The mood aboard the new Sand Sled was only slightly less dour than before. With Rasa at the helm, the Straw Hats were quickly ferried away from Alubarna. While there was no one on their tail, Vivi was longingly staring at the capital. She had bid Carue goodbye, the duck insisting his home was with the rest of the Supersonic Duck Squadron protecting the palace. She knew it was the last time she'd see it for a long time.
Soon, the ship pulled up along the Sandora River where the Going Merry and Mini Melody were still anchored. There were also several Kung-Fu Dugongs happily watching over the boats and judging from the green pieces of driftwood floating nearby, they had done a good job guarding the ships.
The Straw Hats quickly got their ships ready and turned around to head back out to sea. Both boats happily floated along, watching as the abandoned towns were starting to be cleaned up and repopulated.
"How long do we have until the speech?" Kuina asked.
"About an hour," Vivi told them all, sitting underneath the tangerine trees on the Merry with a Transponder Snail. It was a last gift for the crew who saved her life, and of course a way for the princess to listen to what should have been her coronation.
"Damn, this whole situation sucks…" Moodie cursed, "There's being pirates and then there's this. The next Marines I see, I'm gonna chill them until they can't move!"
"That reminds me," Robin asked, "Now that I'm here, I'm quite curious about something. Captain?"
"Yeah? What's up?"
"You and your crew began in the East Blue, yes?"
"Yep!"
"But every single member of your crew possesses a Devil Fruit ability? Even the ones you picked up in the east?"
"Uh-huh!"
"That should be borderline impossible. Devil Fruits are so rare in the east that they are often considered a myth. How could you possibly have so many?"
"Oh, because of this! Rasa, Vivi, come here!"
The princess and orienteer obliged, the latter setting the snail down nearby. Rasa, as she came up first, lowered her umbrella-topped head to Luffy's palm as his eyes glowed gold. Robin gasped in shock until Rasa stepped back.
The blue-haired navigator pulled out one of her knives and suddenly the weapon flashed white. Then, when tossed halfway up the Merry's mast, Rasa herself appeared right next to it before it and landing on her feet.
"The Tag-Tag Fruit…" she realized, "I can now tag my weapons, then teleport to them at will."
"Hahaha! Cool! Vivi, you're turn!"
The princess, or the crew's official negotiator as of now, stood before Luffy. A few seconds later, she felt something deep in her gut. She held up her hands and the light around ten feet away began to bend and waver. Suddenly, an image of her father sitting on his throne appeared, happily smiling at his daughter.
But as soon as Vivi lowered her hands, the image disappeared. Fighting down the knot in her stomach, she realized she had the powers of the Mirage-Mirage Fruit.
"So that's it… You can actually grant someone a Devil Fruit!" Robin awed.
"Heh, yep! But I'm pretty sure I can't give one to someone who's already eaten one, so you and Zala will have to make do."
"That's not a concern. What I want to know is, are those you grant these powers to still weak to the ocean?"
Luffy opened his mouth to answer only to realize he'd never tried. Neither he nor any of his crew had ever fallen into the ocean, and none of them had been keen to try.
"Hey, Vivi, how salty is the river?"
"Um, well, since the river does feed into the ocean, there is some salt content. It's common sense to never drink straight from the Sandora River, the water should be boiled and filtered first."
"Well, only one way to find out!" Luffy proceeded to jump right off the Merry and into the river, much to the terror of his crew.
"Hang on! I'll save you!"
"VIVI!"
The princess wasted no time jumping in after her new captain. The second she touched the water, she realized her mistake. She had heard stories from Chaka and Pell that even they turned limp and lifeless with only the smallest contact with seawater.
And yet, she still dove down after Luffy, furiously paddling after him as he sank like a stone. Soon she grabbed his hand and pushed herself to breach the river's surface, Luffy still on her shoulder.
"Vivi?! How are you swimming?!" Mikita screamed.
"BWUH?! How am I swimming?!"
"Who cares?! Just get that idiot up here!" Nami ordered, and soon Clarisse threw a life preserver and hauled both of them out of the river. As soon as Luffy wasn't in contact with the water anymore, he started coughing while Vivi was still baffled.
"It's just as I thought…" Robin realized, "Because those you granted powers to didn't actually consume a Devil Fruit, it somehow bypassed the typical weakness to the sea. I suppose, when the likes of Nika are involved, regular rules are bound to be broken."
The pirates all froze at that. By that logic, more than half of their crew made of Devil Fruit-powered people were immune to the weaknesses of all Devil Fruits. Sure, their powers didn't make them invincible. That was the first thing Luffy taught them, especially the likes of Honey Queen. But still, even the likes of the Admirals or Kaido were still weak to the ocean. The Straw Hats would no doubt be in huge trouble if the World Government ever caught wind of this.
For now, though, they had a bigger problem. Once the ships were passing Nanohana, in sight of the open ocean, they realized there was something big in their way.
Stationed only a dozen klicks away from the coast of Alabasta was twelve Marine ships, each one with its sail raised and cannons trained right at the mouth of the Sandora River. Half of those ships had huge cannons, plus pyramids made of giant metal pillars stacked up next to them.
