Leaning over her snail phone, Lucia tapped her nails on the dull wood of her desk. She had left her workshop to take refuge on the floor of Shakky's bar. She had kept her ear to the ground and made herself as discreet as possible when Sanji had entered the establishment before announcing that he was leaving to do some shopping. She was taking it easy, forcing herself to stay here so as not to attract attention outside. The Navy HQ had now moved to the other side of Redline, right into the New World, and since then the lawless zones had multiplied on the island. Between the return of the real Straw Hat crew, the usurpers who wanted to attract new men, the wave of pirates who had just crossed Grand Line and were flocking to the archipelago... it was a far cry from the chaos caused by the terrible generation two years ago but the atmosphere was still very tense. As a precaution, Lucia had carefully calculated her movements on the island, always hidden under a thick layer of dark cloth, gloves and thick boots, her face turbaned in a keffiyeh that only let see her eyes. With these clothes, it was easy to mistake her for a man, and this was not to her displeasure. The less attention she attracted, the better she was.
Pele pele pele - pele pele pele - Gotcha.
Lucia picked up the snail phone in a flash.
"Yes?"
"We're here, we left our dear Sanji on the island."
"I know, he came by earlier, you were slow to contact me."
"We tried to get away a bit first. Is the plan still on track?"
"Of course," Lucia replied. "Make yourself scarce and move towards the west of the archipelago. No waves if you don't have to."
"All right, we'll be there."
Lucia hung up, relieved. The Ivankov trannies were there. Hareda and her scientists from Wetheria had also answered the call. As well as Heracles and Perona. She only missed one call...
"Boa Hancock..." Lucia muttered.
The pirate empress and her were not on the best of terms, Hancock had been very hostile towards the young woman - still not knowing her identity - , shouting that she would protect Luffy at the risk of her life. And since then, there had been radio silence. No news. Lucia was quite annoyed. She had spent the last few months tracking down every member of the Straw Hat crew, tracking down all the intriguing activities on the new world, taking the time to examine the islands that were most likely to have hosted the pirates. Then she'd used the information Kuma gave to Rayleigh and the own speculations of the old man. She'd found them all, except Robin, with a lot of research and hard work, and a bit of luck too, only to have an empress hanging up on her saying that she and Luffy were in perfect love and that he didn't need mothering anymore. A bitter taste lingered in her mouth ever since, she would really like to hear news from the pirate captain. He and Robin were the two missing. She wasn't worried about Robin. No. She was having more trouble dealing with her friend's unfortunate tendency to get into trouble without meaning to.
A slight noise against the door made her straighten her head, Shakky appeared, her cigarette between her teeth, looking worried:
"The Navy will send troops to the archipelago. They've heard about the famous Straw Hat recruitment and want to take advantage of it to catch everyone."
"Damn it" Lucia swore. "It was predictable, but it's going to make our job harder for sure."
She stood up and started to get dressed:
"I'm going out to keep an eye on things, tell Ray."
"Will you be alright?" the barmaid worried.
"Yeah, don't worry too much, disappearing in front of the world is my specialty now."
She concluded her sentence with a tense smile before diseppearing under the mass of black cloth that covered his face. Then she left without a word, under Shakky's worried look. Yes, they had become strong, Lucia too, but she could feel the young woman's nervousness. She did not like the situation and she was not serene. She knew that Lucia was more afraid of facing Luffy than the Navy. She sighed:
"Good luck... "
As she walked around the archipelago, she could clearly hear civilians talking about the Straw Hat, showing their fear of it. She gritted her teeth. How dare they? Who were event they? Who were these people who dared to use the name of these pirates to spread their terror? For what? An ounce of fake respect and fear in the eyes of those who looked at them? I really don't know what's holding me back from- Stop it girl you know very well what's holding you back, your name, your face and the fact that you're supposed to be dead! So you put your little frustration away and focus on the plan: getting Luffy and the others out. Lucia shook her head, this little inner debate had been playing out inside her for weeks. Ever since she'd known that some lowlife was taking advantage of other people's fame for their own gain. She slipped her hand into her pocket to put her fingers on her snail phone... still nothing. Pirate empress... capricious empress, yes, I swear...
