You didn't actually aim to hit either of them
Miss Valentine already jumped out of the way, right into the sky, like you expected, and Mr. 5 was already on the 'offensive'. If you could even call it that.
"Nose-Fancy Canon!"
Why does he use his snot to attack? Your brows creased as you leapt out of the way. He could only shoot it off in one direction and couldn't change the trajectory. That's weird as fuck.
This went on for a little bit– and long enough for the remaining Baroque Workers to run away so they wouldn't get caught up in the fight. You thought they might have helped, but you guessed not. Cowards. Just when you were starting to have fun, they had to go and get scared because they "feared for their lives". Still, you were getting tired of Mr. 5's Nose-Fancy Canon. How much snot did one guy have?
The ground behind you exploded in a shower of rocks and dirt. There were flashes of white and yellow, sometimes orange and red, behind you before it was clouded in a black smoke.
Annan fumed as you dodged out of the way of another explosive projectile. "I won't cut that!"
You grimaced. "I won't make you. It's not like he can hit us."
His bloodlust was at its peak. As long as he didn't kill them, you could let him go. You wouldn't have to hold him back like a child on one of those leashes they made for kids.
"You like playing baseball?" You asked aloud, watching as Miss Valentine floated from above you. Might as well scare 'em more.
"Do as you please. You're doing Igaram and Vivi a favor."
I'm still going to tell them that they're here to kill her.
"Uncalled for."
But needed. "Ah, the Kilo-Kilo no mi. Isn't there also some other guy who has the Ton-Ton no Mi? I heard it's way stronger." You didn't even let her say anything as you jabbed your sword in her direction. "That umbrella's ugly as fuck."
You're unhinged for what??
The pleasure of it
If your enemies don't know what the fuck's going on, they can't win
"Also, your real name's Mikita."
Her eyes widened for a moment. You smiled a little two widely as you jumped out of Mr. 5's next attack. The next explosion shook the ground and made the air tremble. Didn't matter. You knew CP-9 techniques and they didn't. Also, Soru wasn't the only technique you learned. Why would you learn Soru if you couldn't pair it with Geppo?
You twisted your body in midair as you literally stepped forward without even touching the ground. (It hurt your legs a bit– but it was a small price to pay)
"You guys are quiet. Why's that? Will this get you to talk?"
Before Miss Valentine could blink, you disappeared again. Without another word you cut through the woman's umbrella. It wouldn't make her fall, but it'd slow her down a bit. She refused to let out even an exclamation of surprise as you touched back down to the ground, this time facing her partner. She still had the top half on her umbrella to keep her afloat.
"Who is this, Mr. 5?" She asked with a lighthearted giggle.
"Beats me. She looks familiar."
You contemplated whining but figured that it was a waste of time. Not them giggling at me when they're literally outnumbered. Couldn't be me.
You came here for a fight, and you were going to get one. You looked at your sword, and Annan stared back at you, still and silent. You held a wordless conversation and ducked when you sensed more attacks coming your way.
You found it pointless to shout out the names of your attacks. It just gave your opponent's more time to counter it if they knew what it was.
You snapped your fingers and pointed at Mr. 5. You didn't care if it was rude. He was pretty much an assassin anyways and he was icky. Always had his finger up his nose for his power. "Hey, Gem, right? STOP DOING THAT!"
He didn't. You yelled at him again.
"I SAID STOP!"
BOOM
He's got a bounty as high as yours.
"Undeserved... Welp, Annan, have fun!"
You threw him towards Mr. 5
"Finally!"
"No dismembering!"
"But of course!" He let out a wild shriek as he swung around like a bat out of hell. It was time for his nth Beyblade rampage. Ahh, you remembered the first day you let him go crazy. Those bounty hunters never stood a chance against you that time.
You unsheathed another sword as you looked for your next victim. "Oh Miss Valentine~!"
"You sound deranged."
I am deranged. "Where'd you go?!"