"Oh shit…" Reiju muttered, "Looks like Smoker and Hina don't want us to leave…"
"ATTENTION, PIRATES!" a very familiar female voice yelled out, "YOU ARE ALL UNDER ARREST! SURRENDER NOW, OR WE WILL DESTROY YOUR SHIPS AND TAKE POSSESSION OF EVERYTHING YOU OWN!"
"So, that's the Black Cage Fleet?" Custard asked.
"Yes, those cannons are their signature," Ban remembered, "The other half must belong to the other captain. Captain, what are your orders?"
"Carina? Repeat this, please."
On the decks of Hina's flagship, the two commodores waited. They knew full well that the Straw Hats wouldn't surrender, but that wasn't important.
"You think they've got what it takes to overcome this?" Smoker asked her.
"Honestly, I hope so," Hina said, her megaphone down, "It's either that, or we go to plan B, and I'd rather not go rogue alone."
"ATTENTION, MARINES! THIS IS CARINA OF THE STRAW HAT PIRATS, SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MONKEY D. LUFFY! YOU HAVE OFFICIALLY PISSED US OFF BY LABELING PRINCESS VIVI OF ALABASTA AS A CRIMINAL! EITHER GET OUT OF OUR WAY AND LET US TAKE HER TO SAFETY, OR YOU'LL ALL BE SORRY!"
The two Marines in charge just glanced at each other, hiding their smiles from the rest of their men. Hina raised the megaphone back to her lips.
"VERY WELL! MEN, OPENING SALVO!"
"Alvida, man the Melody! Outflank them!"
"Yes, Captain!" The smooth-woman hopped onto her little ship alongside Robin, Rasa, Nami and Honey Queen. The five untied the smaller ship from the Merry's aft and quickly pushed the sails ahead. But that meant coming closer to the wave of cannonballs and giant metal spikes flying towards them.
"Gum-Gum Balloon!" Luffy leapt off the Merry's deck, inflated his stomach to several times its original size, and let several of the oncoming cannonballs sink into his bloated gut before pushing them all back out. Several of the Marines watched in panic as their own shots came right back at them, splintering the decks and sending men flying.
As for the Melody, Nami summoned a huge cloud to protect the smaller ship but one of the spikes got stuck halfway through. The tip of the giant black nail was inches away from the deck.
"Robin, throw that back!" Rasa ordered, smacking her palm against the spike to tag it with her fruit.
"Of course…" The archaeologist crossed her arms, summoning a wave of arms amidst a flurry of petals along the underside of the cloud. With surprising strength, the phantom limbs pushed the spike back on top of the cloud, then formed on the top layer to turn the spike around so it was pointed towards the nearest Marine ship.
"Cincuenta Fleur – Launch!"
All of her arms threw as one, sending one of the Black Cage Corps' signature rounds back at a ship in the fleet. The men onboard panicked and ran as the spike shot clean through the mast, sending the column of wood tumbling down along with mass confusion once the sails blinded dozens of them.
"Well, that didn't work…" Smoker sighed through his cigars, ignoring the pointed look from Hina.
An even bigger shock came when someone cut clean through the fallen sail and ran inside the ship. A few minutes later, the entire cannon deck exploded as Rasa ran back onto the deck, past several very confused Marines, and reappeared back on the Mini Melody.
"Well, one down!" Kuina shrugged, "Captain, now what?"
"Full steam ahead! Alvida, keep up on their right!"
"Aye!"
The two pirate vessels continued forward, now just crossing the mouth of the Sandora River. The Black Cage Fleet moved two of its vessels forward to meet them.
"Moodie, Kaya, man the front cannon! Take aim!"
"Nami, follow suit!"
Two cannonballs from the Straw Hats' raced ahead, sending columns of seawater that disoriented the Marines. Little did they now, the massive columns of water were just a diversion. By the time they cleared and the sailors were readying a counteroffensive, a shadow had come over their boats.
"Kyahahaha! Up here, boys!"
Everyone looked up on the leftmost front ship, seeing Mikita hovering overhead with her parasol. They then promptly panicked, remembering why her epithet was "Graviton."
"Ten-Thousand Kilo Press!"
Like a blonde meteor, Mikita crashed straight down into the mizzenmast and sent wooden shrapnel exploding everywhere. Likewise, the other ship noticed a large, puffy cloud hovering right over them. On top was Nami, riding the nimbus alongside Honey Queen.
"Today's forecast calls for rain!" the blonde laughed before unleashing the full power of her Syrup-Syrup Fruit, a literal tidal wave of pink liquid shooting down from her hands before literally sweeping the lower deck clear. And if those on the upper deck thought they were safe, they didn't notice Nami's cloud slowly float over to them before both women jumped off right before it turned black and crackled with lightning.
"OH SHIT! ABANDON SHIP!"
Hina and Smoker watched with disbelief as Nami's cloud released a bolt of electricity that immediately set the deck on fire and any gunpowder barrels exploded.
"Damn it, this is ridiculous!" Hina growled, "We need to find some way to occupy Monkey D. Luffy and Desire so they can't block our shots…"
"I'd do it myself, but he has some way of bypassing my Plume-Plume Fruit. And your restraints don't do much to him either…"
"To him… But what about the others?"
While the commodores plotted, the Straw Hats put their next play into action. Vivi channeled her new Devil Fruit powers, a strange feeling as if she was trying to channel a picture through her mind out with her fingers. After a few attempts, however, it worked. An image rippled to life several feet behind the fleet of ships.