Everywhere she looked, everywhere she went, pirates were fighting each other relentlessly, blood was flowing on the green grass... Lucia soon realised that the little haven of peace she had grown up in had disappeared two years ago. Once she had spent the first few days here, she had to face the facts. The wonderful veil of nostalgia had disappeared, revealing a much less radiant picture than the one she had known.
Without understanding how, her steps led her to grove 46, where the largest gathering of pirates in two years was taking place, under the direction of the fake straw hats. Without a word, Lucia melted into the crowd, weaving in and out of the brigands. She was disgusted by the show. She could only see heads that were known for their cruelty. Without meaning to, she bumped into one of them who grabbed her arm violently:
"EH! Watch your step, man!"
"Sorry," Lucia mumbled.
A clamour made them suddenly turn their heads:
"Hey look, Straw Hat Luffy has joined us!"
On a low wall overlooking the tide of criminals, four individuals stood proudly, arrogant and contemptuous, savouring their small success. They were pale copies of Luffy, Nami, Usopp and Franky. In a greasy, horrifying voice, the one pretending to be Luffy claimed that everyone here was now part of the straw hat crew. Lucia clenched her fists as cries of joy and rage rose around her. The brigands were in a frenzy.
"In my next adventures I expect you to become my fists, my feet and fight for me at the risk of your life!"
These words made Lucia wince. How dare they say that under Luffy's name? It made her want to vomit. Especially after seeing all self-sacrifice he had been capable of in Marineford. How could all those morons believe it? They were blinded by their admiration, and obviously this big lump was enjoying the praise he was getting. He was ascribing him the merits of Enies Lobby, Impel Down, Marineford, as well as the direct filiation with Garp, Dragon and Ace. She even thought she heard her own name being spoken. The usurper quickly ordered them to be quiet and then asked them to find certain individuals who had obviously dared to put him in his place. Please give me the names of these guys and I'll build them an altar. You deserve to bite the dust. The sound of her pocket snail phone drew her out of her reverie, and she immediately grabbed it and went to pick it up:
"Helios."
"It's Ray. They're almost all here, I've redirected them to grove 42 as planned."
"That's great."
"Where are you?'
"Grove 46, I'm keeping an eye on this pirate gathering. I'm thinking if we can try to keep the Navy focused on this event, then it's all the better for Luffy."
"That's not wrong, but it's very risky for you. Shakky's been keeping herself informed, apparently some big shots are on their way."
"As if for a change," Lucia ironically said. "Where is Luffy?"
"I don't know, but it's almost certain that he's landed."
"I agree. I haven't heard from Hancock but I think he's on the island. Then... where exactly... that's a mystery..."
"I'll let you handle it?"
"Yeah, no problem. You take care of yourself."
She hung up with a sigh. Things were progressing slowly but surely. Yet there was still no sign of Luffy, which was beginning to worry her. He must have gotten himself into trouble again, like every time. The clamor started up again next to her and she dared to take a look at the promontory where the fake Straw Hat crew was still standing. She almost choked on the sight of who was standing beside them now. Hidden behind a false moustache and a long fur coat, under a huge backpack, no one could guess. But Lucia knew. She knew it was him. Luffy. She was amazed. Then she started to laugh uncontrollably. What's the point of looking for Luffy... instead, look for the place where it would cause the most problems and you'll find him. Oh I can't believe it. A few hundred meters separated them and it was likely that he didn't even suspect she was there, but Lucia felt reassured. Reassured to see him here, alive.
The fake Straw Hat then began to shout out his entire speech, threatening Luffy and preparing his sentence to make an example of him. Lucia arched an eyebrow behind her disguise. No doubt he would get crushed if he looked for trouble too much. On the other hand, was it a good idea to let Luffy do that at the risk of being spotted by the Navy, which would certainly be arriving in a few minutes. She plunged her hand into her pocket to find her snail phone, but her gesture was interrupted by a pirate whose reputation she knew all too well, "Wet-Haired Caribou", bounty of 210 million, holder of the Numa Numa No Mi.
