CH64: A play of cards

Evening, before sunset, I'm flying above the shore of Alabasta, checking again for the ships, yet finding nothing, so I decide to tour the royal-capital, Alubarna, and reach this huge-city, who sit on a plateau. I land near a public-square, just outside the palace, on the highest roof I saw, of a clock-tower.

'Vivi said she's a princess, her father is the king, and her mother, the queen, Nefartari Titi, died when she was young..I don't know how this worlds are connected, and why, but the resemblance makes my imagination running..' I think while watching the sunset, eating something and relaxing.

'I kinda remember the famous Nefartiti, a queen of ancient Egypt, and the most-recognized-Egyptian-statue, of her face, with the recent debates between Egypt and Germany, demanding the statue back, plus her missing left-eye, which is funny, cause right-eye represent a special symbol in Egypt, like the 'Eye of Horus', a famous-god who lost his left-eye, and till today people paint a right-eye symbol of him, which mean 'the sun', but why do they leave out the left-eye, 'the moon', from the painting?... also 'the eye of Ra', a goddesses eyes who represent the sun'.. My mind keep wondering as I can see the moon much better now, as the sun disappeared.

'It's really weird when I think about it..' I wonder as I remember 'how there's written-texts even before that period, 1,300 B.C.E, from Egypt, but Japan has writing only from 700 C.E, a whole-2,000-years-period-difference, which seems like a total lie for advanced civilization with so many reason it should have evolved at least few documents, or at least history-writing, in other languages, aside from the mysterious Chinese hermit who came around 400 C.E to find the 'elixir of immortality', and was written in Chinese history, and some say he's the mysterious Imu, the first 'ruler' of Japan. How can even deserted lands has at least mentioning in written history, but Japan none?', and my thoughts keep wondering around, watching the lively capital city.

'I guess my father had great influence on the manga ODA is doing, as it resemble this place too much, including the names, which I thought were made-up, or was he actually from here' I think, but my mind focus on a weird-energy-sandy-wave, who moves from the palace, like an invisible sand-snake with a golden head, and I start following it from the sky, focusing on the energies as it's already dark.

It moves extremely fast, like it's flying with the wind, and arrive to a river, where a small-boat awaits, and I can suddenly see it's Crocodile, one of the 7-warlord-of-the-seas, the real leader of the rebellion. He cross the river, continuing on, as he arrives close to Rainbase-city, his city, but south of it, and I check the map I bought, in the direction he's looking at, seeing a city named 'Yuba' there.

Crocodile, who now stand still, is gathering a massive amounts of energy, who turn to a huge sand-storm, a tornado, and it start moving toward the distance city, Yuba. I see him turning back to sand, going north, toward 'his' city, and in my confusion I decide to follow the storm, not Crocodile.

I fly high above, and soon enough I can see the storm hitting a broken city, covered with sand, making me confused '...Why would he do such a weird scheme? What's the point in that?', and *Teleport*.

Back at Alubarna, flying in the sky above the palace, I glide around the palace, when suddenly an eagle-man fly toward me, with an amazing speed, and I quickly yell "ARE YOU PELL?", wishing to stop his incoming attack, and he stops close to me, yet still far enough, but all his hostile-energies settled-down, now showing wonder.

"WHO ARE YOU?" Pell yells to me.

'He looks exactly like Vivi described him' I think, and respond "Vivi's friend. She's on the way here, but I thought to talk with her father, mind leading me to him?.. Sorry to come in the middle of the night..".

"Follow me!" he order me with narrowed-eyes, and we soon land on a balcony, inside the palace, where another man awaits.

"Yo, Chaka, Vivi says hi, she'll be here soon" I tell the man, and he smile gently.

A moment later a man with colorful clothes, in no way resembling a great king, runs out, grab my shoulders, shakes me, and asks "WHERE'S VIVI? IS SHE OKAY?", and I *Chuckle*, *Cough, Cough*, and speaks.