Several of the nearest sailors turned and cheered when they saw more ships sailing up from behind. The only exception was Tashigi, keeping an eye on the rear of the brigade.
"Wait a minute, Smoker never called for any reinforcements! It's a trap!"
"Very observant," Rasa said, scaring the hell out of the Ensign. She only just noticed the two people next to her, Carmen and Kinderella. The latter two wasted no time attacking every man in sight, either with shards or blasts of buckshot.
Who knew Rasa could also carry people with her as she moved from one tagged weapon to the next?
"Alright, that does it! I don't know how you pirates got here, but this time I'll-!"
"Hey, four-eyes! Up for a rematch?"
The bespectacled Marine snapped her head to the right to find Kuina, waving at her from the ship directly on her right. Around her were the fallen, bloody crew, all clearly cut down by her sword.
"Grrr, Shimotsuki…"
"Erm, Ensign, we need help!"
"Paterson Palm!"
"Eat glass, shithead!"
"This time, I'll defeat you myself!" Tashigi completely abandoned her job, leaping from one galleon to the next and slashing Shigure at her lawless doppelganger.
"Goddamn it, Tashigi…" Smoker sighed.
"Forget that! Get ready to attack on Hina's signal!"
The pink-haired Marine jumped onto the bow of her flagship, then channeled her Cage-Cage Fruit powers. She reached down and tried to grab the bowsprit, making her arms warp around the wooden protrusion to form a giant iron ring. Then, with a gigantic leap, Hina leapt off her own boat and right towards the Mini Melody.
"Oh no you don't!" Kaya yelled, raising her arms to prepare a flurry of gem shards. Ban raised her pistols and trained them on the commodore only for a blanket of smoke to surround them.
"White Out!"
The two shouted as the cloud of smoke grew almost as dense as Nami's clouds before lifting the two up. Smoker then flung his arms aside, tossing the two into the ocean as his arms reformed.
"You bastard!" Nojiko growled, "Eat this!"
The bluenette threw several seeds from her pocket, revealing lines of brambles that of course went right through him as he turned his body to smoke.
"Peekaboo!"
Smoker turned in time to see Zala shove her spiky fingers right through his heart, which was also smoke.
"Is that the best you punks got?"
"Nope! This is!"
Smoker then felt all the air sucked out of his lungs, and both of his cigars fall out, as Luffy's foot smashed into his gut followed by Clarisse as a half-rhino stomping him into the deck with as much Armament Haki as she could at the same spot her captain hit.
The wood on the Merry cracked and splintered, Smoker's scream of pain being interrupted by a rush of blood and bile. As the smoke-man wheezed and tried to get up, someone grabbed his own jitte and jabbed the seastone tip into his neck.
"Careful now, no escaping my spikes this time…" Zala chuckled, her free hand casually changing the length of her nails from normal to inches-long talons.
"Let him go, Chaos!"
Luffy turned and gasped. Hina was now standing in the crow's nest of the Mini Melody, the very top of the ship now encircled by an iron shackle. Somehow, Hina made a giant chain running the length between her ship and the Straw Hats' other vessel.
"Men! Full reverse!"
At once, Hina's men pulled a hard right. The Melody lurched as the much larger vessel easily towed it out of the river's mouth and towards the rest of the fleet.
"What are you gonna do, drag us out to sea?!" Alvida yelled, desperately clinging to the mast as her mace rolled out of her grip.
"No, I'm dragging you to the middle of my ships so you can be surrounded unless Chaos surrenders himself!"
"You dirty bastard! Lemme show you what happens when you endanger my crew!" Luffy leapt off the Merry with a furious anger, meaning his forgot his Haki for once.
"NOW!"
A single black spike shot from one of the Black Cage Corps, aimed right at the spot between the two pirate ships. And Luffy, so blinded by his determination to rescue his crew and ship, ended up getting shot out of the sky and crashed down miles away pinned to the burning hot sands by a giant spike.
"CAPTAIN!"
"There's no saving you pirates now!" Smoker yelled, grabbing higher up on the massive jitte and pushing it off with all his remaining strength. As soon as the only seastone bit left his skin, he launched a White Fist right into Zala's face to knock her out.
"You little shit!" Reiju barreled out in her half-lion form, ready to maul Smoker only for him to duck aside. He knew to be much more careful around these pirates. Whatever trick Luffy had to getting around the innate intangibility of Logias, he could have taught it to his crew.
But Smoker wasn't just powerful thanks to being a smoke-man. Even without his jitte, he was a formidable fighter that could shatter most people's bones. And Reiju could tell, as her punches and claw-swipes were perfectly blocked and countered.
Robin, however, looked up from the deck of the Mini Melody. Any limbs she summoned on Smoker, his Devil Fruit would just phase through them. And if she tried doing it on Hina, she could simply order her men to do something drastic.
By now, the little pink ship was now thirty or so feet past the mouth of the Sandora River. It had just barely squeezed between the two Marine vessels the pirates had cleared out earlier, and entire lines of Marines were waiting at either cannons or with their own guns drawn to fire on them.
"Kuina! Get you ass back here!" Nami yelled.
"A little busy!"
The swordswoman's own strategy had now worked against her. Tashigi wouldn't let up for a second, locking Kuina in a duel that actually required her complete concentration.
