186Chapter 8: Little Garden
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece
Edit 6/6. For anyone wondering, I forgot to include the section with Miss Goldenweek. For anyone curious just type With Gin and Desire in your search to find that part.
"Ok, good." Nami said as she let out a sigh of relief. "It seems like the sea is starting to calm down."
"Thank god, this shit was starting to get old." Desire as she slumped back into her chair by the helm. These last few days of traveling through the beginning of the Grand Line have been hell for the two redheads. It's been nonstop supervision of their course. It wouldn't have been as two bad if it wasn't for the weather changing on a moment's notice so often.
"If it helps, the weather is only rarely that bad once you get past the beginning of the Grand Line." Ms. Valentine chimed in. Sitting close to the redheads, the blonde clearly nervous about speaking up. Since leaving Whiskey Peak, she's been practically walking on eggshells. She's been busy trying to look for anything to do that could endear herself towards the crew.
Nojiko was nice enough to lend her a change of clothing. The now former agent swapped her dress for a yellow tank top that left her mid riff exposed and a pair of white shorts while ditching her hat and gloves.
"Really, why's that?" Nami asked. Having never seen any kind of weather phenomenon like she's seen these last few days, she would be happy to hear a genuine explanation.
"I'm not a specialist so take what I say with a grain of salt. Because every island has a magnetic field, the waters surrounding the islands will imitate the climate of the island itself. With so many islands so close to each other in that first stretch, you're seeing multiple climates colliding together."
"And because the islands are little more spaced out, it won't be so crazy." Desire really hoped that was the case. Without Nami's sharp intuition, she would have been struggling to keep up with all the storms.
"It'll be better at least." Valentine really didn't want to give them any false hope.
"I'll take it." Nami wondered how Rogers and his crew did it. Being the first people to fully navigate the Grand Line meant they had no information to gather. There was nothing they could do to increase their odds of survival. They had to rely purely on skill, luck, and an impossible amount of stubbornness. And judging from the stories Luffy has heard about the second half of the Grand Line, they're going to need all that and so much more to survive the New World. Luckily, Luffy has enough stubbornness to spare. "By the way, what's your real name? I kind of assumed Ms. Valentine is just a code name."
"It's Mikita, or Miki." After so many years with Baroque Works, it was weird for the blonde to share her real name with someone. Before, if anyone had learned of it, they would have had a very sudden 'accident'.
"That's a cute name." Nami commented. "By the way, what's your dream?" Knowing how Luffy wants a big crew, she might as well ask at least one of their guest.
"My dream?" Mikita didn't understand what she was being asked. Out of everything she expected, like what Baroque Works is planning or such, something so tame caught her off guard. "Why does that matter?"
"Simple, if you're going to join the crew, you need to have a dream." The navigator started listing off everyone's dreams.
With each dream, Miki was getting a better understanding of what kind of crew she is travelling with. Most pirates focused on getting as much riches as possible before the Navy or other pirate crews eventually took them down. That's why the lifespan of most pirate crews only lasts up to a few years.
Is her dream good enough? So many of the Straw Hats have such lofty ambitions. Can she really fit in with a bunch of dreamers that are actively chasing their dreams. The reason she joined Baroque Works was because of the promise Mr. 0 had of creating a utopia. She had hoped that through helping create that utopia she would be able to start chasing that dream. But now she's with people that are trying to make their dreams a reality on their own while traveling together.
"I… want to be a chocolatier. I want to make the best chocolate that anyone has ever tasted." She winced at the tone of her own voice. She's never this insecure.
"I personally volunteer to be your Guinee pig!" Desire said excitedly with stars in her eyes. If she has one weakness, it's chocolate. Even Bartolomeo and his barriers won't keep her from her favored sweet. "I'll try anything you make, no questions asked. I'll everything in my power to help you achieve your dream."
Mikita sweat dropped at the helmsman's excitement. This wasn't the reaction she was expecting. But if she's going to stick with this crew, it would be nice to have some willing support. "Heh, thanks, I'll keep that in mind."
"That's a nice dream," Nami said as she made herself comfortable. The weather may be fine now, but how long will that last.
"Really?" Mikita had a hard time believing that. All of them had lofty ambitions. She could safely say these are some of the most ambitious pirates she has met.
"Of course, your dream is the type that you can't accomplish by staying at home." Trying to be the best 'you' you can be, or having a good day aren't dreams. They may be aspirations but that's something very different. "Don't let anyone look down on your dream, that's what drives you."
That struck the blonde guest more than she ever thought it would.
Across the Ikaros Vivi was watching the crew interacting with each other. Off towards the front of the ship, Silk is sparring with Johnny and Yosuke. From what she's heard, the blonde swordsman is practicing fighting while outnumbered while the swordsman duo is tightening up their teamwork. From what the princess can tell, Silk is the better swordsman of the three and she's giving the other two a challenge.
Not far from them, Luffy was training with Nojiko. Taking a closer look, she might be giving her fellow bluenette too much credit. As the two swung their staffs around, the captain effortlessly blocked every hit while placing small hits here and there on Nojiko. With every light hit, she was becoming more frustrated.
Off the side of the ship, Zoro was practicing his sword swing. What scared the princess was that she could see a wind blade cutting into the ocean. To make matters worse, every swing would make a larger cut in the sea.
At the back of the side of the ship, Gin and Usopp were having some target practice with a barrel that was being dragged behind the ship. Maybe they were just trying to blow off some bullets and have some fun.
If she looked up, Vivi could see Bartolomeo's legs hanging over the side of the crow's nest. Judging by what she can see, it seems that the barrier man is taking a nap. 'How can he possibly sleep up?' Just guessing how the green haired man is pulling it off is making her back hurt.
"Having fun there?" Reiju asked, earning a startled eep from the princess. Smirking at the startled princess, the pinkette hands her a drink. "Here, Sanji was making the girls a drink." Seeing the confused look on the princess's face, Reiju smirked again. "My brother's a bit of a womanizer. Don't worry he's harmless." She answered as she leaned against the railing the princess was sitting on.
"Thank you." Vivi said as she took a sip of the drink. "Wow, this is amazing."
"Careful about telling Sanji that. He'll fall even more head over heels for you." Watching the princess choke on her drink, Reiju came to a fun realization. Vivi is very easy to tease, even more so than Silk. Her and Nojiko are going to have a lot of fun with this information. "Again, he's a romantic and a womanizer, he thinks he's in love with almost every girl he meets."