"Hey there, pretty boy, you're up to something in your corner too."
"I- "
"Captain!" exclaimed the pirate. "I think we have another Navy mole, what do I do with him?"
Oh dear, it couldn't be worse. Lucia's mind was racing as the pirate dragged her to the 'captain'. The latter looked at her:
"Bring it here!"
Using his devil fruit to restrain her movements, Caribou worked to get Lucia up on the low wall, level with the pirates. She gagged when the fake Luffy leaned over her to speak:
"What's your name?"
"Helios," Lucia answered flatly, masking her voice as best she could.
"Look, Helios, I don't like snitches, so tell me what you were doing."
"Nothing, I was listening."
Holding back a chuckle, Caribou slipped a hand into the young woman's trouser pocket and pulled out the snail phone. The fake Luffy squinted and moved closer and closer to Lucia:
"Oh yeah? And what's this then?"
"Well, it's called a snail phone and it's used to communicate with other people from a distance. You know, to talk and stuff. I'd heard you were a complete moron, but this is worse than I thought."
The second she'd started talking she'd regretted it. Provoking him was the worst thing she could have done and she had just fallen into the trap. But he annoyed her too much for her to do nothing. The vein on the pirate's forehead swelled with anger and he grabbed Lucia by the collar:
"Do you even know who you're talking to, kid? You'll see what it costs you to disrespect me! You guys, take off his turban so we can see his face. To hide it like that, you must be pretty awful to look at!"
He burst out laughing while waiting for his subordinates to do so. Lucia blushed. Hola, hola hola and what am I going to do now that I've got myself into this mess? The second my disguise falls off, I'll be recognized and the whole operation will be ruined. Using Conqueror's Haki? It might be a way to save our lives after all. Seeing the fake Usopp's hand coming dangerously close to her face, she concentrated, ready to use her Haki to give them a chance to escape.
"You are finished, you pirates! The Navy is here to stop you!"
Before they had time to react, the pirates gathered at grove 46 were quickly surrounded by the troops of soldiers who had arrived in numbers. Thank God, who would have thought that the Navy would ever get me out of a mess like this. The soldiers ordered Luffy's Straw Hat crew - or the one who were naming themselves as - to surrender before they were attacked. Lucia turned her head as she heard Luffy express surprise that the Navy was already aware of his presence on the archipelago. She sighed. Two years of training but still having difficulty tying the pieces together to make a successful thought. She slowly backed up to Luffy's level while the fake crew panicked. In front of her, Caribou disobeyed an order from the fake Luffy and shot a soldier without blinking. Her blood boiled in her veins. She gently tugged at the coat Luffy was wearing to get his attention:
"Straw Hat... I'm on your side... you need to get out of here and find your crew."
"Do you know where they are?" exclaimed Luffy, smiling.
"Keep your voice down. Yes, I do. Let's try to get out of this mess without making too many waves.
"I'm in, I don't know who you are but you're a good guy."
Lucia smiled a little, but he didn't see it. The battle between the Navy and the pirates was raging down below as the liars watched in horror. Gunshots and saber slashes rang out amidst the screams of anger and pain.
She recognised the sound even before she saw the shot and the explosion. That distinctive little technological noise that had haunted her two years ago.
"WARNING PACIFISTAS!" one of the pirates suddenly shouted.
"Oh no, no, no," muttered Lucia. "Not again!"
Before their eyes, two Pacifistas, the Navy's war machines, had just disembarked and were firing on sight at all the pirates.
"They look like Kuma," muttered Luffy, "Hancock told me to be careful and not to cause any trouble."
From where she stood, Lucia could still see the two machines analyzing the group of pirates in front of them.