"What's your problem?!" Kuina yelled as their swords locked, "Are you seriously still fighting for the Navy after everything that's happened here?"
"I'm fighting for what I believe in! And if you don't like it, then go ahead and change my mind!"
Kuina raised an eyebrow at that. Wasn't she all obsessed with justice and reclaiming the Wado Ichimonji?
Then, it all clicked. There had to be more Marines than this at the battle a few weeks ago. Hina and Smoker were clearly the COs here, but no other captains or bigwigs? Considering the crew was now worth over 1.4 billion beris, that should mean every Marine should drop what they're doing to arrest them.
"Is this all some kind of… test?"
Kuina then pushed Tashigi away before jumping onto the next ship, scaring the Marines before slicing the main mast down and watching it fall like a tree into the vessel Tashigi was currently on.
The Ensign quickly sliced her way through the sail now blanketing her but it was too late. The pirate was out of sight, no doubt returning to the Merry.
Unfortunately, at the rate she was jumping ships and fighting through whoever got in her way, it would be too late. Smoker had completely enveloped the Merry's deck, and the girls on the Melody were struggling to find their footing with the ship being tugged against their will. And poor Luffy was still lodged under a spike miles away, gritting his teeth as he tried to free himself.
"Grrr, when I get out of here," Luffy growled, far out of anyone's hearing range, "I'm gonna make those two sorry! Nobody hurts my crew!"
Back on the Merry, though, things were getting desperate. The newer members of the crew either didn't know Armament Haki, or didn't have enough grasp to use it smoothly in a fight. Those that did, in this case Reiju and Desire, were deadlocked. Smoker had made a career of rounding up entire pirate gangs by himself, so the Straw Hats' superior numbers meant nothing to him.
And as for Hina, she had leapt down from the Melody's mast and quickly showed her mettle as well. All five of the Straw Hats there were lying on the deck bound in chains and manacles. Even Alvida with her perfectly smooth skin was caught, her neck stuck in an extremely tight brace that made it near impossible to breathe.
"Hmph, looks like you all were oversold by headquarters. Hina is very disappointed." The commodore made sure to check on Honey Queen and Robin's seastone cuffs, nodding once they were secure around their wrists while the commodore's shackles bound their ankles together.
"Men! Board this ship and start loading the pirates onboard! Also, loot this ship of any valuables! Then assist Commodore Smoker with apprehending the rest of the crew!'
"Ma'am!"
"Oh no you don't…" Custard whispered, currently hidden in the Merry's crow's nest. She looked down at the carnage below and cringed. Zala was still unconscious, as was Kaya, Clarisse, Nojiko and Moodie. Makino, Reiju, Desire and Carmen were keeping the smoke-man busy, but it was clear he still had an edge. As proof, he suddenly vanished into smoke before reforming underneath Makino and slamming her face-first into the deck hard enough to knock her out cold.
And worse, the Melody was only a few feet away from Hina's ship. There were already lines of men in white with their rifles trained on her crewmates. And Kuina was being held up by Tashigi once again, the bespectacled blade-lover refusing to yield no matter how many times Kuina tried to push her aside.
"Wait a minute…" Custard then looked down at her own sword, then at the chain hooked to the Melody.
"Well, desperate times and all that…"
Custard stood on the edge of the crow's nest, quickly getting several Marines' attention.
"Custard, stay where you are!" Hina ordered, "Your captain is nowhere in sight and we have your ship in our possession!"
"You think so, huh?!"
Custard pushed herself off the wooden edge with as much force as she could, the sailors quickly firing at her. She quickly threw up several cherry bombs and chucked them down at Hina's ship, scattering the Marines before they could try anything more.
Bullets whizzed past her, one nearly went right through her knee, but that was when Custard used Moonwalk to leap off the air and then start to fall right on top of the Melody.
"Wait, she isn't-?!"
Custard screamed as she held her sword out, coating it in Armament Haki before it sliced through the chain like hot butter. As soon as she did, though, the ship suddenly lurched forward. The Melody was less than half the size of Hina's galleon, meaning that all that forward momentum was far too much for the little heart-boat to keep stable.
"NOOOOOOOOO!" Luffy screamed as he watched the Melody capsize, the faint sounds of the Marines panicking as one of their commanding officers went down with the ship.
"Gotta… Do something…!" Unfortunately, Luffy's arms were both pinned to his sides under the spike. Thanks to his rubbery body, he was merely flattened against the sand instead of being impaled. But that also meant only his legs were free, and even then only up to his knees. He couldn't get enough of a reach to truly stretch his limbs enough for an attack.
"Robin, Alvida, they're on that ship! They ate Devil Fruits, so they can't swim! I need to rescue them!"
He flailed his legs, pumping them against the ground as a means to free himself when he felt something strange. The more he moved his legs, the more he could feel the blood pool in them. On a normal person, this would be an extremely bad sign. On Luffy, however, his brain started to turn.
Or rather… His gears…
"Wait a minute, that's it!"
Luffy slammed his feet down, forcing the two joints of blood to suddenly rush up through his trapped legs and into the rest of his body. For a brief second, he felt a rush of energy. With a mighty yell, he forced his entire body to lurch upwards before grabbing the spike in his hands before it crashed back down on him.