"That's… good to know." Vivi said while trying to recompose herself.
"Anyways, you looked deep in thought."
"Yeah, this isn't exactly what I expected of a pirate crew." Her only experience with pirates was the ones she captured and turned in for the bellis for Baroque Works. With those groups there was a clear-cut hierarchy where the captain enjoyed the best of whatever was offered. Here, while Luffy is the captain, they act like a bunch of friends enjoying the journey.
"I'll choose to take that as a compliment."
"I guess it's a good thing it was." Vivi laughed nervously. Even though these pirates agreed to help her, she's only known them for less than a day. With all the lying she's had to do these last couple years; the princess is a bit slow to trust.
"So, what's on your mind?"
Vivi held back an audible scoff. All the work she and Igaram put in these last two years went up in smoke and all she must show for it is a name. and now her, and her countries, fate is in the hands of pirates she met only a day prior. She doesn't even have a guarantee how long they'll be willing to help. "I'm still trying to process it all."
"If it makes you feel any better, you're handling this very well." Most normal people would be losing their mind right about now. But if Reiju could tell that Vivi knows that she doesn't have the luxury of freaking out now. Nor does she have the ability to be picky with who's helping her.
"Thanks. But why aren't any of you guys freaking out?" From what Vivi's seen, the only people that were freaking out were Gin and Nami. The former went on some kind of tirade about his luck while the latter was only scared for the moment.
"Because Luffy isn't worried." If their captain thinks they'll be fine, the crew will trust him. Doesn't mean they're not nervous.
"I wish I could trust him like all of you do." Crocodile, so long as he isn't seen doing anything questionable, the World Government will never make a move against him. Given that he's Alibasta's unofficial hero, even the citizens trust the warlord more than their own king.
"Don't worry, you'll get there." Reiju said as she left the princess to her own thoughts.
Vivi spared a glance towards Luffy, wondering how one man has earned the trust and respect of his crew. They are willing to go up against the impossible and are convinced that they'll be the ones to come out on top. Years ago, the princess remembers when her own people looked at her father with the same trust.
The clash of two wooden staffs went unnoticed by the crew. Easy days like this were either spent enjoying themselves or training. In the case of Luffy and Nojiko, it was the latter. The bluenette, unlike the rest of the crew, doesn't have years of experience to guide her through the fight. Compared to the no name pirates of East Blue, she's no push over. But in the Grand Line, the rest of the crew are going to have to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't get herself killed.
Thankfully, Nojiko isn't going to allow herself to be a handicap. Whatever spare time she's had since joining the crew has been spent training with either Luffy or Nami. Given that both know how to use a staff, she figured they could help get her up to speed.
*Whack* "OW!" The one thing the bluenette didn't consider is that the staff isn't as easy to learn how to use as she thought. Each of the welts that Luffy has left on her only furthered that notion. "You… really don't like holding back, do you?" Nojiko said in between breaths.
"Sorry about that." Luffy chuckled as he rested his staff on his shoulders with his hands hanging freely. "That's how I was trained, so that's what I know. If it makes you feel better, you're getting better."
"Is it going to be enough though?" Nojiko was becoming more worried about being a hinderance towards the rest of the crew.
"You'll be fine. All you're lacking in is experience." In all honesty, Nojiko wasn't giving herself enough credit. There were a few times where Luffy was able to see the bluenette correctly rely on her instincts. She won't be ready to fight a higher ranked pirate or marine any time soon. But progress is progress. "Maybe you should try other weapons to find what fits you."
Nojiko involuntarily rolled her eyes at the thought of starting over from scratch. It wasn't a bad idea, but it left a bad taste in her mouth. "Any suggestions?"
"How about a knife?" Luffy suggested as he pulled the knife from the scabbard resting on the back of his belt.
Taking the blade from her captain, the bluenette played with it a bit. It at least felt better for her to use.
Watching this, Luffy could tell that Nojiko was much more comfortable with a knife than she was with the staff. She wasn't doing anything overall impressive. But everything the bluenette was doing seemed more natural to her. There was no stiffness in her actions where she tried to overcompensate.
"Thanks Luffy," Nojiko said as she handed his knife back to him. "Think we have any knives in the hull?"
"Probably." When Nami robs pirates, she takes any and everything of value. If it could be sold for bellies and isn't bolted down, it's fair game. Luffy knows for a fact that they have some spare weapons in their storage.
The two headed below deck. "Hey Luffy, where did you get your knife?" Nojiko asked as they searched the storage room.
"My brother, Ace, and I stole this matching pair of knives off this slaver we killed a few years ago. He has the other one."
"That's a much nicer story than I expected." For some reason, the bluenette expected some ridiculous over the top story about him nearly getting himself killed. "How come we never see you using your knife during a fight?"
"I'm not much of a knife fighter, I mainly keep it with me for nostalgia." Luffy is already the best at what he does when it comes to fighting. He's good with the pipe. He'll give any pirate or marine a rough time with his fighting skills. Then there's his Devil Fruit. Needing to better at more weapons is a bit redundant.
"Found one." Nojiko said excitedly as she pulled a silver knife with light blue para chord wrapped around the handle that coincidentally matched her hair color. The weight felt good to her. Taking a few experimental swipes, she noticed how fluid her movements felt. "Ok, I'm calling dibs on this knife."
"Go ahead. Hell; if you see anything else that you think will help you, take it. I'm sure Nami will get over it."
Placing it in the scabbard for safe keeping, the two pirates were about to leave the storage room when something caught the bluenette's attention. A certain tool that she had seen Doctor Nako use before, Nojiko picks up a tattoo gun. Nami must have grabbed it while the two were raiding Whiskey Peak.
"What you got there?" Luffy asked.
"It's a tattoo gun." Nojiko said as she focused on the small device. She's had been fascinated with them ever since getting her own tattoo. Originally, Nojiko wanted to be the one that covered up Nami's Arlong tattoo. But as the years went on, that idea faded into the back of her mind.
"Cool, do you know how to use it?"
"I could figure it out, but I'd rather have someone who knows what they're doing show me the right way." There had been two reasons to keep the bluenette from pursuing a path as a tattoo artist. The first was that when she first asked Doctor Nako, he spent the day showing her as many pictures of infected tattoos. The second was a lack of resources. All her bellies went towards paying Arlong, she didn't have the luxury to spend bellies on a hobby.
"Looks like we found what your role with the crew is." Luffy said cheerfully with his signature smile.
