"WHAT?! Team up with the Heart pirates?!" Usopp and Chopper[Sanji] yelled at Luffy, "WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU?!"
Usopp grabbed Luffy's parka collar, "Damnit, Luffy, how did you manage to go completely insane in the time you were out saving Nami? I mean you weren't even gone for that long!"
"Calm down," Luffy groaned.
Saying that made Usopp shake Luffy, "This psycho already scared the crap outta me, now we have to trust him with our lives? Now how am I s'posed to sleep at night with him around?!"
"I told you, Luffy! Let's just forget it! It's risky. That's why nobody is on board with it! It's better for us to do things at our own pace!" Nami[Franky] tried to convince him.
"She's right! Besides, it's way too early to think about challenging one of the Four emperors! We're just not ready yet!" Chopper[Sanji] whined.
"Hey, Doc. Fix this Racoon." Law said, holding up Franky[Chopper], who overexerted himself by using the Rumble Ball.
"Racoons aren't important right now!" Chopper barked, then realized it, in fact, wasn't a raccoon, "AAAH! That's me!"
"S-Super..." Franky[Chopper] groaned.
Chopper[Sanji] snatched his body and started vigorously wrapping himself in bandages, crying, "WAH! What did you do to me?!"
"Luffy," Robin turned to him, "I will go along with this, but we are all pirates. And where you have pirates, well, you're sure to have betrayal. I'm just- concerned because you're so quick to trust."
"Hey. Are you gonna betray me?" Luffy turned his head.
"No." Law shook his.
Luffy looked back to Robin with an accomplished smile, and I dragged my hand down my face.
"They're probably going to need more than that, Luffy," I sighed. I felt a tug on my hood and was pulled back to meet a furious Nami[Franky] and Usopp.
"Don't think you're off the hook either! Why'd you let him bring that crazy guy back?!" Usopp barked at me and I put my hands up.
"Yeah! Why didn't you say anything!" Nami held her fist up, and I slipped from their grasp to face everyone.
"Oh, come on. A pirate alliance sounds like a lot of fun, right?" Luffy crossed his arms, "My gut says Traffy is an okay guy." Luffy smiled, but the crew still didn't look convinced.
My hands went from the surrender position to my hips, "Besides, even if he's not, what's the problem?" I pointed at everyone, who looked at me like I was stupid, "You guys have been training for the past two years!"
Luffy laughed, "Yeah! I'll let you protect me!" he turned to everyone else.
Thankfully, everyone's ego went through the roof. They all thanked us for the compliments, and I sighed, crossing my arms.
'I don't want to admit it, but Luffy's not wrong on this one. Law's helped us before, and it doesn't seem like he's doing this to set us up.'
'Ah- that must be what he was talking about earlier. He had something he wanted to get back. He also said something about a key when he spoke to Luffy, Nami, and me. That's why he's here. So there can't be other motives! If anything, it's bad for whoever is in power here, because it seems he's using them.'
"I knew I could count on you!" Luffy laughed.
I took a glance at Law's face, and I could already tell he was regretting this.
The first thing we did is change back the people who had been swapped. He called 'Room' and said the same move that I'd heard before, Shambles.
After a brief silence, Franky extended his arms in the air, "AHH! It's about time! Man, it's good to be back in my own body! There's nobody else I'd rather be than me!" he chuckled, then did his signature pose.
Luffy and Usopp were awed, and Robin smiled, "So you're back. That's great. But don't ever take possession of Chopper's body again. Ever."
"I'm back. But I'm not happy." Chopper said, immobile on the floor covered in bandages.
I couldn't help but hold back a chuckle, but apparently, he heard me, "MY BODY'S ALL BUSTED UP NOW! WOULD IT HAVE KILLED YOU JERKS TO HAVE BEEN A LITTLE MORE CAREFUL WITH IT?!"
"I'm sorry. It was" [Luffy and Franky]
"--all Luffy's fault." [Franky]
"--all Franky's fault." [Luffy]
"It was my fault?! You're the one who turned into a monster and flipped out! All I did was stop you!" [Luffy]
"With that same overpowered move, you used to beat that Kraken! That was overkill!" [Franky]
"Fine, you're both jerks!" [Chopper]
"Yeah. Sorry, Chopper." [Luffy and Franky]
"Well, at least you got your own bodies back." [Nami[Sanji]]
Nami, in Sanji's body, was crying to herself near Chopper, "Why am I the only person without my own body? First I was Franky, now I'm Sanji..."