"YOU BASTAAAAAAAAAARDS!" he furiously screamed as he raced back faster than he ever had, like he was using Shave over and over again. A massive cloud of sand was left in his wake, the people of Nanohana panicking a bit as they saw something hauling a massive metal pylon like it weighed nothing.
First and foremost, though, was securing his crew's safety. He stopped from in front of the Mini Melody, the poor ship already halfway sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Thankfully, the only possessions on board were some spare rations and supplies that couldn't fit on the Merry.
More importantly, Rasa was hurriedly pulling Alvida out of the water while Nami did the same with Honey Queen and Robin. As soon as they were well away from the riverbank, their seastone shackles were sliced through or had the lock picked.
"Looks like Hina's shackles disappear in water," Alvida said gratefully, "But my poor ship…"
"Sorry, Alvida, there's no saving it now," Rasa sighed, "It's probably waterlogged already."
"Oh shit!" Nami cursed before diving back in, heedless of the dozens of Marines swimming her way.
"Oh shit, Chaos is free! Somebody-!"
"Shut up. Now." A small blast of Conqueror's Haki lashed out from Luffy's furious glare, easily knocking the sailors unconscious and floating on the water. Nami soon after breached the surface with Hina in arms, the commodore completely unresponsive. A large bruise was already formed on her forehead.
Meanwhile, on the Merry, the battle had stopped as Smoker watched in awe. Not just at how Custard had outmaneuvered Hina's trap, but how the same pirates had risked their lives to save Hina.
"Wait a minute, how the hell are they swimming?!"
"Hey! Smoker!"
His attention was ripped away by Luffy, glaring at him. If the commodore didn't know any better, he would think the pirate's skin had a light red hue and steam was almost pouring off of him.
But never one to turn down a challenge, the Marine leapt off the Merry then rocketed himself to the other side of the river before staring down Luffy.
"You're persistent, Chaos. You thought you could just-GRKH!"
Luffy's blackened fist smashed into Smoker's gut, immediately driving all the wind out of him. And unlike in Loguetown, he hit the Marine at full force.
"Nobody messes with my crew! Now you're gonna be sorry! GUM-GUM GATLIIIIIIING!"
Luffy's fists suddenly blurred back and forth, Smoker crying in pain as he felt dozens of blows hit him all at once before more kept pummeling him. All of them were dark with Haki, meaning his powers were absolutely no help here.
The rest of the Straw Hats watched, either relieved at the fight being over or laughing at seeing their foe getting absolutely dominated. The Marines just watched in equal parts horror and awe as Smoker just yelped and grunted with each hit.
Hina, however, couldn't believe her eyes. Not just at how Luffy had freed himself, not just at how he was manhandling her partner, but the blistering speed of his attack. It actually looked like his arms had disappeared, only the hundreds of shockwaves hitting Smoker and the sand flying around him were proof.
"Has he been holding back this entire time?!" she thought in terror. Then, his arms suddenly stopped, Smoker now dazed on his feet at this point.
"Listen to me, you jerk! I don't care how many people you throw at me! I will protect my friends, AND I WILL BECOME KING OF THE PIRATES!"
In an instant, his arms ricocheted behind him hundreds of feet, the shockwave so strong it actually made one of the Marines putter back a few feet.
"Now, GUM-GUM BAZOOKA!"
One second, Smoker was there grimacing in pain. The next, he was screaming over the horizon. The only things left were his white uniform jacket with the symbols for justice facing the sun, and his usual two cigars now uselessly burning on the ground.
"Holy shit…" Hina muttered. That shock soon spread through the Marine fleet.
"COMMODORE! WE NEED TO RESCUE HIM, NOW!"
"QUICK, LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!"
"YOU COWARD, COMMODORE HINA IS STILL DOWN THERE!"
"WAIT!"
Everyone turned to see Hina rise to her feet, shakily at first before lighting up a fresh cigarette. "Men, retreat immediately. Report to HQ that the Straw Hats have escaped."
"Huh?!" a Marine in a slightly more decorated uniform than the rest stepped forward, "But Commodore, they're right here! We can still-!"
"At ease, Lieutenant. That's a direct order. My final order."
She then slung her own captain's coat off her shoulders, holding it in one hand with her cigarette in the other. Then, with a confident smirk on her lips, set the coat on fire!
"I QUIT! TELL THE NAVY THEY CAN FIND A NEW COMMODORE!"
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Marine and pirate alike shouted. The only exception was Tashigi, who was still embroiled in a swordfight with Kuina when the former suddenly raised Shigure into the air.
"AND I'M GOING WITH HER!"
"THE FUCK?!" Kuina yelled, "You mean to tell me this whole thing was some kinda test?!"
"Precisely!" Hina nodded, dropping her coat as it started to burn, "I threw everything I had at you, and you still succeeded! If you're crazy enough to pull that off, then I know I'm sailing with the right crew."
She then turned and faced Vivi, standing amongst the rest of her crew on the Going Merry, and promptly fell to her knees.
"And it lets me atone for my own mistakes. For years, I knew the Marines weren't perfect. There were corrupt assholes, greedy politicians, and situations being handled wrong but I still believed in the justice we were enforcing. But after this disaster? For you, the rightful heir to the throne, to be blamed and exiled as a criminal, while I get the credit just for being here?! That's too far!"