"What do you mean?" It's true that Nojiko was one of the few that didn't have a 'role' within the crew. Granted the only ones with a real title are Luffy, Nami, Sanji, and Silk. Her and Nami worked together to tend to the tangerine trees. Outside of that, her time was spent either training or relaxing. While no one pressured the bluenette to do more, Nojiko didn't like feeling like she was just there to be there.
"That's the most focused I've seen you since you joined up with us."
"Is there really room on the ship for a tattoo artist?" Nojiko asked jokingly. What value does a tattoo artist bring to a pirate crew. Her clients would be limited to their crew. Most people wouldn't trust a pirate not rob them. Anyone 'normal' person that would is not someone she wants as a client. As much as she likes to draw in her free time, does she want to make that her thing. 'Can't see why not.' Other than doing small things here and there to help others, it's not like the bluenette has anything going on.
"Sure, why not? We have a medic bay that's not being used. Plus, I'm sure you can share with the doctor once we finally recruit one." There was something in the way that Luffy talked that made what he said the most obvious things. They may not always be logical or eloquent, but they were hard to argue. "We can find you a tattoo artist in Alabasta that can show you everything you need to know."
Hearing her captain being his usual supportive self, a smile crept onto Nojiko's face. She could see why Nami loves Luffy so much. He was so confident in Nojiko that he was speaking like her pursuing the most natural thing. There wasn't any doubt if the bluenette could do it. There was no worry this be waste of time. He just saw a way forward and took it. Reckless but endearing in a weird way.
"I guess I have another thing to look forward to in Alabasta."
"Ok, now that that's settled, let get started on training you with that knife."
At the back of the ship
Tightening their hands around their respective pistol, Gin and Usopp narrowed their eyes. The two men stood an equal distance from each other.
Both have their hands resting on their respective pistols. Their postures showed how serious yet relaxed they were.
Staring off to the back of the ship, they were focusing on the barrel that was being dragged behind the Ikaros with two separate targets crudely painted on the front of it.
As if waiting for some invisible timer to signal them, both men drew their pistols and pulled the triggers.
Placing their pistols back in their holsters, they examined where their shots placed only to discover that Usopp was dead center while Gin was slightly of center.
"Got to give credit where it's due. You might be the best marksman I've seen come out of the East Blue." Gin complimented the marksman. Granted a floating barrel isn't the toughest target to hit, but Usopp has been dead center with every shot so far. Even practicing with his quick draw for the first time showed just how much latent skill he has. Now it's just a matter of refining it as much as possible.
"I know I'm good with a slingshot, but I never really used a pistol before Kuro." Part of him was thinking it was a natural skill passed down to him due to his father. That's a bittersweet sentiment the more Usopp thought about it.
"Keep at it. If you're good now, you'll be a menace in no time." If it was any other pirate, Gin would have laughed at them for pulling a slingshot in a gun fight. The long-nosed marksman though, Gin wants to avoid being on the business end of it. Especially since he's heard what the marksman was talking about with Barto. "While I got you here, check this out." He says as he pulls the revolver from the back of his belt.
"Wow, I've never seen anything like this before." Usopp says as he closely examines the revolver. He had never seen anything like it before. Taking it and aiming it out towards the ocean, the marksman was impressed with how good it felt. It was heavier than he would have liked but that was more due to inexperience.
"Tell me about it. Think you can do anything with it?" He asks, if there's anyone on the crew that can use it properly, it's Usopp.
"I'm definitely going to have figure something out for the bullets." Opening the cylinder, Usopp immediately recognized the first big problem. All their bullets will just roll out. He's going to have to make some custom bullets and figure out the rest as he goes. There's going to be a lot of trial and error.
"So, you want it? You can make use of better than anyone else."
"Thanks, but I think I'll stick with my pistol." It isn't because it's the gun he's most used to, but rather the sentiment tied to the person who gave it to him. "I think it fits you better." Given Gin's savage style of fighting up close, if Usopp cuts the barrel down a bit and makes some special ammo, it could be a nightmare for the poor souls that go up against him.
"Fair enough." Gin replies, he's heard the story and doesn't fault the sniper. He's known plenty of men that have done dumber things for the woman they love. At least Usopp isn't using that as a reason for doing something stupid. The marksman's follow up remark made sense too. After hearing some of the rough ideas the marksman had come up with, Gin was starting to be glad that Usopp refused the revolver. If he can pull it off, Gin's going to owe Usopp quite a few drinks.
Time Skip
It was only another day before the Ikaros had finally landed at Little Garden. The island is an overgrown jungle. Just one look and the pirate crew guessed that there probably wasn't any signs of civilization.
"Hey, Mikita, what do you know about this island?" Desire asked their guest.
"Not much, just some rumors." Mikita looked over the side of the ship and ran through all the operations that she knew about. After dealing with Vivi, Mr. 5 and her were supposed to head to this very island. "I know there are two famous pirate giants here and a numbered agent is here hunting them. I also heard that there…"
Before the former Baroque Works agent could finish her sentence, a brontosaurus walked by the ship before stopping and eating some leaves from a nearby tree before walking off.
The Straw Hats collectively felt their jaws hit the deck of the ship.
"Did we just see a dinosaur?" Gin asked.
"Ms. Valentine, what rumors did you hear about this island again?" Vivi asked the former agent.
"So cool!" Luffy stared at the fleeting din.
"Was that a dinosaur?!" Usopp scream in terror as he was visibly shaking.
"I thought those things went extinct ages ago." Johnny asked as him and Yosaku picked up their jaws.
"What is this, some kind of Jurassic Park or something?" Most of the crew, minus Luffy, had to fight back the urge to smack Bartolomeo for his stupid joke.
"Hey Sanji, want to find out how good dinosaurs are?" The fact Luffy hasn't already hunted a dinosaur for the blonde chef to cook genuinely surprised the crew.
"There's only one way to find out." In rare turn of events, Sanji is just as excited as Luffy is. He's never heard of a chef that has cooked a real dinosaur. One recipe after another popped into his head as thought of all the ways to prepare such a rare delicacy. "We might as well stock on food while we're here, there's no telling how long it's going to take to reach the next island."
"Sounds like I'm up." Zoro said just before jumping over the side of the ship and landing on the beach. Regardless what species it is, there isn't a beast he can't hunt. Plus, the chance of hunting a dinosaur is too much to pass up. "Just stay right there, Curly Brow. Wouldn't want to risk yourself on such a danger hunt."
