysterious family had been up to.

That he was related to Strawhat was unimportant. But only to Gion apparently, she could hear a few of marines, and even her own elites, mutter about getting promoted when they brought the criminals to justice.

That's just another word for execution after Marineford she thought as she sped down the hill, her entourage tailing as closely behind her as they dared.

Her rage at Redcliff and Jolland hadn't abated, and the two captains naturally brought up the rear of the party, either too afraid or too dutiful to run and hide.

No civilians had that problem.

They'd all sought refuge in the harbour or at the hotels and villages on the closest of the peninsulas' islands: Inaw, Ukin Island and Otamot had taken in the sudden influx of residents in record time, even Shimmers' cliff and its' hotels had opened its doors, despite the Boards' notorious reluctance to deal anything but customers (That the staff of Hannibals' had asked probably had something to do with the sudden shift in attitude).

It was a small comfort,

But vital.

Without locals around, the potential for civilian casualties was practically zero.

She hoped dearly that her marines could contain the pirates, be it big Mom's or the Strawhats.

Yonko underlings and the worst generation… taking out either will make the seas safer

Gion increased her pace, the marines behind her starting to lag behind

And when we get Strawhat… we'll get Coyle too…

(The Plaza)

The crash that jinbe had predicted happened sooner than he'd expected.

But not like he thought it'd be.

It was a cart.

A cart filled with pottery that came thundering in from the side, hoppled as it hit one of the germa soldier corpses and turned over on the side with the sound of broken clay, splintering wood and timber that had landed on cobbles and bodies.

The next he heard was far more palatable.

"Hey Jinbe! Zoro! WE FOUND YOOOOOU!"

Jinbe smiled as he heard the voice, the sight of the three figures that'd entered the plaza calming him down for several reasons. First of all it meant they could get away faster.

"Strawhat" Galette sneered at the arrival of the skinny young pirate captain "and the orangehaied crybaby" said crybaby immediately cringed and held up her staff defensively in front of her.

"But who's the other one with the tree?" Dacquoise grunted and pointed at the third figure that had arrived.

For a moment the big mom pirates looked at the mismatched clothing, the blonde fake beard and the titanic afro… and then some of them began to stare with dropping jaws.

Amande was the first to break the silence "I distinctly remember Coyle…" she began and turned to her sister one eyebrow raised in disbelief "…Being somewhat smaller around the head"

"That's too stupid to be a disguise…" Galette responded with wide eyes "Must be another accomplice…"

"Oi'm' sertan idz 'im!" the large Big Mom brute pointed accusingly

"Durum, we're talking about the man in the mismatched clothes that's next to Strawhat…" Amande responded with a deadpan expression "Not the one that's been warning grasshead over there"

"He's also the last one in the plaza beside us" Jinbe chuckled as he swiftly examined the large trenchcoat covered man, his features hidden under a fedora and obscured further by the coat. Nothing distinctive about him, except the large suitcase in his hand that'd been handcuffed to his wrist.

Everyone else, Germa soldiers or civilians, had either fled or been forced away, the only ones remaining were the Big Mom crew and the four Strawhats (and whom was hopefully Luffy-kuns' uncle).

Five against five… and me and Zoro has had a stalemate with three of them for a while now… we can take them as long as we don't get more trouble he glanced at a now very nervous (which was always when there was a battle) navigator

"Something wrong Nami-san?" he whispered

"I think we might have angered that guy in the coat earlier…" she whispered back, adding "Hopefully Luffy won't say anything stupid now, that guy gives me the creeps!" she said it in a tone so defeated that Jinbe knew she was certain their captain would do just that.

"Ok we're here" the captain began, hands raised high in triumph, a humongous smile playing on his boyish face "And We're leaving!"

Nami and Jinbe starred dumbfound at the rubberman, his tone had been one joy and triumph but also command and urgency. It did not sound like him at all.

"Can't it wait until I've cut them down?"

"Zip it Zoro!" Nami punctuated by smacking him over the head with her climatact, the blow left a hollow flute-like sound in the air, which was sounder than what the swordsman responded with.