Your body tensed. From above. Sure enough– you heard her. Shout, that is.
"10,000 KILOGRAM PRESS!!"
You did what Zoro had done when he faced these two– You sidestepped. What was with everyone shouting what they could do?! They needed to be smarter about this– they weren't even making your battle fun! All you were doing was ducking and dodging out the way, and they still underestimated you.
You knew that Miss Valentine was way too overconfident in her abilities. "Who even are you anyways? Who are you to try the likes of us, Kyahahahaha~!"
"Uh, you have a bounty of seven and a half million, lower your voice when you speak to me." If she was going to act overconfident, then so were you. It was only fair. And by the twitch of her eye, albeit very subtle, you knew that you succeeded in aggravating her.
"It seems to be your talent. Pissing off others."
I'm a master at it. You spun your blades around in your hands, like you would with a pencil. It was incredibly dangerous. "Watch your manners in the presence of a princess, okay?"
"Kyahaha!" Her eyes creased as she smiled. It never quite reached her eyes. "Princess? That's rich! You think you're all high and mighty because you have a sentient sword and four arms!"
You shrugged, "That's just some of it. I'm confident because I know that I can beat you."
"And who are you to say that?"
You sighed this time around. "I already told you– I probably should've said my full name. I'm Crooner (Name). You two are pretty annoying. Why're you trying to kill Miss Wednesday? Or, Vivi, may I say?"
The woman gawked. "She knows about our plans?!"
"I know a lot of things. Your blood type, your birthday, etcetera. My job," you cracked your neck as you tilted it from side to side, "-Is to make sure that you two don't hurt my friends. The future can be changed, but your fate is unavoidable. Rest assured, or, rest in pieces," you laughed, "Your fate is sealed, just like the lids of your coffins."
She laughed, "You're just some small fry!"
Oh, she doesn't know who I am! How exciting!
"You haven't heard of me?"
"Never, no. If I had, you're not that memorable."
You whistled lowly, deciding to take it. "Makes sense. I was big in East Blue– I hunted Marines in my free time on the terms of an alliance." Oh my god, how long can I stall for Annan to slash out all of his anger? You discreetly glanced at the commotion happening a bit aways from you.
Your sword was rapidly swinging and flying around Mr. 5 like a boomerang as he tried to keep up. He might start a tornado with the speed he was spinning at– he looked like a blur.
"See how long you can keep it up."
Alright. You crossed your lower arms but kept your fighting stance. Miss Valentine seemed like the type who loved to gloat and talk highly about yourself. Not that you found a problem with it– you actually liked people like that, as long as it was all in good fun. Now? It wasn't in good fun or in a joking manner, but it was still funny to you.
"But seriously– What of my last name? You haven't ever heard of it?" You curiously asked. She was the first who didn't know who you were.
"No!"
"Ah, I see... I know little about your Devil Fruit. Would you like to enlighten me?" You lowered your swords slightly. "I'm dying to know more."
"My Kilo Kilo Devil Fruit..."
Yep. It worked. You listened with a vacant stare as she rambled. You already knew the gist of it. Her Devil Fruit allowed her to control the weight of her body. But it was the weaker one compared to the Ton-Ton Devil Fruit. Eh, she knew how to use it. You weren't going to deny that she and Mr. 5 were strong, but you had a one-up on them in power and adversaries. Plus, you were funnier.
"Do you have a Devil Fruit?"
"No, no–" You grinned as you raised your swords again. "This world is an ocean filled with islands. The trade for power might be nice, and you can float on the breeze, but I like swimming." Would I ever take the gamble... One day, maybe. For now, I'm the crew's lifeguard.
You had four arms. Four. You were incredible at swimming. You don't remember how many times you had to jump into the ocean when you interned with Buggy– just because he decided to be a dumbass and show off– or how many times Luffy almost drowned when you turned away for a second. So you didn't think you'd be eating a Devil Fruit anytime soon.