"What was that Mosshead?!" Any tension from the sudden discovery of this island's wildlife was sapped away as the fierce, and occasionally annoying, rivalry of these two showed up once again.
Drowning out the meatheads, Luffy also jumped overboard. "I'm going to go look around, anyone want to come?"
"Sure, why not?" Silk said as she followed her captain.
"I'll go too" Barto said as he jumped overboard.
"I might as well tag along too." Mikita said as she grabbed her parasol. If was going to travel with the Straw Hats for a while, she might as well try to get close to them.
"I think I'll go to." Not only was this an excuse to stretch her legs, Vivi still didn't trust Ms. Valentine. She wasn't going to let the blonde out of her sight until she does.
"Hey, Luffy. We need to be careful on this island." Miki warned, earning a glare from the princess.
"Why's that?"
"Because Mr. 3 and his partner will be on this island. Crocodile would have ordered him to eliminate us." Did Mikita believe that Mr. 3 posed any real threat to Luffy himself? No, not for a second. If his Devil Fruit is a heat-based fruit like she's seen, her former colleague will stand no chance. The rest of his crew on the other hand are another case. But it's better for her to at least warn the captain. She mentioned the numbered agent back on the ship, but they got distracted by the dinosaur they saw.
"Is he really that dangerous?" Silk asked. Sanji and Zoro will be fine on their own. And the rest of the crew have Reiju and Gin there with them on the Ikaros. As long as they don't get separated.
"In my opinion, only if you don't take him seriously. If you can avoid his attacks, he's not that strong."
"If he's that weak why bother warning us?" Barto asked as he stuck his pinky in his ear. If some bastard wanted to pick a fight with them, that's their loss. Between his barriers and Luffy, they were as good as safe.
"So that it doesn't seem like I'm trying to trick you guys or anything." Miki didn't see a point in trying to deceive them. If anything, being as up front as possible with them will only benefit her.
Vivi held her glare on Valentine. She was looking for any sign that there was something hidden in the blonde's words. "What do you know of his capabilities?"
"Not much, I only know of him. I never had to work with Mr. 3 or Miss Goldenweek before."
Back at the Ikaros
"Do you think they're ok?" Nojiko asked. Things had been far too quiet given who went out explore the island.
"I'm sure there fine." Yosaku said as he threw his arm around the bluenette.
"Even with the prehistoric lizards roaming around, I doubt there's anything that can hurt those guys." Johnny added cheerfully.
"Keep your guard up." If there was one person that wasn't going to put up with the crew underestimating the Grand Line, it's Gin. He lost his old crew because they didn't show this sea the respect it deserves. "The situation can change on a moment's…" He stopped talking the second they heard the rhythmic patterns of something slamming into the ground. It was much louder than the dinosaur they had heard earlier which made them think it was that much bigger.
A moment later, a tyrannosaurus Rex clears the tree line and lets out a fierce roar. As the crew readied themselves for a fight, a giant that was twice the size of the dinosaur came flying out of the tree line, cleaving many trees and decapitated the tyrannosaurus.
As the axe stabbed itself into the ground not far from the Ikaros, the crew struggled to keep their footing. Looking up, the crew felt themselves pale as they see the giant that had thrown the axe was walking up to them.
"Notice." Gin finished his sentence as his brain tried to process what he was seeing.
Johnny, Yosaku and Usopp were hugging each other out fear as were Nami and Nojiko at the sight before them. Gin and Reiju were fairing better but not by much.
"Hey!" The giant said as he approached the pirates. "Do you guys have any booze?" he ask, shocking the pirates.
"What?" Reiju asked, being the first to find her voice.
"I asked if you guys had any booze? I haven't had a real drink in ages." The giant said cheerfully as he showed off his smile.
"You're not going to eat us?" Nami had no idea what compelled her to ask that question. Maybe it was suddenly being face to face with a thing of legend.
"Gababababa. Why would I want to eat any of you toothpicks when I have this fella for a meal." He said as he picked the T-Rex up by the tail.
"Ugh, yeah we got a few barrels of booze in the hull." Gin said as he signaled Johnny and Yosaku to go grab a few barrels.
"Thank you so much." The giant said cheerfully. "Would you guys like to join me for lunch."
The crew looked at each other for a brief moment. If the giant was going to do anything he would have done so already.
"Sure." The Straw Hats present said, unsure if they were making the right choice.
Elsewhere
"Mr. 3" A gruff said through one end of the Transponder Snail.
"Yes, Mr. 0." Said an older man with a slim build wearing glasses with his hair done up in the shape of a 3.
"It seems we have a problem with spies and traitors." Mr. 3 started sweating at his boss's words. He knows for fact that Mr. 0 isn't talking about him, but the last thing he wants is to be the focus of his boss's attention right now. "I have a report that the Straw Hat Pirates should be arriving at Little Garden soon, if they're not already there. Ignore your current targets and focus on them."
"Understood, anything else I should know?" Mr. 3 didn't waste time asking if his boss was sure about that order. If he's being told to ignore a hundred million belli bounty, Mr. 0 must be very serious about this.
"Yes bring the heads of the former Miss Wednesday and Valentine as well as the head of the Straw Hat's captain. Do what you want with the rest, just make sure they don't leave that island alive." With that statement, Mr. 0 hung up. He gave his orders; he didn't need to wait for confirmation.
"Ok, Miss Golden Week, it seems that we have an alteration to the plan." The agent said to his young partner who was sipping some tea.
"Neat." She said before taking another sip.
"Ever so diligent I see." Mr. 3 said sarcastically. If it wasn't for the fact that the two of them work so well together, he would have requested a more astute partner.
If Ms. Goldenweek was bothered by his words, she did an amazing job hiding it.
With the main group
"So you and your best friend have been fighting to the death for 100 years over an argument?" Nami asked Brogy, the giant that they had met earlier.
"That's right, we start and finish fighting when that volcano erupts. We've been doing this so long that I can't even remember what are fighting about." Brogy laughs at the ridiculousness of his situation. But it was clears to the Straw Hats present that he felt nothing but the upmost pride.
"How can you be so proud fighting your best friend for so long? Especially with that it'll end in one you dying." Nojiko couldn't fathom the idea of her and Nami being in that situation. That would be her worst form of hell. Yet these giants embraced this madness with an eager smile on their face.