"Haha! It's even funnier this way!" [Luffy]
"Looking good, Nami!" [Usopp]
Chopper couldn't help but laugh to himself, and I sighed.
"Wow, I'm glad you're enjoying it! Stop laughing!" She yelled.
"But it had to be you!" Usopp chuckled, his hands in a surrender position, "Chopper and Franky were both in the same place when our scary new friend switched everyone back. But since Sanji took your body with him, when he went looking for the samurai, your heart had nowhere else to go. So, if you're gonna be mad at someone, it should be Sanji!"
Nami[Sanji] went to Law, tears in her eyes, "You can fix it, can't you?"
"Not until your body comes back." Law turned away from her, and walked towards the children, who were thankfully still sleeping, "So, they're all here."
"Mm-hm. And we gotta help 'em. Somehow." Luffy joined him.
"Let's just forget about them. Too much work. All of 'em are addicted to drugs." Law grumbled.
'So he knew?'
"Yeah, we know that!" Chopper barked, "I tested 'em! Poor kids. I wanna take them all back home, but they need to recover and build up their strength. I don't know if we can do anything about their size."
"It's sad. Who would do this to a bunch of little kids?" Usopp asked as I stood next to him.
"Well, the World Government, for one." Law explained, "For hundreds of years now, they've been conducting experiments to try and turn people into giants."
"The Government? But why would they do something like that?" Robin asked, and Law turned to her.
"If I had to take a guess, then I'd say it's to create unlimited giant soldiers. It's hard to beat an army like that," he turned back to the kids, "Ceaser's probably hoping to figure out how to do it first so that he can beat Vegapunk and the Government to the punch. But I don't think it's that simple."
Law turned to Nami[Sanji] and Robin, who were behind him, "You sure you wanna help them? I mean, you don't even know who these kids are, do ya?"
"We don't. You're right, they may be strangers to me, but they looked at me with tears in their eyes, begging for help. The master was able to trick them into coming to this terrible place, but once they got here, it didn't take too long for them to realize that something wasn't right." She walked in front of Luffy and knelt down to one of the sleeping kids, "I'm going to make sure every single one of them is safe and sound, and I won't leave this island until I do."
"If I leave with Luffy, are you gonna stay here alone?" Law asked.
"Wait, I'm not goin' anywhere." Luffy stopped him, "If this is important to Nami and Chopper, then I'll stay, too," he turned to Law and smiled, "and Sanji wants to put that Samurai back together, too!"
Luffy pointed at Law, who did not look very pleased, "Look, if you're gonna work with us, then get used to helping people!"
Law looked like he wanted to stab Luffy right then and there, not like he would, however.
Usopp, to my right, sighed, pulling his hat down, before tilting it up and looking past Luffy to Law, "You have no idea what you're getting into here, pal."
Law looked over, and Usopp explained, "Here's the thing. See, most of the time, when you're forming an alliance, you have a couple of groups with a common goal and you negotiate the best way to get it done, does that sound right?"
"Obviously." Law turned completely to Usopp.
Usopp went behind Luffy, and pointed over Luffy's shoulder at Law, "So you'd think. But in Luffy's world, that logic gets thrown out the window completely!"
"Just means I'm friends with you!" [Luffy]
"Frankly, you can forget about having any say in what we do! It's all up to him." [Usopp]
"All up to me!" [Luffy]
"He doesn't even listen to (Y/N), and she's the strategist! As soon as this guy makes up his mind about something, that's it! You're along for the ride whether you like it or not. If selfishness was power, he'd take out that emperor on the spot!" [Usopp]
Law looked at me, and I solemn;y nodded, his eyes widening.
"How do you stand me?" Luffy half chuckled.
"Look, I understand that this is what your friends want, but that doesn't concern our plan," Law said but was interrupted by Chopper, yelling about boogers.
Luffy and Chopper bickered, and Law just looked shocked. More shocked than I had seen.