You both shared the same laughter. Oddly enough, your didn't contain any signs of mocking her. That was; until you jammed one of your hands into your pocket and threw something into her eyes.
"POCKET SAND!"
"AUGHHH!!"
She started spitting out the sand and strained to keep her eyes open. She did– impressive– and you vanished from her sighs. Her instinct got the better of her– she spun around on her heel (increasing her weight) and got ready to aim a kick right to your shins and whack you with the broken rod of her umbrella.
But her heel met nothing, and the rod cut through the empty space in front of her. Her eyes widened a bit. "Eh?"
Your breath ghosted over her ear.
"Haha, stupid, I never use the same move more than twice in a row!"
You almost thought about supplexxing her but decided against it. Instead, you threw her behind you, literally over your shoulder, where you knew Mr. 5 was. And because he was busy fighting to keep his limbs, he didn't see Miss Valentine flying towards him.
They both smashed into each other when Annan spun out of the way. You grinned when they broke through one of the walls. (A wall covered in deep slashes and cuts, courtesy of Annan)
You tore the tattoo off your chest and tossed it forward once it started to bubble. "It's your turn, Kosai. Scare them. Oh!" You snapped, "Get his gun. He can turn his own breath into explosive bullets." How he can do that is just entirely beyond my understanding.
Kosai's voice warped as he began to grow. "The revolver, right?"
"Yeah..." You yawned, "It's pretty late. Let's wrap this up quickly."
His form grew as it boiled and continued to bubble and grow steadily. He was a black and writing mass of eyes and thick tendrils as he formed himself into something from nightmares. He slowly moved forward and into the building. The dust that was kicked up made it harder for you to see, so when Annan swung towards you and you caught him by the hilt, you squinted.
Your plan for this was simple. You'd fight them for a minute, let the boys handle the rest, and load their unconscious –not dead– bodies into the coffins. You hoped that they saw the names on them before they passed out.
"You have fun, Annan?"
"Some of my stress is more or less... relieved." He still sounded like he had some slashing to do. You hummed.
"Wait for Little Garden. I'll let you hunt to your heart's content."
He buzzed as he listened to Miss Valentine and Mr. 5's panicked and horrified screams. Weird. You didn't think a man's voice would be able to hit a note that high. By the sound of it, they were running. Hopefully, Kosai kept them dead set on the route you planned out for them.
You gave Kosai a few pointers. Keep them on track, and make sure that Miss Valentine wasn't allowed to fly away. You didn't have to warn him about Mr. 5's ability– Kosai was immune to a ton of heat related attacks.
Fire, gunfire (this guy was bulletproof by this point– he could make his body as hard as seastone if he wanted to), and explosives. Another perk of being able to handle explosives however you wanted was that you had Kosai to shield you from any blows.
His reaction time was lighting quick. Good for you.
You walked forward casually, using their screams of terror to guide you. The fight was... short– and you weren't really taken seriously... But hey, it was enough.
I wonder if Zoro and Luffy have started their fight to the death yet. If so... I wanna see.
Hopefully, all of this will be cleared up by then. Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine had a date with death, after all. It was rude to keep the grim reaper waiting.
~ . . . ~
"Who was that kid?" Miss Valentine asked in a hushed whisker as she ran into the next building with her partner. She couldn't believe it. She was running away. From– From that thing! That was controlled by that girl? What the hell was happening?!
First, their whole introduction is interrupted, second, this girl comes out of nowhere and attacks them for no reason– and third– she was the most disrespectful girl that Miss Valentine had ever met.
Not only that, but she knew things that she shouldn't. Their names– how did she find that out? And she said she knew more. But what did that have to do with their names?
Mr. 5 slowed down as they closed the door behind them. "I don't know... What did she say her name was?"
"Crooner (Name)-- Eh?"
"Crooner?" His voice grew harsh. "Her last name is Crooner?"
"Mr. 5."
"What?"