"It's a matter of honor and pride. If we were to give up the fight and live, it would be a spit in the face of the lives we had lived up to this point. It would be a betrayal of our very culture. We would never be allowed to show our faces on Elbaf again."
"That's amazing!" Usopp shouted, earning shocked/concerned looks from Desire, Nami, Nojiko, and Reiju. As far as the sniper is concerned, Brogy and Dorry are the embodiment of everything that he wants to be. To live by a code even if it means the end of his life. To live a life without regrets. To face death with a smile on his face.
"That's barbaric." Desire tried to counter.
"It isn't." Gin chimed in, earning a glare from the girls of the group. "Real pirates are nothing if not prideful. If that's the choice they made, they have to see it through to the end. Consequences and all." He could see the gears in their heads turning, trying to figure out a counter argument. "It would mean their friendship and everything they accomplished together meant nothing. Imagine telling Luffy to give becoming the King of the Pirates because he might get himself killed."
Any argument they could have formed died right there. Luffy would rather die than give up his dream and it seems these giants are of the same mindset.
"King of the Pirates? I assume this Luffy character is your captain." Brogy asked only to get a nod from Gin and Usopp. "Gababababa. I would love to meet this captain of yours. He seems like someone that would be fun to drink with."
"If you can keep up." Gin joked.
"Gababababa. I'm liking you guys more and more. Think he has what it takes to become King of the Pirates?" That's a tall order if there ever was one. To surpass every pirate on the sea is something that requires a special kind of crazy.
"I don't think even death will be able to stop him." As much as Nami hated being a part of this conversation, she couldn't deny Luffy's conviction. "Do you know how long it takes for a log pose to reset on this island?" That was the million belli question. As 'fun' as this island is, they need to leave sooner than later.
"You haven't heard? it takes a year on average."
"A Year!" The Straw Hats yell in unison. They suddenly realized why Ms. All Sunday tried to convince them to alter their course. 'I'm going to strangle you, Luffy, the next time I see you.' Nami thought to herself as she remembered her boyfriend tossing that eternal pose into the bay.
Hearing the volcano erupting. "Well, it's time to get back at it."
With Luffy's group
"And that's my cue." Dorry said as he got up from his spot and grabbed his sword.
"Good luck!" Luffy and Barto yelled as they watched the giant approach the fight to the death with his best friend.
"How can you be supportive of two friends killing each other!" Vivi almost yelled.
"It's not that hard to understand." Luffy said before him and Vivi started arguing.
Mikita would have rolled her eyes in annoyance that these two are having this argument again, but something had caught her attention. Looking off to the side, she saw Mr. 5 alive and staring at her group. 'Oh no,' She recognizes the dangers they're in. "Guys, Mr. 3 is here." The former agent said as she started scanning the environment.
"Are you sure?" Silk asked as she drew her sword and watched her surroundings intently.
"Well; I just saw my partner that Luffy killed yesterday, so yes. I'm sure." Mr. 3 loved to play mind games. But Mikita found it weird that Mr. 3 had shown her her fallen partner. Surely, Mr. 0 would have updated him on the situation. Did Crocodile really think that little of them?
"Anything we should focus on?" Vivi asked, having delt with Mr. 3 or his partner, she had no idea what to expect.
"If I have to guess, anything that you know is fundamentally wrong." As broad as that sounded, especially on an island that's inhabited by dinosaurs, that's her best guess.
"Shouldn't be too hard." Luffy said as he watched the direction that he knew someone was scurrying about. What was interesting was there was another person pressing themselves against a tree, trying to hide from his group.
"I'll see if I can spot anything." Mikita said as she opened her parasol and started floating upwards. Unfortunately, as she floated two closely towards a tree, a white substance shoots out pulling and trapping the former agents. "Kyaa!" she yells out and tries to pull herself free.
Looking up and seeing Miki trapped, Luffy turns back to the hidden figure. Pointing his index finger towards the figure hiding behind a tree and fires a condensed bolt of plasma, piercing their head. Luffy put his hand down and focuses on the figure. He hit them square in the head, but they are still alive. Must have been a decoy. "Hold on, I'm coming." The captain yells as he jumps up to the blonde. "What is this stuff?" he asks as he looks at the white substance.
"It feels like wax." Miki said through gritted teeth as she tried to pull herself free. It took a few seconds to see that Luffy was standing still on literally nothing in front of her. He wasn't even holding onto the tree. "How are you doing that?"
"My Devil Fruit let's create a solar wind and I can stand on it." Did Luffy understand it? No. Did that stop him from doing it? No. There are times when Devil Fruits are just bull shit. Giving the wax a test pull, he figures the best way to handle this stuff. "Ok, Miki, I need you to stay very still." He says as he ignites his finger. He could have tried pulling her out, that was more likely to harm the former agent.
Feeling the heat coming from the captain's finger, Miki made herself as perfectly still as possible.
"Silk, Vivi, Barto! Be careful." Luffy shouted as he carefully burned through the wax.
"Got it!" Silk and Barto said. Hearing only two confirmations, they turned to see why Vivi hadn't responded, only to see that she was missing.
"Luffy, Vivi is missing!" Silk yells, catching Luffy's attention immediately.
"Damnit." Luffy muttered before going back to burning through the wax. "We'll find her." He says he finally frees Mikita.
"Thank you Luffy." Miki says as the two of them floated there.
"No problem, do you know where Mr. 3 would have taken Vivi?"
"Sorry, your guess is as good as mine." Miki felt bad about the situation. She must have been the bait to capture the princess. Or was it a double play to capture the two obvious targets? Doesn't matter now.
"Oh well. It's not a big island, we'll get her back."
"WHAT IS THIS?!" they heard two loud voices yelling.
"Was that Dorry?" Barto asked.
"Sounds like it, that must mean the other one was Brogy." Silk added.
"Ok, we know which direction to go." Luffy says as three of them run in the direction of the now presumably captured giants while Mikita floated high above.
With the others
Things had gotten out of hand faster than anyone could have predicted. After Brogy ran off to his fight, their group started seeing things. They saw a panicked looking Vivi which caused Gin and Desire to chase after her. They saw a love-struck Sanji running in another direction that drew Reiju to follow after him after rolling her eyes.
They saw a lost looking Zoro, at least that tracked. "Hey, Big Bro Zoro!" Johnny and Yosuke shouted, and they started following him less he gets more lost.
"I don't like this." Nami said as she drew her staff.