"Hello... father-in-law?" I say with a smile, and they all have their jaw drop to the floor, "I came to ask for your permission to marry your daughter, ah, plus helping you with all that rebel bullshit, defeat Crocodile and his secret-organization who operate in the shadows, and hopefully advance this country up-to-standard, like, water-system is basic in a country, especially a desert, you know?".

They look like they're minds on overload, so I sit at the edge of the balcony, waiting, as they talk between themselves.

..."WE HAFT TO ATTACK CROCODILE!" Vivi's father, Cobra, yells, and I go join the conversation now. "That's pouring oil on fire!" Pell comments to his idea, "And Crocodile has the citizens support! even more than you!" Chaka adds. "You have good advisors" I tell him, smiling, and add "by the way, I disarmed the whole rebel-army, so if they won't get more weapons, that's pretty much on hold... so protect your weaponry... OH, and gather small-force, strongest people you got, and we'll try take the top of Crocodile and his organization".

They all look at each other, nod in agreement, and Cobra asks "When Vivi will be here?". "In few days, the ship is slow, so I came flying. Oh, there's a lot of traitors, obviously, in your army, so please don't pass info down-the-line, and protect yourselves from treason, like with the weaponry" My words open another discussion between themselves, and soon the two advisors leave me alone with Cobra.

"If you're a part of the world-government, as Vivi told me, aren't they involved in this as well? helping you? or helping Crocodile?" I ask Cobra in wonder, and he tells me "They do not interfere in inside-fights, so that's probably the reason for all of Crocodile's schemes, and some of those government-people can even support his claim to the throne later on, unless we got proofs".

"Never mind... This whole thing", and I stop talking, shocked to 'see', as I keep being alert to my surrounding in this place, a man who infiltrate the place, knocked-out a guard just outside the door, and now changed looks to him. "I will be back soon" I say and quickly turn invisible, walking quietly to a corner in the balcony, wishing to see the development.

"Excuse me, my king, can you come here for a moment?" the fake-guard comes-in a moment later, and talk to Cobra, but when he walks to him, *BOOM*, he kick him hard in the stomach, making him fly to a wall, and run to him with a rope, starting to tie him up.

I shoot a slow-beam on him from behind, and in that moment jump at him, as he really-really-slowly tries to move and turn his head, and I *SMACK,SMACK,SMACK,..* his head for 20 seconds, and in the last 10 second put a bag on his head and tie him up with the rope he brought.

*BOOOOM*, he crush hard on the floor, with a huge bump on it, but still awake and moving, so I just shoot another slow-beam at him, taking ropes from my space, tying him completely.

I see Cobra still knocked-out, so I keep hitting the man, till he's knocked-out, and only now look at him. 'Wow, that's a real Okama, what a weird outfit' I think, and while checking for 'devil-fruit' I do find one, and start separating it from his body, succeeding after half an hour, storing it safely, turn visible, and then change my look to a random man, move the bag from his head, and wake him up, as I pour water and slap his face.

He finally open his eyes, and I read his mind, discovering Crocodile decided to start his final plan, as he revealed his identity to his higher-ups, and this Mr.2 was pretty high, but know nothing of what's going-on with the others, yet I now know their faces now, from him. I kick his face, knocking him out again, and change my look while going to wake Cobra.

"Yo! Cobra! ... " I keep shouting, pouring water, and shake his body, and he soon open his eyes.

"WHAT?! WAIT! WHO?!" he shouts in panic, standing up, and look around him, seeing me still sitting on the floor. "A spy came.. I knocked him out.. got a prison?.. and Crocodile plan started, I couldn't find much, but probably the rebel army will start a war any moment now". Cobra begin to panic, then relax, and run inside, leaving me alone, so I just turn invisible, and fly away.

Sitting on the clock-tower, I think 'can I make it my base?', as this clock-tower is the perfect location, like a secret-base in English-novels from mid-century, plus the highest place here, and I 'look' inside the clock-tower, seeing a huge cannon, just behind the clock.