She then raised her head, revealing her eyes streaked with tears. "So, please, let me sail with you and enforce a new kind of justice!"
Kuina then landed on shore, now with Tashigi in her arms. It was a strange sight, seeing the two together. The latter then dropped to her knees, holding her sword in her arms.
"I can't stomach what happened here either! I was told by the Navy that all pirates are pure evil, but it's not true! Your crew hasn't done any raping or pillaging this entire time, and now you've been risking your lives going up against a Warlord just to save Alabasta for the princess' sake! And if that makes you the villains, then I'd rather be one of you than some fake hero!"
As Luffy's skin returned to normal and suddenly had to be propped up by Robin before he fell on his butt, he looked at Hina and Tashigi. Both turned to face him, resolute. The conviction in their voices, and completely ignoring the baffled shouts of the common sailors, plus Hina burning her captain's coat was as tantamount to treason as burning your crew's jolly roger.
"Alright."
"You can't be serious!" the same lieutenant yelled, "What are we supposed to do?!"
"Either hop on a different ship or come ashore and move to Alabasta. Because, to prove my loyalty to my new captain…"
Hina raised one hand to the frontmost ship, the one that was dragging the Melody. It looked like your typical Marine vessel, but with a few cosmetic touch-ups to signify its captain's status. The dark blue-green paint job on the hull was separated by a dark pink ring just beneath the deck. The railings were also painted white, and the custom spike-launchers rested on the deck instead of the usual cannons.
"…I'm offering the use of my flagship, the Welded Rose!'
While the pirates gaped, before quickly cheering, the Marines were officially done. It was insane enough to see Smoker get launched into the horizon and their other commander become a turncoat, but surrendering a ship to the very pirates they were supposed to capture?!
And yet, half of the Marines on board actually did peacefully jump off the Welded Rose and actually swam up to the shore. It looks like they didn't agree with Vivi's treatment either.
Several of the ships actually moved past them and up the Sandora River, including Smoker's blue-ringed ship. They insisted that they were off to find their commodore and return him but Hina smirked again. Odds are those men were never coming back.
Not wanting to deal with the infamous Straw Hats Pirates, the remaining Marines all fled with tails between their legs. The Going Merry sailed past the now-sunk Mini Melody, Luffy and Alvida removing their hats while the rest of the crew bowed in reverence, before letting Hina and Tashigi on board.
And so, as the two ships started to leave Alabasta's waters, the Transponder Snail left by Vivi's father finally began to speak.
"People of Alabasta, I thank you all for gathering here today," his regal voice rang, "Alas, what was meant to be a glorious celebration must now be a time for condolences. The unrest that has been stirring in our nation has finally been settled. And I am very pleased to announce that Crocodile is now sitting in the bottom of Impel Down, where he'll stay for the rest of his life!"
A wave of cheers from the Straw Hats matched that echoing through the mollusk, the whole crew now gathered in a circle to listen.
"But today was meant to make up for lost time. My dear daughter, Princess Vivi, was finally to be coronated as my proper heiress and introduced to high society at a grand banquet. Alas, circumstances have changed…"
The blue-haired royal did her best to keep a stiff upper lip, but it was clear she was breaking down. She knew this was likely the last she'd hear from her father for a long time.
"…As you no doubt have been informed, Princess Vivi has been labeled as a criminal and is currently being escorted away from Sandy Island. She currently has a bounty of fifty million beris, charged with assisting Crocodile's insurrection and numerous other felonies during her two-year absence from the public. Now, much hearsay and rumor has come from this announcement."
"This charges, in plain and simple terms, are false."
A wave of murmurs came from the crowd, through the snail, making the pirates all gape. Cobra wasn't going to…
"My daughter tasked herself with infiltrating the organization known as Baroque Works, the crime ring Crocodile was using to enact his plan. For two years, she risked life and limb to obtain proof of his involvement. It was no easy feat, considering this group prided itself on anonymity and secrecy. Even it's highest agents had no idea of the former Warlord's status."
"And for her sacrifice, her bravery, her determination to end the brewing conflict without the needless spilling of Alabastan blood, she has been branded an outlaw, stripped of her title, and forced to run from the very home she cherishes so. That, in my humble opinion, is an injustice that cannot go unpunished."
"First and foremost, I have other information of the World Government's falsehoods. They have assigned the credit for Crocodile's capture to Captains Hina and Smoker of the Marines, both decorated officers. However, I can personally attest that the one responsible for that despot's defeat is neither of them. It is not any Marine, in fact. The one who bested Sir Crocodile of the Desert was none other than the infamous pirate 'Chaos' Monkey D. Luffy!"
Now the crowd broke into shock, shouting a cacophony of questions and outbursts that only stopped when a blaring horn echoed throughout the plaza outside the palace.
"Everyone, please, allow me to attest to this fact. For the past week, I have hosted this Luffy in my estate. I had him fed, healed from his injuries, and gave him free access to our home and all its treasures. He, at no point, ever tried to steal from us, threaten us with violence, or do anything than act as the perfect guest. In fact, he and his crew were to attend the planned banquet for Princess Vivi's coronation as honored guests of the royal family."