"You've had your chance buddy, those birds can wait, we've got to get to Fran!"

"Yeah! What Fruncle said!"

The uncle-nephew duo stamped their feet in perfect synchronisation

Wasn't his name Francis? Jinbe mused as the captain and the dressed-up man looked at each other for a brief second, before the afroheaded uncle slapped Luffy on the back and laughed

"Guhaha I can live with that one…" the smuggler responded and pointed at him "Neffy!"

Luffy took a moment before he understood who the man was referring to and then his face split in a huge grin "I like it! ShiShiShi!"

Jinbe briefly wondered if Luffy suddenly had gotten a twin, Nami facepalmed with a groan (part of her seemed to be relieved for some reason), Zoro smiled (despite the bump that had grown on his head) and the Charlottes' could only give them annoyed looks of confusion.

"…I can believe that's Coyle now" Amande mused "He's got the same laugh, arrogance and jerkiness"

"Hey, who're you calling a jerk Bird?"

"Watch who you're calling a bird Coyle-san" Jinbe corrected him "That woman doesn't need a devil fruit to be dangerous… just ask Zoro"

"This isn't a wound!" as soon as she noticed, Nami took a look at Zoro's eye wound, the swordsman reluctantly allowed her to wipe away the worst of the clotted blood, grumbling about that tall ones' stupid heels, dirty fighting and some stupid curly eyebrow piece of shit that had come out of no-where.

So, while Nami grilled the swordsman for details, the captain decided to address the feuding combatants.

"Can't you guys just let us go?" Luffy's shout could be heard clearly across the plaza "We don't have time to beat you guys now!" he lit up in a grin and gave them a thumbs-up "How about tomorrow?"

Some jaws started to drop.

"And give you time to gather your forces" Dacquoise sneered and pumped his fists "It's easier to just beat you here and get Mama's reward later!"

Although he had responded to Luffy (and his sunglasses made it impossible to be certain), Jinbe was very sure the winged man was looking at the two Charlotte sisters (and winking). Both ignored him.

"I wanna cut the smuggler!" the pumpkin headed homie demanded sword raised at the man in question.

What did Luffy-kuns' uncle do him? Jinbe wondered briefly as he gave the dressed-up smuggler an inquisitive look of alarm. The man in turn only shrugged and smiled disarmingly at the homie.

"If this is about my theory I'm happy to test it lil' buddy…" the homie looked alarmed as the smuggler/amateur scientist scratched his chin "I just need to find some things first… like cutlery…"

The way Kato looked at the smuggler made Jinbe feel a tad of sympathy and from the way Amande stepped in front of the thin homie it wasn't just him that had that conclusion.

"Could you people just kill each other?" all eyes turned to the lone onlooker, his tone impossibly impatient, and while his form was completely stiff, the voice managed to project both folded arms and a slowly tapping foot.

"This is getting tedious"

(On the streets)

"Shouldn't we be thinking of helping Strawhat and Jinbe captain?"

"After the beating we took earlier" the bluenette shook her head "Not in a million years!"

Whitey Bay had gotten her crew to the harbour, amidst the rush of civilians it'd been easy to avoid the marine patrols, even the one led by the skinny and stout duo that kept fighting over where they should be looking for Pirates.

"Berring" the bluenette adjusted her captains' hat and looked out on the town, deserted as it was, except for the glow of a random marine or Germa soldier patrols' lanterns, still trying to find the random pirate crews that had been spotted or let loose within.

"Aye Captain"

"How fast can we have the cannons ready?"

Her underling mouth dropped alarmingly low, showing just how many teeth he had lost to battle and scurvy.

"A-a-as soon as we're back on board the Little Snowflake captain" he answered, putting a shaking hand through his thick black beard. Sensing his mood, shared by more than one of her crewmen, Whitey Bay gave him a stern, disapproving glare.

"You lost your taste for fighting quickly…" she continued to glare at the man, whom had regained some level of courage (which often happens when mens' bravery were challenged, especially by a hot woman)

"I'm worried about the base!" he protested, his tone shaded with sarcasm and complaining "You know, The blasted Cannons!"