'That smells like a scheming-terror-plot move for sure...' I think as I also see 2 people inside, and try to find a place to enter that place.

'Ahh, I'll just create my own entrance' I think as I start taking off roof-tiles, removing a few till there's a hole I can go through, and once inside, I land on a wood plank at the ceiling, looking at the room below me. 'This duo seems weak' I think as I jump at the woman who's awake, *CHOP*, knocking her out, and jump toward the sleeping man, and just as he wakes up, *PUNCH*, I hit his face, and I tie them up, put a bag on their heads, and go check the cannon out.

'WOW, THAT'S CRAZY!' I *exhale* in nervousness by the amount of energy in the bomb, and store it in my space-pocket, and also the cannon a moment later. I tie them both together, go open the clock-door, as I see it can be opened from the inside, leaving a crack for me to fly back in later, hold the two terrorists, and fly to the palace.

"Yo, Chaka" I call him as I land near him, seeing him talking with four alerted guards, "They were hiding near-by with a huge bomb, so another two to jail..".

"Another two?" he asks, and I tell him about the kidnapper who appeared next to Cobra, making the whole five shocked, and they start talking and moving, as I say "see ya later", and fly back up, finish fixing the roof, and enter inside the clock-tower.

'Now, there's only Crocodile, No.1+4+6+8+9+10, as I got No.2+3+5+7, plus each one companion, and the two shipments ships, who suppose to arrive, so I'll go to the port in the morning...' I think as I tie a sling-bed on the edge of the clock-tower, and fall asleep.

...

"MMMM", I wake up, still tired, but the first sun-rays of the morning hitting my eyes, and I hum in annoyance, yet still move, wishing to end it as soon as possible. 'I have no idea where they are now...' I think about the remaining enemies, and decide to visit the palace before returning to the city-port we're suppose to meet at.

Arriving there, I meet Pell, who smiles, telling me "Good morning? Haha, you seems like you haven't slept as well.. Come, we caught two infiltrators an hour ago, maybe you got intel on them", and I follow him to a prison, where I tell him "that's No.4, and his woman-teammate.. so we just need to find Crocodile, No.1, No.6, and the rest are cannon-fodder. I'll go visit Nanohana, see ya later", and he walk me out. A moment later I *Teleport*.

"Yo" I call the fire-guy from yesterday, who walk in front of me in the street, asking "Slept well?". He smiles at me, showing me a poster, and asks "Seen this man maybe?", and I answer while opening my eyes wide "Around a month ago, but far away from here.. why? Is he suppose to be here??".

He nods in confirmation, asking more questions, but I don't know anything really, as it was in the middle of the sea for a mere moment, and I don't wish to tell him about me stealing his 'devil fruit' he just stole.

He look resigned, and turn to leave, when my brain finally connect the dots, by suddenly seeing a weird tattoo on his arm, and I shout "STOP", and he stops, "You didn't tell me your name?" I ask him, and he says "Ace, nice to meet ya", smile, and turn to leave again.

"Ace" I call for him, "Let's have a breakfast, my treat".

"SURE" he smiles while walking back happily, and lead me to a restaurant, where I just say "give me everything, and also juice, and coffee, you?", and Ace smiles, saying "same".

"Ace, mind telling me about your father?" I ask, and he narrow his eyes, showing extreme hostility, so I quickly say "wait, hmmm, I'll say it simpler, I'm looking for my half-brother, who's also my cousin, named Ace, as my dead-mother left me a letter to do so... I don't have much of a lead, but now that I know your name, and with the freckles on your face..." I stop talking as I remember I have my mother photo in my wallet, and if she's his mother's sister, he should recognize her, so I take it out and show him.

"I never saw my mother, she died when I was born" Ace tells me, and I tell him "Same for me, a week after, but I guess there's barely any cameras in this world", and he look at me in suspicion after my blubber about cameras and world.