"Because, if it weren't for this astonishing young man and the valiant crew behind him, my daughter would very well be dead. Baroque Works discovered her identity and made several attempts on her life. But this band of pirates sought to protect Vivi, not for monetary reward, and not to gain amnesty for their crimes, but because they shared her dream. One where Alabasta would stand strong and whole, its people safe and content without worry of drought or war."
"Now, I'm sure many of you are shocked by my words. I personally could not have imagined a wilder scenario, but I will stake my life on these claims. I am also aware that the World Government does not look fondly among pirates in any situation. Their 'International Statute Against Piracy' claims that any affiliated monarch or official harboring or even speaking positively of pirates will be investigated and face several trials."
"Oh, that's some grade-A bullshit!" Kinderella snarked, "Of course they're gonna punish him…!"
"Ssshhh! Father isn't done yet!"
"Yes, my people, that is a price to pay flying the World Government's flag. The same group whom we pay a hefty tribute to, forming the majority of your taxes. The same group who's military forces did very little to act on our plight. In fact, my general has confirmed they were on initial orders to assist Crocodile."
"Wait, what's he doing?" Tashigi asked. Several of her new crewmates were confused, but then they noticed a few were turning pale.
Ban held her cheeks in her hands. "He isn't…"
Sally was actually fanning her face. "He wouldn't…"
And Vivi was now openly weeping, even as Nami and Kaya cuddled her. "F-Father… I love you… So much…"
"The same organization who has branded your princess a traitor and a criminal for all her work! The same organization that has granted two random, nearby captains the rewards for a job they never did! The organization who expects you, the people who have suffered years of political strife and deplorable living conditions, to obey as if nothing happened!"
"Damn, he sounds pissed," Kuina noted.
"I can't blame him," Reiju sighed.
"People of Alabasta, it is a king's duty to serve his people! To put their needs and desires before his own! Do you wish to continue supporting the World Government after all the events that have transpired?"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Do you wish for your beloved princess to return to her kingdom, to claim her rightful place as your future queen, and ensure your prosperity? Even if she is in the company of pirates?"
"YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAH!"
"Then from this day onward, ALABASTA HEREBY SECEDES FROM THE WORLD GOVERNMENT!"
As raucous cheers filled the airwaves, and no doubt every home on Sandy Island, the Straw Hats were gobsmacked. They had never even heard of a nation leaving the World Government.
Vivi's gaze was locked on the direction of her home, now rapidly fading in the distance. Her mouth was almost touching the ship's deck.
"Vivi…"
"Yes, Luffy?"
She turned to see her new captain's radiant smile, infecting her with joy. "…Your dad is awesome!"
She could laugh, all of her emotions bursting out all at once as she was surrounded by her new crew. Whether they had joined for adventure, for profit, or for revenge. Some sought greatness, others wanted to see the world, and now two more sought a new form of justice.
Within the next few hours, the sails of the Welded Rose were taken down and the Marine logos painted over with the jolly roger of the Straw Hat Pirates. And with the black flag sailing above, the newly christened pirate ship sailed back to the Grand Line with the Going Merry in tow.
As night fell over Marineford, the gigantic base was even busier than usual. The news about Alabasta had reached all the way up to the Five Elder Stars, who of course demanded that Hina and Tashigi be stripped of all titles and marked as pirates alongside their new peers.
In one of the many rooms responsible for producing and printing bounty posters, one young cadet was yawning as the printing presses spun and whirred.
The door creaked open, making him turn and immediately stand at attention. "S-Sir!"
"At ease," Admiral Akainu ordered, marching into the room, "Where are the new posters?"
"R-Right here, sir!" He presented the two freshly drafted posters, the ink still drying as they hung from a laundry line.
The infamous "Red Dog" glanced at them before turning back to the cadet. "Double their bounties and mark them as 'Only Alive.' I plan on personally executing them."
"Y-Yessir! Right away!" The kid very wisely yanked the still-wet posters down and hastily excused himself to get the order through. Akainu merely grimaced, a wave of blistering heat filling the tiny room.
"You filthy traitors will rue the day you crossed me…"
Smoker's eyes blearily opened, his jaw feeling strange without being chomped around cigars for so long. His entire body ached like it hadn't in years.
"Damn that rubber-brain… Where am I?"
"Ah, you're awake."
Smoker turned to see Igaram, the towering security chief smiling warmly at him. "This is the palace infirmary, you've been unconscious for three days. With the crater we found you in, you must have taken quite a flight."
"Ugh, seems so. Wait, three days?!"
"Yes, quite the nasty shock. My poor wife kept trying to smuggle in food, but the royal doctor is quite strict about his patients. Here, you might want to see this…"
Igaram handed over the latest copy of World Economy News, Smoker's jaw going slack at the headline.
"Further Upsets on Sandy Island! Alabasta Leaves WG and Two Marines Turn Rogue?!"
"Holy shit…"
"Indeed. It seems your comrade and protégé both decided to depart with the Straw Hat Pirates, and King Cobra was so incensed at Princess Vivi's treatment that he seceded from the World Government. You might also be interested in those two posters…"
Smoker numbly held up the two sheets of paper and felt an even bigger shock at what he saw.
"'Black Cage' Hina – 76,000,000 (ONLY ALIVE)
"'Ronin' Tashigi – 28,000,000 (ONLY ALIVE)
Minutes passed, the infamous White Chaser speechless as he glanced back and forth between the newspaper and bounty posters. Then, something even more unbelievable happened.