Damn! Forgot about those damned Doomspitters whitey groaned inwardly, while Berring continued

"We'd be blasted to smithereens the second we shoot!" he pointed at the base atop the hill, the rising moon behind it, casting a grim, massive shadows across the town. The light and shadows turned the huge cannon barrels into dark horns, all of them attached on some demon made of stone and mortar and run by zealous marines. Not even the biggest idiot on the seas in doubt of the massive artillery within the walls. And what a single barrage could do to a ship…

"Well…" Whitey began as she mulled things over for a moment, remembering what had happened at Marineford, how Whitebeard had fallen, or poor Oars Jr. when the giant tried to break down the defences.

All those cannonballs…

A final shiver was all Whitey allowed to affect her, before she shrugged, smiled and turned to board her own ship "I'm sure Strawhat will be fine" She waved a hand for her crew to follow her "Kid's got Jinbe and…" she struggled to remember the other crew members names "Those two cronies to guard him, it'll be fine"

(In the Plaza)

"You do realise this isn't a sports event?!" several throats yelled into the evening sky.

"Neither is it a debate" the onlooker responded with unimpressed calm, ignoring the angry looks he was getting, the edge of impatient boredom settling in his tone "Settle your disputes with your fists like proper pirates"

"We would have…" Amande glared at the man "If someone hadn't shouting warnings all the time!"

"Then It'd have been over too soon" the figure merely shrugged in return, the coat and fedora concealing any and all other expressions.

Nami gulped, but also smiled as Jinbe put a hand in front of her and slowly urged her to edge back the way Nami, Luffy and the Smuggler uncle had come.

The captain didn't get the hint and started to inch forward instead, a serious look on his face.

Zoro was of the same mindset and rolled his shoulders in preparation for the charge.

The smuggler looked at the two pirate fronts as excited as a tourist that didn't understand a thing, but instinctively knew that something was about to happen and couldn't wait to see what.

Jinbe's firm grip in their shirts managed to pull the pair after him, as discretely as possible. The pair of pirates were naturally confused (and Zoro initially protested) but went along with the plan anyway.

The Big Mom pirates weren't late to discover it however

"Get 'Em!"

Nami turned to run, the others right behind her.

Then in front of her, Luffy pulled the disguised uncle after him as quickly as possible, the smuggler not struggling in the slightest, only looking back at the rushing enemy pirates… and Nami

"Wait for me!"

"Neffy you're forgetting someone important"

Before the captain could ask what he meant, he was yanked back by Jinbe, coming to an abrupt halt.

The question that had brewed in Nami's mouth never came, as the navigator saw the scowl and furrowed brow of the fishman, staring at something in the alley the trio had originally entered the plaza from.

Behind her, Nami was vaguely aware that the Big Mom pirates had come to a sudden halt as well.

The assembled pirates all looked at the alley's shadows.

Specifically the figure that emerged from it

Tall, vicious and furious, the Vice admiral Gion stepped out of the darkness, little pinkish white petals blazing around her like mist, halfway in her logia form and halfway out of it, prepared for anything a hand on her hip near her sword, mouth set in a stern line.

Nami had seen it earlier and knew what the woman was capable of in that form (authors note: That was the previous chapter).

She can hold us all here… attack from any angle… the navigator swallowed

"Great… this night just got worse again…" she groaned as she eyed

There's no telling what she's willing to do after Coyle pissed her off with his stupid gibberish!

(In the marine Base, The cannon galley less than a minute earlier)

"Base?"

"Yes?"

"This is the vice admiral… Prepare the cannons to Fire at my command…"

End of chapter

Damn, this took a while to write, had been a bit busy (as in extremely!) with assignments and yule festivities so haven't had the time, not to mention how long it takes me to write dialogue and this being a pretty chatty chapter, but at least it's about 70+ wordpages for you dear readers to enjoy.

Took the chance to elaborate on some of the characters in this chapter, the side ones are for more than just show tbh, and I intend to let as many of theme as possible shine a bit, just to give the story that bit more character and depth.

Don't know when the next chapter will be up, but I'm aiming for it to be shorter than this one.

RnR If you'd be so kind.