"Target Straw Hat Luffy is confirmed," one of them said robotically.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH WHAT A SCARE !!!! In Lucia's mind everything came together very quickly. She remembered that these robots could recognize their target even when they were disguised. So Luffy was spotted no matter what. And the second question is: am I still in their files because if I do...
The pirates were being demolished by the Pacifistas, powerless against their constant fire. Without asking for help, the fake Straw Hats fled, leaving Lucia and Luffy alone on their promontory.
"We have to get out of here Straw Hat... it's getting hot..."
Below, the false Luffy ran into a man Lucia hadn't seen for two years. Her blood ran cold. Sentomaru. It was him she had fought on the archipelago before Kuma made her and the whole crew disappear. On the alert, she stepped back even further, clutching Luffy's coat. Unlike all these low-life pirates, Sentomaru was not fooled. It only took him a few seconds to deliver a monumental blow to the head of the fake Luffy and shut him up, revealing to everyone else that they had been fooled and that the whole thing was a gigantic scheme. The so-called Luffy was none other than a pirate by the name of Demaro Black, whose bounty amounted to 26 million berry.
"So this guy was pretending to be me? So it's not the real Sanji and Zoro... yet they look just like them."
Lucia repressed a small laugh.
"Well, we'd better sneak out while we still can, right?" he asked Lucia.
She nodded:
"Yes, it would be better for you. Let's try to get out of here quietly."
They had hardly taken a few steps when a shot from the PX5 stopped them dead in their tracks. They quickly dodged the attack and retreated several metres. Lucia clung to her suit with all her strength while Luffy's suit fell miserably to the ground, revealing his face in broad daylight:
"Are you crazy, should see to pay attention there is my lunch in this bag!" he protested.
Lucia sighed, dejected. They wouldn't go out quietly, it was all over. It took only a few seconds for all the men in Grove 46 to recognize the pirate captain. Usurpers, soldiers, pirates, all were stunned to see the famous face of Straw Hat Luffy. Lucia smiled beneath her disguise, but it quickly faded when Luffy, who couldn't hold his tongue, spoke directly to Sentomaru about their departure. Shaggy, she punched him in the head.
"Stop it!" Luffy shouted. "Why are you doing this in the first place!"
"You're not okay, it's not possible you can't keep your mouth shut! The goal was to get out discreetly I remind you!"
"Well, it's too late now, isn't it?"
"Well, it is now, you idiot, since you've spilled the beans!"
"You think I'm going to let you go without doing anything!" Sentomaru thundered.
"We would have loved to," Lucia replied.
"For the past two years I've been rising in rank," Sentomaru explained, "I've officially become a soldier of the Navy. So it's my duty to arrest you without delay, Straw Hat! PX-5 TAKE HIM DOWN!"
Luffy straightened up beside Lucia, still hidden under her disguise, as the Pacifista prepared to attack them. He fired three shots at the pirate who, without a word, dodged the laser beams which crashed into a tree further on. The blast sent the cloth covering Lucia's face flying and she had to cling to it to keep from losing it, her eyes wide. He had dodged them as if nothing had happened. Then, quick as a flash, he unleashed his second gear, soared into the sky and with one punch, one single punch, he knocked the Pacifista face down.
"He's using Haki, that's it..." Lucia gasped in admiration, a huge smile on her face.
As the machine exploded on the ground, Luffy retrieved his bag and without even consulting each other, he and Lucia dashed off to flee the scene. On their way, they picked up Sanji and Zoro who were coming to meet them. Sentomaru was at his wits' end, not understanding anything anymore. The Straw Hat crew was obviously alive.
"PX-7 GET THEM!" the soldier shouted.
The second Pacifista lunged but was quickly stopped by Zoro and Sanji who disabled him in seconds. The machine sizzled for a moment, crackled and made a few strange noises before exploding in turn.
"Who's that?" asked Zoro, pointing at Lucia.
"It's Lasso, apparently he's going to help us!"
"My name is Helios..." Lucia rectified with a sigh. "Hurry up, the situation will degenerate now that you're officially back. You have to get on board before it gets too big."