"Anyway, one of my wives can help me know if it's you, OH, Luffy, you know that kiddo?" I change subject, hope for Robin's help with this thing, as my father never talks about nothing to me, if anything, he turn so depressed when I raise those topics, I feel sorry to even mention a word about his past, like his soul can leave his body from the sorrow he feels.

"OHHH, HIM??" and he show me Luffy wanted poster, 30-million-berries, and I smile and nod, saying "can't believe that small-fry got 30 on his head, hell, who's stupid enough to be a pirate?", and he burst laughing, standing up, and show me his back, which I could never see with the green-bag he always carry, but now I can see a cross-bone symbol there.

"Haha, an idiot like you I guess, Mr. pirate" I say with a smile.

I decide to pull out my phone, and take photos of him, showing Robin, or even my father later on.

"How long is it from Drum-island to here on a ship?" I ask, and he answers "4 days for a normal small ships, 3 for bigger and better ones, and 2 or less for the best boats, like mine", and I laugh, saying "so if 1 day passed, then we've got 3 to go, with the piece-of-ship Luffy sail on, unless..", I stop to think about tying his ship to the yacht and make it sail faster, and then wonder if they thought the same and did it, but can't come to a conclusion, so I just continue eating.

"Well, you'll stay here for 3 days to meet him, right?" I ask, and Ace nods is head 'yeah'. I pay the bill, and tell him "see ya later", planning to finish what I started around here, and walk out.

I see nothing of interest, except hearing rumors about some secret meetings about the country, between citizens, in the evening, and guess it got something to do with the rebellion propaganda. I *Teleport* outside Crocodile's base, 'Rain Dinners', and see it's on normal operation, nothing suspicious or weird, so I feel I can return at evening, and *Teleport*.

.

"AHHH", me and Hancock shout together, standing face-to-face, nose almost touching, as I teleport right in front of her, into her bedroom, in Amazon-lily-island.

"HEY! Am I scary??" Hancock asks while pouting, and I laugh, saying "I'm always afraid I'll lose your love some way", and she right away jumps at me, moaning "Aynnnn!", going dere-dere on me, as she hug me, rain kisses, and I join her, doing the same.

"Hold still for a moment" I tell her and put my forehead on hers, passing her all my memories, from Drum, to Fishmen, and Alabasta islands. Her face change expressions every second, and I wait for her, till she says "Robin is coming soon... With everyone... and I don't need to do anything now, as it seems you already act without waiting for her... You want to unite all those forces?".

"Yeah, but that's for later, Dressrosa issue comes first I guess.. How's the two doing?", and Hancock answers to me "Really good, they're training now, oh, they try convince me to turn Amazon-lily to a kingdom, instead of being pirates, but we love to loot too much" Hancock laughingly tells me.

"Really? Me as well, haha, but I ain't a pirate, nor ever goona be one. Just stole around 1 million weapons, which are in Rusukaina house'-basement if you wanna take 'em, plus few billions berries, probably, from Crocodile... need it?" I tell her back, wishing she'll stop being a pirate, as kingdom is the real-deal, and the world-government won't strict, chase, or threat you, at least not directly.

"Okay, I'll think about it. I WANT THE SPEED BOAT!" Hancock shout the last part, and I smile, guessing Rebecca and Viola had huge part in it, and say "I'll leave it in here for now, here's the keys". She takes it happily, jumping around in excitement, so I *slap* her ass, and she turn around, give me a tempting look, and say "wait here, don't move".

I sit on a sofa, waiting, till the sound of a door opening behind me, and I turn my head to look, but Hancock'-hands land on my eyes, saying "not yet, keep them close!", and I do so, till I hear a whisper, guessing it's Roxanne.

A moment later Hancock says "okay, you can open them now", and I do so, looking onto the bed, with drool coming out of my mouth, and my hand unconsciously grab my clothes and tear them apart to shreds, getting naked without removing my eyes from what's in front of me, as the 2 women have a lustful smile, probably me too, knowing what's going to happen now.