He noticed that she was looking at the corner of the room. There were two coffins. They both shared a look.
"By the end of tonight, you'll both be in coffins."
That girl– she was weird. But if there were no coffins– there was no way that (Name) would be able to do anything, right? What if she did have a Devil Fruit– and that was what allowed her to see into the future. If she could even do that. Mr. 5 knew something, and Miss Valentine didn't– and it was that (Name) could absolutely see the future. He heard the rumors, and he knew what could happen. They were the unfortunate ones to run into her.
"Let's break 'em."
"Right."
Miss Valentine approached the coffins, fully expecting that they were going to have their names on them. But she was surprised when she saw the names on the plaques. They were both the same. The plaques were tented, not delicately chiseled. This was a rushed work– and it didn't make it any less crude.
"The hell's this?"
There were two coffins
There were names engraved on it– the same on both
"WHORE"
Mr. 5 had never been more confused in his life. "What?"
They both opened the coffins– and they were empty– obviously.
The door slammed into the ground as it was kicked off its hinges.
"AND YOU'RE BOTH GOING IN IT!"
The two whipped around as they laid eyes upon the girl who was hunting them for sport– when it should've been the other way around.
She was smiling evilly with all of her swords drawn, and that thing, that demon, was looming behind her. Her ally. She screamed danger. The two backed up as the windows were covered by her shadow's reach, and the light died out of the room completely. Shit.
Mr. 5 should've told Miss Valentine about Crooner– and why his daughter was someone they should've never tried fighting
Not because of Crooner himself
But because of their boss
Zoro was having a bad time. First, he had to deal with a hundred bounty hunters. He completely destroyed that obstacle and won the battle, but at what cost? Now Luffy thought he was attacking them for no reason. And– Well, he did cut 'em up, but he did it for a reason! They were trying to kill him in the first place, and it wasn't his fault!
Now he was sweating, bandana tied over his head as he stood off against Luffy. They were fighting– and holy hell was his captain strong. He expected it of Luffy. But he was being put through a test.
He couldn't hold back. He steadied himself and shifted in his spot. They had been at each other's throats for the past thirty minutes and they still were out for blood. Zoro wanted to win. He was going to win.
He lunged forward, yelling, and–
WHACK
"Handsome! How're you doin'?!"
"Cut it out, you two!"
Both Luffy and Zoro's head hit the ground. Ah, the battlefield had been cleared. The only ones who remained were Nami, the Straw Hat's beloved navigator, and (Name), the one who had two wacky demons. You crouched down and poked the back of Zoro's head. "Hey. I thought you wanted to fight me."
His voice, muffled by his face being pressed into the ground, made you chuckle. "It wasn't my choice."
You and Nami shared a look and you both shook your heads.
You had your fun. You even got to watch Luffy and Zoro fight. You watched with Nami, Miss Wednesday, and Igaram, and you had curtly informed them all what had gone down, what crimes you had just committed, and what you planned to do.
There was one thing that you failed to do, but you saw it coming from a mile away. There was no way and not a single chance that you could keep a secret from Nami. She figured out that you were secretly Onihime literally when you had just met her– and it wasn't a shocker that she put two and two together when you said that Vivi was a princess and needed to return to Alabasta.
You failed to save Vivi from Nami's clutches. After you saved Alabasta, they were going to go into crippling debt immediately as you blasted off to the next island. A billion beri– A billion beri. That was too much money. Nami didn't even need it– but at the same time, who were you to deny her?
Yeah, you had given up entirely and just planned to give Nami whatever she wanted as long as she spared you.
"Whatever. You look beat up. Covered in blood, too." You switched from poking the back of his head to pinching his bicep to annoy him. Using your other hands, you tugged off his sweaty bandana (ew) and started to pull his shoulders. "Get up so I can heal you and we can leave."
Zoro's brows were twitching. "What were you doing?"