Law turned around, and put his hand in the air, "Fine, but we have to hurry up. But there's no time. Putting the samurai back together will be your group's problem. But I guess I can go investigate the drug that was given to those children. Now who's the ship's doctor again? You come with me, we'll do research behind Caesar's back."
~~~
I dragged my hands roughly down my face as I watched Luffy and Usopp tie Chpper to Law's head. We had only talked briefly about the plan, which was to kidnap the boss, which was the first step of Law's plan.
"I'm sorry, it's just, I can't walk right now. I hope you don't mind." [Chopper]
He minded.
I couldn't help but giggle a little, but I made sure he wasn't looking.
He ended up using the tassels on his sword to hold Chopper like a bag.
It was just Law and Chopper, but I was close enough to hear.
"So, you, uh, don't talk that much." [Chopper]
Law just gave him a look, then stood, taking Chopper with him, who looked as humiliated as Law was.
"As you can probably all tell from those assassins he sent, Ceasar wants to eliminate you, as well as White Hunter and the G-5. So he can take the children back. He's not gonna stop pursuing you. Not until he gets what he's after."
"Before the incident four years ago when he became a criminal, he was a government scientist. Punk Hazard is a restricted territory. If word gets out that someone's been living here, then Ceaser will be forced to leave his perfect hideout. That's why he'll stop at nothing to kill you all. This is a guy with a bounty of 300 million. Not only did he eat the Logia-type Gas Gas Fruit, but he also has weapons of mass destruction. Ceaser Clown is a force to be reckoned with."
'Ceaser Clown. The initials on the Transponder Snails. He's the boss, and who Luffy will go after.'
"300 million?" Nami[Sanji] asked.
"Those of you who can't use Haki should steer clear of him. He's extremely tough."
"Well, we do have some Haki users. There's Me, Zoro, (Y/N), and Sanji. Oh, and you." Luffy told him.
"Yeah, that should be enough. I'll head over to the Lab now. Be careful out there."
"Sure! So we're supposed to Kidnap this "Master" guy, right?" Luffy asked, "That's the quickest way to do this?"
"Yeah, that's right." [Law]
"Wait. What good will it do us to kidnap Ceaser?" [Franky]
"Money? Well, no. That's not it. Ceaser's their boss." [Usopp]
"That's true, there wouldn't be anyone to pay his ransom." [Nami[Sanji]]
I thought back to what Law said about there being a key here that will force the New World into chaos, "Are we doing this just to stir the pot?"
"Yes. We're after chaos. Not money." [Law]
"Chaos?" [Robin]
"Sorry, I don't get it." [Franky]
"No point in explaining this now. We can worry about what lies ahead when we get there. For right now, it's better to focus on capturing Ceaser Clown. It won't be easy. As soon as that's done, I'll explain the whole plan to you in detail. That said... once we get our hands on Ceaser... that's going to set everything in motion. So be ready. There's no turning back."
"Last chance to change your mind. It's up to you, Straw hat." [Law]
"Oh, Don't worry! I'm still with ya!" [Luffy]
"Well, all right. Then I'm more than willing to cooperate with you. You just need to make sure your crew's on board, too." [Law]
"Uh-huh! Sure thing!" [Luffy]
~~~
"That was awesome! Your power is super cool! Did we just teleport?" [Chopper]
"Shut up and stay inside the bag. We've almost reached the backdoor of the lab. They should be working in the main room. Caesar and probably that Bird-woman." [Law]
"I knew I saw a Bird-woman." [(Y/N)]
"Hm?" [Law]
'Judging by his face, he didn't know I was tailing them.'
"Hey." I waved, "Mind if I join you?"
He looked at me for a second and faced me, "Why would you want to go in?" I could see Chopper peeking around him.
"Frankly, I don't," I said, then pointed at him, "I'm just curious about some details you left out, and the drug these kids were given," I didn't hold a mean tone, nor did I lie. He left out a few things in the plan I was curious about.
He gave me a curious look, before turning around and continuing walking, hearing a little amusement in his words, "You being here actually simplifies things," I smiled and kept walking behind him, "Here's what we do," There was an explosion nearby, "I'll try to find a way to get them out of this place. While We're gone, (Y/N) will help you look around and see what you can learn about the drug." Law looked over his shoulder to Chopper, who nodded.