"You might have a point." Nojiko said as she drew her knife. The sisters stood back-to-back with each other watching their surroundings. If this was play was meant to divide and conquer, it was perfectly executed.
"Look at that, you two are the first to catch onto what is happening." A smug man said as he walked through the tree line.
Before the sisters could turn to face him, they were caught by giant white tendrils of wax. They fought back as best as they could but lost consciousness only moments later.
Waking up the sisters find themselves standing a giant wax cake next to Zoro.
"Zoro! What's going on?" Nami was the first to voice her question as she looked around for anything else of note.
"Good question. One moment I was hunting then I passed out for some reason." If he had been drinking, that would have made sense at least. "Besides, we're not the ones we need to worry about right now." He gestured over to Vivi who was resting in a max made guillotine.
"Vivi!" Nami and Nojiko shouted in unison.
"Look who's finally awake." The smug man from earlier said. Judging by his hair, they assumed that he was Mr. 3. "I hope you enjoyed the nap my little assistant gave you."
"To hell with this." Zoro said as he pulled out Wado and swung it to free himself. To his shock, his katana bounced off the wax. "What the hell?"
"Try as you might, that was is tougher than steel." Mr. 3 laughed at there little attempts to free themselves.
"If there ever was an opportunity to try this." Zoro said as he focused on his sword. This was one of the techniques that Luffy had shown him that still utterly confused him. Focusing intently on his blade. Swinging his blade again, Wado once again bounced off the wax. He tried again only to get the same result.
With Gin and Desire
"Vivi!" Desire yelled out as her and Gin chased after the princess. "God damnit Vivi! Stop running, it's us! Why is she ignoring us?"
"Something doesn't seem right here." While running, Gin tried to spot anything in the trees or in the tree line in general. From what he could tell, there were no immediate dangers. Since following after the princess, neither of them had seen anyone or thing. In fact, they haven't seen any dinosaurs in a while either.
Bringing Gin out of his musings, Vivi suddenly comes to a stop in the middle of a clearing. She stood stock still and from the angle of the Straw Hats following her, she more resembled a mannequin than a real person.
"Vivi..." Desire said as she approached the princess only to be stopped as Gin places a hand on her shoulder.
"Hold up." Gin said as he stared at the princess. Ducking behind a tree, he clipped the tonfa in his right hand onto his belt and pulled the pistol he kept in the back of his belt. "This might be the most obvious trap I've seen." There's no way 'Vivi' hasn't heard them. If she was in danger, she would have run up to them. Plus, who just stops in the middle of a clearing while facing away from obvious allies?
"Shit." Desire cursed in a whisper. "Think we've been spotted yet?" They weren't to far from the clearing. Unless they are incredibly lucky or whoever set the trap is less experienced, they may have been spotted.
"Only one way to find out." Gin examined the area looking for any obvious tells. "One of us is going to have to go out there." Without knowing where the trap is coming from or how many people are here waiting for them, they have limited options.
"You a good shot?" Desire asked as she eyed her crewmate's gun.
"I'm no Usopp, but I'm no slouch either."
"Guess I'll be the bait then." Desire grumbled as she stood up and walked toward the princess. "Hey, Vivi, what's wrong? Are you ok?" If this is a trap, she may as well keep up the act. Walking forward, the redhead was becoming disturbed with how still the 'princess' is being. "Vivi?" More concern was showing in her voice.
Stepping up to the princess, Desire reached out to grab the bluenette's shoulder only to find herself unable to move. "I'm worthless." Desire said, her voiced laced with self loathing. The motivation to get up move escaped her. Every insecure and negative thought flooded her mind.
"You may as well give up." A young looking girl commented as she walked out from the tree line. "Now where's that friend of yours?" The sooner she find him, the sooner she can relax and enjoy her tea.
"You called?" Gin said sarcastically as he pressed the barrel of his pistol up against the back of the head of the girl. "You move a finger, and you're dead." It's a funny thing that when you know your walking into a trap, you become hyper vigilant of just about everything. Subtle hints of blue hiding in the green grass, the same colors that are only found underneath Desire and right behind where the girl is standing suddenly become clear as day.
Miss Goldenweek was sweating nervously. How did this pirate avoid her traps and get the drop on her.
"This is how it's going to go, kid."
"Kid?" Miss Goldenweek suddenly felt very indignant. She would have protested but the sound of a hammer being pulled back silenced her.
"First, you're going to set my friend free." Gritting her teeth, the girl reluctantly sets the redhead free.
"Thanks, Gin." Desire muttered, still bothered by the wave of emotions she just felt.
"Now, what the hell is that thing." He said as he gestured to the 'Vivi' clone.
"Why should I tell you?" Miss Goldenweek tried to stall and giver herself more time to figure out what to do.
"Do you really want to bet on a pirate being a morally upright person?" Gin retorted ominously, causing a chill to go down the girl's spine.
"It's a wax clone. Mr. 3 can make realistic clones of people and I paint them. They have limited actions but they're useful."
"How do we destroy them?"
"Either with heat or a lot of brute force."
Desire was sweating at seeing this 'side' of Gin. She knows he's no saint, but even she's uncomfortable at seeing how good he is at intimidating others.
"I'm going to give you a chance. Walk away and you'll live. Interfere with my crew in any way, and you're dead." He said as he lowered his pistol. "Now, go."
Miss Goldenweek didn't need to be told twice as she booked it out of the clearing.
"Come on Des, we need to get going."
With the others
"We're going to save you, Vivi!" Nojiko shouted as she tried to pull her legs free.
"I would be more worried about yourselves if I were you." Mr. 3 taunted as he delighted in their pitiful attempts at freedom. "Besides, the princess won't be alone. Soon that traitor Ms. Valentine and your captain will be joining…" he paused as he saw that Zoro had swung again and this time cut through the wax, if only a little. By the time he had pulled his katana out, the wax had reformed. 'That's concerning.' Mr. 3 thought to himself.
"Rejoice, you three and the rest of your crew shall be additions to my art collection." He tried to save face and draw attention away from what the swordsman had done.
"Like hell that's going to happen!" Gin and Desire shouted as she shot out of the tree line and dashed towards Vivi. With their weapons raised, they put everything they had into smashing through the guillotine. As opposed to the giant cake that housed three of their crewmates, the guillotine was less structurally reinforced.
Shattering the wax into a thousand pieces, the princess was saved.
"Guys, we're coming!" Reiju shouted as her, Johnny and Yosaku came running out of the tree line.