"Fighting Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine. They were sent from Alabasta or something, but you don't have to worry about it." You pat his green hair, "Now get up before–"
Nami punched the back of Zoro's head without mercy. "YOU COULD'VE COST ME A BILLION BERI!!"
"NAMI HE NEEDS TO HEAL!"
"THAT DOESN'T MATER!"
"...Yes ma'am..."
You shrunk away as Nami grabbed Zoro by the back of his shirt– the same action she did with Luffy. That wasn't a good idea, but you weren't about to go and stop her. Then you'd be taking his place. They were on their own now.
Vivi's brows furrowed. "What're you people talking about...? And why did you save me?"
Nami smiled as Zoro and Luffy began pulling at each other's faces in an attempt to continue the fight. Luffy somehow had his sandal on Zoro's forehead and Zoro had a death grip on Luffy's cheek.
"Ah, right, you don't know it yet... how would you like to make a contract with me?"
"Contract?"
Nami whacked the two on the head again and they were sent to the floor. You laughed.
...
...
...
It didn't take that long to explain to Luffy what had happened. He ended up laughing it off, the idiot, and turned to Zoro with a bright smile returning to his features. That was good. You didn't like it when Luffy wasn't smiling, and found it greatly unsettling whenever he had a frown.
"You shoulda said so earlier, Zoro!" Luffy giggled, "I thought you cut up everyone because they didn't make your favorite food or something!"
"WHO DO YOU THINK I AM, YOU??!"
Luffy threw his head back. "Ahahahahaha!! Well, whatever!! What's done is done!"
You slapped a band-aid on Zoro's forehead. "We need a doctor. If you two are trying to fight to the death, then do it when we have a doctor."
Zoro's stare burned into you. "Our fight is next."
This time, you were the one who slapped the back of his head. "No! Doctor first, then we can kill each other! You'll be perfectly fine by then, okay?" Doesn't he try to cut his feet off like a dumb bitch at Little Garden?
Kosai started laughing. "Yeah, I want to see that."
Girl, I don't. I'm about to get traumatized with all of my friends at Little Garden. That's not going to be fun at all.
"I refuse!"
"Eh?"
The three of you turned to Vivi and Nami. Vivi had her arms crossed, and you guessed that Nami just told her the contract that was going to be formed regardless of what she said.
"You have my gratitude, but I don't agree to those terms."
The orange haired navigator frowned. "What? Why not? I thought you were a princess, unless..." Her gaze shifted to you. You tensed up.
"I wasn't lying!" You hid behind Zoro. "Take him, not me!"
"WHAT THE HELL, (NAME)?!"
"YOU KNOW I CAN'T BEAT HER IN A FIGHT! SHE'LL JUST BLACKMAIL ME!!"
Luffy started to laugh even harder as he pointed at the two of you. He was starting to get dizzy with all of the laughing that he was doing.
Sensing that you were telling the truth, and by the way you were pleading for your life and willing to trade Zoro for it, Nami turned back to Vivi. "You are a princess, right?"
Vivi exhaled lightly through her nose. "Have you heard of a kingdom called Alabasta?"
"Not before (Name) mentioned it."
"It's a highly civilized country within Grand Line, and it used to be a peaceful one not too long ago."
"Long ago?"
Her duck, Karoo, sat down next to her and quacked. The young princess continued. "The past years have been mired by revolutionary activities. Most of it is due to radical Alabastan Revolutionaries. Now my country is in chaos. One day, I happened to hear of an organization. The "Baroque Works"."
Oh my god yes. You smiled to yourself as you leaned forward in interest. Hearing of it firsthand was more interesting than just spoiling it for everyone else. I should probably shut up every one in a while.
"Apparently, it was the Baroque Works who had been instigating the revolutionaries. I didn't know anything else and I couldn't do anything else about this organization. So I made a request to Igaram, who's been watching over me since I was a kid."
Luffy nodded along. "Chikuwa hair."
You facepalmed. "Yes and no. He's literally standing right there."