Smoker gave the largest smile he'd had in years and laughed until his chest hurt.
"Those crazy bastards did it! They got through our fleet, and then that crazy king decided to jump ship! This is too damn rich! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Igaram gave a more modest laugh before offering Smoker a hand. Once he was out of bed, he marched shirtless down the hall with Igaram following him.
"It seems about three hundred of your men followed after you, asking for your whereabouts. Their ships are still parked on the Sandora River. We've had them stay in the Royal Army's barracks in the meantime."
"Very good. Tell them to make themselves comfy, and to report to whoever runs your drills."
"Sir? Are you saying-?"
"Yes. Hina's not the only one tired of their bullshit." Smoker placed two cigars between his lips, then pulled his lighter out of his jacket. Once he took a deep sample of his smokes, he held the tiny flame under his own jacket and then tossed it aside as it caught fire.
"Now then, want to tell me why some girl's been stalking us this whole walk?"
Igaram flinched before a young, rather attractive redheaded woman walked down the corridor bowed.
"Sorry about that, but I had to be certain what you'd be doing before I made myself known. My name is Koala, and it appears you're in need of a new job."
"Sure am. Got something in mind?"
The young Revolutionary smiled. "As a matter of fact, I do…"
So, tallying things up, the World Government has now lost one its Warlords, two highly promising Commodores that are a Vice-Admiral and Rear Admiral by this point, one current Ensign who'd be a Captain before she turned 25, and Nika knows how much tax money and good faith by losing Alabasta. I'd say that makes the Straw Hats very happy!
Next time, a new ship, two new crewmates to meet, and then I have hunch its time for something to drop on by!
Thank you all so much for reading! Feel free to leave a review along with any questions or comments.
The Straw Hat Pirates:
"Chaos" Monkey D. Luffy
Wanted for: 300,000,000 (ONLY DEAD)
Captain
DF: Human-Human Fruit - Model: Nika (Publicly known as the Gum-Gum Fruit)
"Buckshot" Makino
Wanted for: 50,000,000
First Mate/Bartender
DF: Burst-Burst Fruit
"Steel Tide" Shimotsuki Kuina
Wanted for: 150,000,000
First Swordswoman
DF: Wait-Wait Fruit
"Meteorologist" Nami
Wanted for: 66,000,000
Navigator
DF: Nimbus-Nimbus Fruit
"Shrieking" Carina
Wanted for: 58,000,000
Treasurer
DF: Volume-Volume Fruit
"Sparkling" Kaya
Wanted for: 16,000,000
Nurse
DF: Gem-Gem Fruit
"Frigid" Moodie
Wanted for: 40,000,000
Deckhand/Seamstress
DF: Chill-Chill Fruit
"Hive Mind" Sally Isntoinette
Wanted for: 36,000,000 (ONLY ALIVE)
Deckhand
DF: Hive-Hive Fruit
"Pride Queen" Reiju
Wanted for: 135,000,000
Head Chef
DF: Cat-Cat Fruit - Model: Lion
"Green Thumb" Nojiko
Wanted for: 28,000,000
Groundskeeper
DF: Grow-Grow Fruit
"Iron Mace" Alvida
Wanted for: 50,000,000
Helmswoman
DF: Smooth-Smooth Fruit
"Wildfire" Carmen
Wanted for: 18,000,000
Sous Chef
DF: Bird-Bird Fruit - Model: Peacock
"Enforcer" Desire
Wanted for: 40,000,000
Street Hustler/Fighter
DF: Barrier-Barrier Fruit
"Heartless" Honey Queen
Wanted for: 24,000,000
Janitor
DF: Syrup-Syrup Fruit
"Stampeding" Clarisse
Wanted for: 46,000,000
Bodyguard/Fighter
DF: Rhino-Rhino Fruit
"Graviton" Mikita
Wanted for: 60,000,000
Patissier
DF: Kilo-Kilo Fruit
"Harvester" Charlotte Custard
Wanted for: 72,000,000
Second Swordsman
DF: Harvest-Harvest Fruit
"Royal Rounds" Ban Dedessinee
Wanted for: 35,000,000 (ONLY ALIVE)
Gunner
DF: Curve-Curve Fruit
"Bar Brawler" Kinderella
Wanted for: 33,000,000
Handywoman
DF: Shard-Shard Fruit
"Poison Spider" Zala
Wanted for: 35,000,000
N/A
DF: Spike-Spike Fruit
"Devil's Child" Nico Robin
Wanted for: 79,000,000
Archaeologist
DF: Flower-Flower Fruit
"Sirocco" Nefertari Vivi
Wanted for: 50,000,000 (ONLY ALIVE)
N/A
DF: Mirage-Mirage Fruit (NEW!)
"Sand Bandit" Rasa
Wanted for: 25,000,000
Orienteer
DF: Tag-Tag Fruit (NEW!)
"Black Cage" Hina (NEW!)
Wanted for: 76,000,000 (ONLY ALIVE)
N/A
DF: Cage-Cage Fruit
"Ronin" Tashigi (NEW!)
Wanted for: 28,000,000 (ONLY ALIVE)
N/A
DF: N/A
Total Bounty: 1,570,000,000