Despite being so vastly outnumbered, Mr. 3's grin only widened. They still failed to understand the threat that he is. Between the two giants and this crew imminent defeat, not only is he about to be a very rich man, but he's about to be in the boss's good graces. "Hm, fools." As wax started surrounding himself and a various tendrils aimed the free pirates.
Dodging the best they could, the Straw Hats were unable to prevent what Mr. 3 was doing. He had encased himself in a massive wax figure that resembled a mech suit.
"That's so cool!" All the guys stopped to look at the mech in utter amazement. Safety be damned they gotta pay respect to a mech.
The girls looked at the guys in disappointment, feeling as though they were surrounded by idiots.
"REALLY, NOW YOU WANT TO BE IMPRESSED!" Nami roared at the crew.
"Of course, no guy can resist a giant robot, even if it's made of wax." Luffy said as him, Barto, and Silk burst through the tree line. The former two had stars in their eyes.
"Luffy." Some of the crew said in relief.
"Well, if it's the errant captain, here to save the day." Mr. 3 said as he grinned sadistically at one of his priority targets. "Sorry, but you're far too late."
"Shishishishi, you really said the most cliché villain thing possible."
"I couldn't pass up the opportunity." Mr. 3 had to agree. But in fairness, how often does an opportunity like this come up.
"As a heads up…" Luffy began to say as he grinned like he was waiting for punchline.
Mr. 3, in a visible state of confusion, wondered what the captain meant. Then it hit him, where is Ms. Valentine.
"He tried to warn you." Mikita said cheerfully to herself as she floated high above everyone. Much higher than she would for this kind of attack. "I would feel bad, but this is payback. "Kiro Kiro no Ichiman Kiro Puresu!" she shouted as she came hurtling towards her target.
Mr. 3 had a foreboding feeling itching at the back of neck. 'Heads up,' for some reason, he felt compelled to see if that warning was literal. He looked up in time to see Ms. Valentine with a cone forming around her crashing towards him. "Oh, no. Oh god n…." The former agent crashed into her former colleague, shattering the mech suit as well as the ground beneath him. He laid passed out in the pile of wax.
"That was a bit anti-climactic." Reiju almost felt robbed. She expected so much from that wax mech suit thanks to the guys hyping it up so much.
"Now that that's over with, can someone get us out of here." Nami said, she was worried Zoro was going to start cutting into his legs any moment now and really didn't want to be in the splash zone for that.
"I got you." Luffy said as he ran over to the birthday cake.
"Thank you, Gin, Desire." Vivi's heart finally started to beat a somewhat normal pace now that she was free.
"No problem." they said in unison as they waved off her thanks. It wasn't that big of a deal.
"Damn, how much wax is in this thing?" Luffy muttered as he was starting to get impatient. "Hey, brace yourselves!" he yelled up to the three stuck in the cake.
"What do you mean by that?!" Nami, Nojiko, and Zoro all yelled out at once. Nothing good can come of this.
To prove them right, a giant pillar of flames ripped through the cake, melting the wax. Despite the heat,. Because of the size of the flames, they spread a little wider than Luffy expected. This wouldn't have been so bad if a couple embers caught Nami's shirt on fire.
"Aww, hot hot hot!" She said as she quickly ripped her shirt off, leaving her in her bra.
"Sorry Nami, you ok?" Luffy said, showing genuine concern for his girlfriend.
"Yeah, I'm fine." The only damage done was to her now discarded shirt. Looking at her captain expecting to see a look of concern on his face. She instead saw focusing on her bra cover breast. "Down boy, you can look later." She said with a teasing voice as she brought an arm underneath her boobs to tease him a little more. "Tch, god damn bugs." Her teasing was cut short as she squished a mosquito that had just stung her smooth stomach.
"Here," Luffy said as he took off his cardigan and handed it to the redhead. If she didn't cover up soon, they were going to end up putting on a show for the crew.
"Hey, do you guys know what's going on?"
"Can you help us out?" Brogy and Dorry shouted from their spot. They didn't expect to be caught up in a wax trap.
"Yeah, I got you guys." Luffy said as he ran over to help the giants. Given how tough they are, he can get them out quickly.
"Hey, Miki, what's that red spot." Desire asked as she noticed a red spot on the former agents side.
"Yeah, it's just a bug bite." She remembered feeling almost immediately after being caught in Mr. 3's trap. But, given the situation, she just ignored it.
"Has anyone seen Sanji?" Reiju asked, wondering where brother had been.
With Sanji
Sanji had been hunting one dinosaur after another to find one that would be bigger than anything that shitty mosshead would have caught. During his hunt he stumbled across a peculiar house made of wax.
Looking inside, there a few bounty posters but nothing else of value.
"Mr. 3, report." A gruff voice said.
Turning on his spot, he sees a den den mushi with a cigar in its mouth and a scar running across its face. 'Mr. 3? This must be an officer agent's hideout.' He had heard a little bit of Ms. Valentine's warning but was quickly distracted by that dinosaur. "This is Mr. 3, who the hell is this." Sanji answered, trying to play a part.
"You idiot, who do think it is? It's me Mr. 0" The snail barked out angrily. "Did you hit your head or something?!"
'So this is Crocodile.' Recognizing the code name, the chef was able to put two together. "Yeah, those Straw Hats were a bigger hassle than I thought." Assuming that his crew are being the pain in the ass they are, Sanji just assumed this Mr. 3 would have been assigned to take them out.
"Does that mean they've been taken out?"
"Yes, sir."
"And our pest problem?"
"Exterminated."
"Good. We're moving our timetable up. I need you to return to Alabasta as soon immediately. You will be given further instructions upon your arrival."
Understood. Sanji said as he hung up the receiver. Staring at it a few more seconds, he rips out the receiver all together and sets the snail free. If Mr. 3 is alive, they don't need him reporting anything until it's far too late.
Rain Base
Robin narrowed her eyes as she stared at Crocodile. If he was actually paying attention, then he would have noticed that it wasn't Mr. 3 he was speaking to. She could inform him, ruin the Straw Hats activities now and for good. 'Let's see how things play out.'
"Good one less headache to deal with." As if the universe itself had heard his words, his den den mushi started ringing. "Great." The Shichibukai said sarcastically as he grabbed another cigar and lit it. He was starting to burn through his collection faster than he liked. Looking at the sadistic grin and those distinct glasses on the snail, he knew exactly who was calling him. "What do you want Joker?" His voice showed just how little patience he has right now.