Nevertheless, Vivi bobbed her head up and down. She figured his guess was enough. "Even though what I had heard may or may not be just a rumor, I asked Igaram if there was any way we could infiltrate them. That would be the only way to clear the dark shadow that looms over Alabasta and determine just what exactly is Baroque Work's objective once and for all."
Your lips pursed in thought. Isn't the leader her boyfriend or something?
"I don't know. I'd have to see him again so I can remember his name."
Not like it matters. We'll see him anyway. Should I beat the shit out of him?
"No??"
Okay then the jury's still out on that.
"DON'T ATTACK HIM!"
Ah, fine. Your fingers ghosted over your tattoo, and you sat on top of the wooden boxes that Zoro leaned against.
"Well aren't you a brave princess."
Can I kick him? Zoro's head was looking mighty kickable right now.
"As much as I'd like to say yes– no, you may not."
You never let me do anything.
"So, what exactly is this deal with the whole "creation of an ideal nation" that the Baroque Works is apparently scheming towards?" Nami asked, but she processed what she just said before grimacing. "Wait... Don't tell me..."
"It's exactly what you expect. Although it was hinted at creating an ideal nation, Baroque Works' true objective is to take over the kingdom of Alabasta! If I don't get back to my county to stop the revolutionaires and tell the people about this organization, things will go exactly as planned!"
Nami's shoulders slumped. "I see... I guess that explains why you're refusing so vehemently. A country in the middle of a civil strife wouldn't have much money to spare."
Luffy crossed his legs from his seated position on the barrel. His smile was eager– he wanted to know the most important thing to him. "So who is this boss guy anyway?"
The same "mff!" that you let out when you first saw Mihawk came out of you again, and you covered your mouth and looked away. Zoro looked at you, your posture, and then facepalmed as he turned away.
"You know who it is, don't you?"
"N-No, what are you talking about?"
"Don't answer my question with a question." Something caught his eye. "Is that a heart–?"
Vivi's panic saved you for the moment. She waved her hands around frantically. You had just saved her, thankfully, and she wasn't about to throw her gratitude away by leading you to your deaths. "You mean the boss' true identity?! Please don't ask me– In fact, you're probably better off not knowing!! If you knew, the Baroque Works would come and hunt you down..."
Nami waved her off. "Haha, just leave us out of it then. I mean– I guy who's planning to take over an entire country must be really dangerous!"
"Yes, exactly. No matter how strong you pirates may be, there's no way you'd be able to match the power of Crocodile, a member of the Shichibukai."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Vivi smacked her hands over her mouth
A bead of sweat ran down the side of Zoro's temple. "Didn't you just say his name...?"
You were covering your mouth as you tried to contain your giggles. But it got harder when you all turned to the side and saw the Unluckies. There was pure silence as the otter and the vulture turned to each other and shared a look. Without even a peep, they just took off. Completely leaving you all entirely as they fled.
Nami took Vivi by the front of her shirt and started shaking her. "WHAT WAS THAT BIRD AND OTTER JUST NOW!?"
There were tears running down Vivi's face. "I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry–"
You uncovered your mouth. "Yep! It's Crocodile, the Shichibukai– just like Mihawk!"
Your captain's eyes sparkled. "Wow! A Shichibukai she said! Cool!"
"Not bad." Zoro glanced at you, "I take it you do know him?"
You fanned your face as hearts surrounded the air around you. "How could I not? I mean, he's such a hot–"
Zoro backtracked, "Okay, I don't want to hear anything else from you–"
"--DID THEY REPORT THAT YOU TOLD US THE BOSS' SECRET?! WELL?! WHAT THE HELL'S GONNA HAPPEN TO US NOW?!"
Vivi was being shaken so much that she was getting dizzy. "I-I'm really sorry! It's just accidentally slipped out...!"