"You have easy access to this Master, yes? Why don't you capture him?" I asked, and Chopper looked from me back to Law.
"Yeah. And your power is strong. If you did, we'd have plenty of time to figure out the drug!" [Chopper]
"I can't take him down myself. There are certain circumstances preventing that, which is why I involved you." He said, avoiding eye contact, "You don't need to know the specifics. All I'm asking your crew to do is kidnap him. I'll take care of the rest."
There was a moment of silence, then we heard a marine yelling, from the military group Smoker and Tashigi were leading, "Hey, you guys, look over there!"
Law turned, as did Chopper and I to see Robin and Franky, riding Luffy like a missile.
We both gasped as Robin used her Devil Fruit ability to fly, and Luffy ran into the downed War Ship. Once the dust settled, Luffy cheered, "All right, come on out, master dude! Or else we'll break into your lab before we kick your ass and kidnap you!"
I put my hands on the sides of my head, "What the hell is he doing?!" I cried silently.
"Go, Luffy, go!" Chopper cheered.
"No, Chopper! This time Luffy is in the wrong!" I told Chopper.
"Damn loud mouth!" Law scolded Luffy to himself, "Are you capable of doing anything quietly?"
"Where are you, master? Show yourself!" Luffy yelled once again, then laughed.
"What now?" Chopper asked.
"We leave them to it. Let's get inside." Law said and turned to walk again.
I followed behind, "Do you think Ceaser will actually show himself to fight Luffy?"
Law turned his head slightly, "Who knows? He seems smart enough not to, but I wouldn't put it past him."
"How will we get in?" [(Y/N)]
"Oh, right, the teleportation thing. I forgot." [Chopper]
"Teleportation?" [(Y/N)]
"Room." [Law]
The murky blue air returned, but Law didn't stop walking, so neither did I. In the blink of an eye, we were walking the exact same, just inside the doorway. I didn't even feel anything.
"That's... weird," I said, looking around. It's actually very helpful, but would take a while to get used to...
"I know right?" Chopper smiled at me.
"Do you remember the plan we discussed?" Law asked us.
"Yeah. You're gonna come up with some sort of distraction to get Caesar and the Bird-lady out of the room, then we'll look for information about the drug." Chopper re-explained.
~~~
"Monet's alone," Law whispered to us. He looked at me and nodded, and I did the same, as did Chopper. Chopper went inside the bag, and I extended my hand to the roof, connecting a piece of wood to it, and pulling myself upwards. Now I was connected from the roof, but close enough to the door to hear what was going on.
Law went inside. I heard nothing in the room besides the scratching of a pen. Once the door shut, the scratching was very faint but noticeable. After a second, a woman's voice rang through the metal room who I'm assuming is Monet, the bird woman, "Sorry, the Master's not here."
"Yeah? Where'd he go?" Law asked.
"Probably outside to watch the fight. That degenerate can't get enough death and destruction." [Monet]
"That's all right, I don't need him. I think I'll be taking off soon. I've seen everything. I'm through with this place." [Law]
"Shame. It'll be lonely without you." [Monet]
"I could use your help with something first, though." [Law]
The scratching stopped.
"Could I borrow you for a sec?" [Law]
I heard something squeak, then Monet spoke, "What's this? A date? Lu~cky~ me!" She said the last part in a sing-songy way.
I heard silence, then quiet footsteps, and Monet spoke again, "A man of few words, are we? Where to?"
"You'll see." [Law]
"All right. I was bored, anyway." I heard the flapping of, I'm assuming her wings, and then strange footsteps. I watched them both leave the room, recognizing the Bird Woman from the fire side of the island. As soon as they left, I connected my hand to the roof of the door and used the branch of wood to move inside without touching the ground, just as the metal door shut behind me.
As the door shut, I landed, and the wood retracted back into my arm. I looked around. It was a circular room. It was oddly empty. There were three couches and a coffee table in the middle of the room in a partial square, the back of the one in the middle to the door, where I saw the tip of Chopper's bag moving around.