"Whoa, why so hostile?" The taunting voice came through the den den mushi nearly caused Crocodile to bite through his cigar. "Is it wrong for a friend to call you? Maybe catch up a little bit." The voice taunted.
"Get to the point Doflamingo I'm busy."
"Fufufu, since you seem to be in such a good mood, I'll play along. I have a package coming to Alabasta. I want you to hold onto it for me."
"Absolutely not. Why should I do you any favors." Crocodile said as he slammed his fist onto his desk.
If Doflamingo was perturbed in the slightest, he hid it perfectly. "Don't be like that. I'm only doing this as a favor for a business partner."
"And that involves me how?" Crocodile was losing his patience fast.
"Because my business is someone you don't want to be on the wrong side of." Doflamingo said as the smile on the den den mushi grew wider. "Especially when you're so close to that precious Pluton you're after."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Many ideas were going through Crocodile's head now. The most important of them being how he's going to kill Doflamingo next time he sees that bastard. The second is guessing which business partner he's talking about. Doflamingo is one of the most prominent people in the underworld. There's no telling who this client may be.
"And neither do I. Now be a doll and hold onto that package. Don't lose it."
"Ms. All Sunday. Arrange for someone to pick up this package." Robin's curiosity peaked. It's not often someone can force Crocodile to do what he doesn't want to do.
Back with the Straw Hats
"Just go straight and we'll take care of the rest." Dorry said as he and Brogy watched over the coast. With Luffy helping them and preserving their duel, the least they can do now is help the Straw Hats leave this island.
They told them their best bet was to sail until they found another island so they could force their log pose to reset.
The Straw Hats were curious why the giants were helping them leave. They refuse to explain anything.
As the Ikaros sailed through the waters, a giant goldfish appeared and moved to eat them whole.
Dorry and Brogy grinned at the sight. It was times like these that brought them back to their adventuring days. Cocking their arms back, they sent a pressurized blast towards the Ikaros, sending the ship flying through the back of the goldfish's head.
"Whoo, that was fun." Luffy said excitedly.
Nami, taking the log pose off, hands it to Desire. "Hey Des, you take over. I'm going to take a nap."
Seeing the navigator hand over the log pose concerned the helmsman. "Yeah, sure."
"Thanks." Nami said just before she collapsed.
"NAMI!" Various crew members yelled out in concern.
"Guys, we need help!" Silk yelled as she came running out of the kitchen. "Mikita just collapsed."
And that's it for this chapter. If you're thinking that this ending was rushed or forced, you're not wrong. I didn't know how to end it and just said fuck it.
Anyways, hope you guys like this chapter. Like I said in the previous update it was going to be a shorter one just because it was mostly just building up characters relationships.
Next chapter will probably be about the same size, but the next update will be for Infernal Dragon. I meant for that story to get updated first but that didn't happen. I'll try to get that story updated by the 30th of this month. So as a warning, I'm missing that deadline like every other deadline I missed.
As mentioned in the previous AN, some of the moves will be incorporated into this story. As of right now, I will incorporate Strong World and Films Z, Gold, and Red.
The next piece involves the harem so if you're not interested in that part of this story then skip to the next paragraph. I forgot to mention this in the last AN but Uta is now part of the harem. After watching Film Red, there's no way I can't add her.
I don't have much for this AN
As always, let me know what you think of this chapter. If you have any suggestions or criticisms let me know. If you have a question either, ask it in a review and I'll answer in the next update or PM me and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Speaking of which, onto the reviews.
InsaneMakaioshin: I could have but that would have taken away time from developing Mikita and Vivi. Plus, Robin, at this point in time, gets everything she wants by being a part of Baroque Works. She sees that Luffy is strong but has no reason to believe that he's stronger than Crocodile. Crocodile can hide her from the World Government, and he needs her for the poneglyph, giving her some leverage. For someone as calculating as Robin is, it wouldn't make sense to say "Sure, I'll travel with you."
bballandy00: You are now my favorite person.
TheGreatBubbaJ: I thought those three together would be perfect for the idiot trio. Luffy will still have his moments where he's a fun loving idiot, but they'll be spread out more.
NinjaFang1331: Thanks, the fights were a lot of fun to right.
Raventus Dracoria: let me watch Stampede first before committing to adding it.
Guest: While I understand that that level of violence kind of came out of nowhere, but as the story progresses, there will a lot of scenes of violence like that. It wasn't done out of a sense of wanting to be edgy but rather that's just what I like. And with no name characters that ultimately don't matter, that will be a reoccurring thing. If that's a problem for you then maybe this story isn't for you. I will try to write more serious times that show internal conflict. But I'm trying to gradually build up to that and not just shove it in people's faces.
InfinityMask: Thank you for all your recent reviews. I'm going to reply to them here in one response just to make it easy for me. Not going to lie, I thought about having him join. I have plans for Vivi, I'm just not sure if they'll work, also Handcock and Uta are in the harem. When writing the scene with Usopp and Kaya, I wanted to make his a nose a problem but decided to ignore just for the moment. I have a lot planned for Reiju and Sanji once there time comes. Zoro and Sanji wont have harems but they will have pairings, for the sake of spoilers I won't say who they will be. As of right now, I doubt I'll have Luffy flip Tesoro.
erasenpai946: It's a poor consolation but it's better than nothing LOL. Luffy's DF is so fun to right attacks for, and Robin pre timeskip just hits different. What a great design.
jeremiahkelley93: Thank you.
Kingred1994: Maybe they'll join maybe they won't *me whistle while refusing to make eye contact*. So weird that there are a lot of fun ways to play with their characters. Length wise, my goal at the very least is to make it to Enies Lobby. But I really want to get to New World.
: Good news, you're getting your wish
Nami4Life: That beginning part of the story was something I wasn't happy with. I was trying to show that Luffy was still fallible. With Sanji though, he always takes the girls safety way to seriously. Mr. 5's DF I wanted to use it I just didn't know where. I will be utilizing the revolver, it's too cool.
Uchicha ASHU: Thank you for the review, I spent so much time trying to include everyone as much as possible without seeming forced. Also thanks, you gave me some great ideas for what I can do with Robin.
Zzkaizer: Thanks, hopefully this chapter was worth the wait.
Agent Frank: One of the main changes I'm implementing is that I'm powering up a lot of characters. Thanks for the review.
And that's it for the review. Let me know what you think of the story so far.
Till next time
Mreh.