"YOU THINK SAYING IT ACCIDENTALLY MAKES OUR SITUATION ANY BETTER?! WHY DO WE HAVE TO BECOME HUNTED DOWN BECAUSE OF A SLIP UP FROM YOU?!" Nami let go as she rubbed her cheeks, which were streaked with tears. "We just got here and we already have a Shichibukai chasing after us...!"
"Don't worry," You said, face hot with excitement. "I'll take him."
Nami and Kosai shouted simultaneously
"NO YOU WON'T!!"
Zoro grinned, "Yeah, we're really lucky to be able to meet him so early." He knocked your shoulder with his fist. "Not a word from you, but you aren't unlucky."
Luffy hummed. "I wonder what kind of guy he is?"
"SHUT UP!!"
Nami dramatically wiped her eyes dry before she walked away
"It's been a really short time traveling with you– bye!"
"Where're you going Nami?"
"They don't know what I look like, so I'm running away!"
She didn't get that far. Nami stumbled across the otter again, and it was scribbling away. She watched it continue to draw. It finally tore the page off and showed it to Nami. Wow, that was realistic! Nami clapped at its artwork. It was a picture of herself, you, Luffy, and Zoro.
"Wow, you're really good!"
The Unluckies flew away
"NOW I CAN'T EVEN RUN AWAY!!"
Vivi felt awkward. "S-Sorry..."
"Interesting guys..."
Zoro's brow raised. "Where were you even planning to run away to? Ah... In any case, all four of us are on the Baroque Work's hit list."
You suddenly shouted into the air. "HEY, DID YOU GET MY GOOD SIDE?!"
"All of your sides are good sides."
Aww, thanks. But I have a favorite side.
Luffy beamed. "Gaah! This is so cooool!"
Nami was sulking in the corner. Vivi was trying to console her. "I...I have half a million in my savings account that you can have, if you want..."
"FEAR NOT!!"
Igaram was now wearing a copy of Vivi's clothes. Holy shit, when did he even leave?? When did he even have time to change??
The man coughed and cleared his throat. "It's alright! I have a plan!"
Does it involve those three dummies that he's holding? I don't have a good feeling about this, Kosai.
"I-Igaram? What's with that outfit!"
"Heheheh! You can really pull off that look!" Luffy laughed out.
Nami sounded like she was crying. "I'm surrounded by idiots..."
Igaram adjusted his blue wig and sighed. "Enough about that and just listen to me. Once the Baroque Works network learns of what happened, they're going to send pursuers right away. More so, since you even defeated Mr. 5 and his partner..."
"Oh girl," you pointed behind you, "I packaged them neatly for you. Look for the coffins with the glitter all over it. They're still alive, don't worry."
Igaram paled. "They went after you?"
"No. I went after them."
Ah, reassuring!
"J-Just to let you know," Igaram somehow recovered, "Although the boss has now bounty on him since he's a Shichibukai, during his time as a pirate, Crocodile had an eighty million beri bounty." He lowered some of the dummies. "Have you decided whether or not to safely escort the princess back to Alabasta yet?"
"Huh? What're you talking about?" The ravenette asked.
"He means that he wants us to take her back home," Zoro explained.
"Oh. Sure, then."
"EIGHT–EIGHT MILLION?! THAT'S FOUR TIMES ARLONG'S BOUNTY!! JUST REFUSE!!" Nami sobbed.
"Princess Vivi. Please give me the eternal pose to Alabasta." Igaram asked, looking at the young princess before him.
Nami stopped crying for a second at the mention. "Eternal pose?"
"You don't know? Well... It's a log pose that can eternally record a magnetic field." Finding that his voice was fading again, he cleared his throat before he continued. "A normal log pose records the magnetic field of an island to guide a ship from island to island. The eternal log pose never forgets the magnetic field that it's recorded with, and no matter where you go, it will only point to that specific island."
So that's what it was. The more you know. And the one that Vivi just handed over was the one that led to Alabasta.