On my right was an oddly pointed bookshelf, and on its left was a small bar, with three shelves of bottles specifically behind the bar. The room was so tall, that the roof looked like an illusion, getting smaller at the top. As well as a staircase embedded in the walls, heading all the way to the top of the room. The last thing in the room was a door at the back.
"Chopper moved his head out of the bag, and I smiled at him, and he looked at the bar, "Was that the Bird lady you saw earlier?"
"Yes, but let's not focus on that right now. Since both leaders left at different times, who knows when either of them will be back." I said, looking around, "All right, let's go."
"Right," he said, and we split off. Chopper went to the door, while I looked at the bar, where I believe Monet was sitting, since Chopper looked there when he mentioned her. Scattered across the bar were newspaper articles, some cut-out, some intact, and a book, with a page open to the Straw Hats.
'She knows us? Were they researching us because they knew we were here, or because they knew we took the kids?'
After moving things gently, I saw another headline, this time about the Heart Pirates, and a smaller article specifically about Law being in the worst generation.
'Shit. Are they suspicious of him, too? Do they know we're working together already?'
"Hey, (Y/N)? Do you think you can unlock this door?" Chopper asked as it seemed he was messing with the door.
"Sure," I said, re-organizing the papers to how they were, then heading to the door. I did exactly that, watching the piece of wood through the lock and successfully opening the door.
It started to close on its own, but I used a piece of wood to hold it open. Behind it was a room with a chemical station in the back. It was a square room, and the ceiling was smaller. The door wasn't centered, I found out as I walked in, and in the corner on the same wall as the door was a large tank of something. Pipes lined the walls, and it looked like it was meant for something else before.
"It's his laboratory. This is our chance!" Chopper said, rushing to the table, "We have to figure out how he made the NHC10."
He looked through the files as I picked up a book coincidentally being the only book in the room, "Chopper."
He came over, and I handed the book to him. I watched between him and the door, as he mumbled, "Perfect. It should be in this book somewhere! Now, to find sedatives."
After he found them, we were about to leave, but when we turned, I immediately grabbed him and leaned our backs against the wall.
He asked what was wrong quietly, and I told him to peek out of the door.
There, we watched multiple Centaurs carrying bodies, and a man in a white coat, along with Monet, on the other side of the room, waiting for what looked like a freight elevator. I told Chopper to stay put, as I exited silently.
He nodded. I moved quietly and quickly to the door, but someone caught my eye. Law. He saw me, as he was being dragged by a centaur. I looked at him and nodded, tucking myself behind the bar.
It had a lot of strange-shaped glasses behind it, like spheres and cubes, and even some vials. I looked up and noticed something I hadn't done before.
The room was silent for a while until I heard a familiar voice. Luffy's.
"You're awake." [Law]
"Why are you here?" [Luffy]
"I could ask you the same thing." [Law]
"How about that? It would seem we've all been captured." [Robin]
"Huh? We're all in a cage? That's weird, huh?" [Luffy]
A low voice scoffed.
"Oh! Smokey, you're in here, too?" [Luffy]
"No use. We're tied in Sea Prism Stone Chains." [Law]
I heard Monet's voice chuckle, sounding as if she just came into the room, "I see you're awake."
"Is she... a bird?" [Luffy]
"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" I heard a strangely low voice enter as well.
"Why's he here?" This voice sounded like Tashigi, which would make sense, since Smoker's here.
"Well, I'll be damned. If it isn't the leader of the G-5 himself. Vergo!" [Smoker]
'That must be the low voice. Vergo..'
A Transponder Snail rang, and I heard the Monet answer it, "Yes?"
"Alright. They're all shut." I heard a subordinate say.
"Good. It sounds like the preparations are underway. Too bad for all those Navy soldiers." [Monet]
"What exactly is Ceaser doing? [Vergo]
"Well, I can't say I know the details. But he did finally awaken his beloved pet, Smiley, so... I assume he's planning some sort of big experiment. Not just big, but it looks like quite a dangerous one if you ask me." [Monet]
"By the way, Vergo. Did you have a steak for breakfast today?" [Monet]
"Yes, it's my favorite. How did you know?" [Vergo]
"You're wearing some. Just a little." [Monet]
"Hm. I'd like to get... a quick look at the experiment before I go. So, everyone outside will die?" [Vergo]
'What?! Brook, Sanji, Zoro, and the samurai are all outside if I'm not wrong. Nami and Usopp are vulnerable to it as well. I'm pretty sure Luffy and those two were close enough to the lab to get in on time.'
"Probably, but don't worry. You're safe in here." [Monet]
"Hey! Vergo! Those men out there! You know they're all G-5 soldiers, right? They're your soldiers! And you're leaving them to die?!" [Smoker]
"Yeah. Guess so." [Vergo]
"How could you?!" [Tashigi]
"You know, it's hard to believe we've got so many big names in one cell. It's quite a view." [Vergo]
"You're right. It's so funny seeing you two locked up together again." [Robin]
"Oh yeah! Alabasta! That was where you guys caught me and Smokey that one time, remember?" [Luffy]
"Quiet, you dumbass!" [Smoker]
"Huh?" [Luffy]
"Stupid pirates. Don't you realize the gravity of the situation here?" [Smoker]
"So it's true. I... was right. I'm so disgusted." [Tashigi]
"Yeah, it's the worst-case scenario. Makes me sick, too. So, they worked together. Caesar abducted those children, and Vergo passed all of the incidents off as accidents at sea." [Smoker]
'That's horrible...'
"Of all people, the leader of the base was a double agent! That may be characteristic of G-5, but it's a disgrace for the Navy!" [Smoker]
"How could you do this?" [Tashigi]
"Wait, I'm lost. So, he's a bad guy?" [Luffy]
"Indeed. I'm surprised." [Robin]
"That's right. Though they really wouldn't have noticed it. It's not like he changed. He's been a traitor since the day he joined the Navy. In fact. Vergo is a pirate." [Law]
"All this time. But why?" [Tashigi]
"He enlisted in the Navy on Joker's orders, before he made a name for himself. He started at the very bottom and spent 15 years rising through the ranks. Joker couldn't ask for a more reliable or convenient soldier to work for him. It's true. He works for Joker. He has been from the beginning." [Law]
"Vergo!" [Tashigi]
"Joker, huh? Hang on. There's an underworld broker by that name as well. I was such an idiot! How did I never smell a rat when it was right under my nose?" [Smoker]
"Aw. You shouldn't beat yourself up like that. Instead, you should be commending the rat for being clever enough to elude the Great White Hunter, Smoker. Ever since the day you were transferred in from headquarters, I've been on constant high alert. And it's irritating. I'm so relieved I won't have to keep my head on a swivel anymore. As for you, Law, you ran your mouth too much. Did I not punish you enough? " [Vergo]
There was a heavy silence, then Vergo spoke again.
"Ah, well. No matter. You also said I'd be in serious trouble if I ran into the G-5," [Vergo]
'I-Is the voice coming closer?!'
" but that's clearly," [Vergo]
'It is!'
"Not true." [Vergo]
I held my hand over my mouth as I heard him pouring a drink for himself, "I've been in control of the situation for a while now. I'm sure they won't suspect me," I heard him place the bottle back onto the counter, "And besides, on the off chance that they do find out about this, I already know what I'm going to do. I plan to– Well, I assume you can figure that out."
I heard him set something down on the bar, then take a few steps from it, "Now then, Vice Admiral. Captain Tashigi. You two will die here." He said, as I heard glass shatter, "That way my secret never leaves this room. I'll let Ceaser handle the soldiers outside."
"It had to be done. This territory belongs to Joker. I can't allow anyone to walk out of here knowing his identity, can I? And yes, I'll report your deaths as mere accidents, as I always do." [Vergo]
"Damn you!" [Smoker]
"Uh, hey. Who's this Joker?" [Luffy]
I heard Law sigh, "Well, I know Vergo... because I know Joker."
"Huh?" [Luffy]
"Yeah. I worked for him. Joker is just a fake name he uses on the black market. You know him. In fact, you know him very well." [Law]
"Who is he? Tell us!" [Robin]
"One of the deadliest pirates in the world. He's a member of the Seven Warlords, authorized by the World Government." [Law]
"Donquixote Doflamingo." [Law]
{A/N: I love pink, but damn, I hate that bird guy.😒]