"Now then, I shall take this log pose and set forth to Alabasta, while dressing up as you and taking these four dummies to represent these four wanted pirates. The agents will chase after me. Travel the normal route to Alabasta on their ship, please." Igaram bowed his head.
He turned to you, the wanted pirates in question, to explain the rest.
"I haven't sailed there using the normal route myself, but there should be around two or three logs to record along the way. Take care, and may we reunite safely in our homeland." This time, he bowed. "I leave the princess in your care."
Luffy proudly put his hands on his hips as he looked Igaram up and down. "I bet you'll totally fool them!"
Zoro didn't know if he should look unimpressed or skeptical. "Fool who? Who's he fooling with that?"
Igaram and Vivi shook hands. After spending such a long time together– they'd be parting ways for a while. "The journey ahead may be dangerous. Please be careful, Vivi."
"You two, Igaram." The girl smiled.
You didn't expect Igaram to turn to you next. His brows furrowed lightly. He looked conflicted. "You... You must be wary of Crocodile. Out of everyone, I fear that you will be the one in the most danger."
What if I want that?
"You don't, (Name), you don't."
You nodded. "Yeah, I'll be careful. Don't worry about me– I'm strong. But, is there, uh, anything you want to warn me about?"
"Yes..." Igaram frowned. "When Crocodile was a pirate... He was mortal enemies with your father."
Nami, the love of your life, burst into tears. "--AND NOW THEY KNOW WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE–"
You clapped. You were so impressed with yourself and Crooner's abilities to piss people off. Good, now Crocodile had a reason to be angry with you. You couldn't wait until he treated you like a doormat when you arrived.
"BINGO! THERE'S THE BAD LUCK I HAVE!"
~ . . . ~
"Aww, he left..." Luffy sulked. You sighed as you felt him climb onto your back. You might as well just let him do what he wanted to at this point. "He was such a funny guy too..."
"He's always been so dependable and loyal..." Vivi muttered. She seemed to be proud.
"AAAAAAAUHHH WHAT THE FUCK--?!"
Your eyes nearly bugged out of your skull when the ocean before you, or well, wherever Igaram just was, burst into flames. You all starred in silent shock at the roaring fire that set the water alight.
"It can't be..."
"Pursuers? Already?!"
Luffy leapt off your back and got a move on. "He was a fine man!"
He's moving on in more ways than one! You didn't remember Igaram getting blasted like that at all.
"Nami! How's the log!?"
"It finished recording!"
"Then let's hurry up and get out of here!"
The two boys ran off to get the others. You, Nami, and Vivi remained, but not for long. You reached out to Vivi, who appeared to be glued to her spot overlooking the blazing horizon.
"Vivi! We gotta go!"
Nami grabbed her shoulder, "We have to hurry! If they find us now, Igaram's sacrifice will be in vain!"
Blood dribbled down the bottom of Vivi's lip. You covered your own mouth as you watched the crimson liquid drip down her chin. You had never bitten your lip so hard to the point that it bled- and it looked painful.
Nami quickly pulled Vivi into a hug. "It's alright! I promise we'll get you back to Alabasta safely! Those five managed to save all of East Blue by themselves...! Even a Shichibukai won't stand a chance against them!"
Five? Was she talking about you?
What did you do? You stood in the sidelines and almost fainted when Mihawk looked at you.
"She's referring to your performance overall. You're charismatic, you know that, right?"
What the fuck does that mean? You didn't know words.
"You have a compelling charm. It tricked Arlong, Smoker, most of the Marines you encountered when you were with Buggy, Buggy himself, since he believes anything you say, and... hm, who else?"
I'm charismatic, huh? You thought, running alongside Vivi and Nami so you could get to Merry. That's useful.
Now it was Kosai's turn to sound proud. "I have no doubts that you'll manage to use this to your advantage. Your confidence influences others around you. If you play your cards right, Crocodile won't stand a chance against you."
You should've been comforted by Kosai's words, but...
You couldn't help feeling like Icarus when he started to fly too close to the sun.