Chase to the Base, Raindinners

As Vivi had said, the trip to Rainbase took a full day of travel. The dessert had been extra hot that day, quickly building up thirst within the group. Only Vivi seemed unaffected, but the pirates chalked that up to just being from Alabasta. Poor Chopper was, once again, having to be carried by Zoro who denied any semblance of being thirsty. Sanji, not wanting to be outdone by the swordsman in any way, also denied water. The others didn't really care; their feud meant more water for them. Finally, the little speck on the horizon grew to be Rainbase through the dessert haze.

"Hey, Vivi?" Usopp asked, using his goggles to peer ahead. "That's where we're going, right?"

"Yeah," the princess answered. "That's Rainbase, the only city outside of the drought. I guess it's not really a surprise since that's Crocodile's base."

"Then we should just finish off our water before we go in, huh?" Grace suggested. "No point carrying it around when we don't need to. That's unnecessary work."

"I agree with Grace," Gin nodded. "Plus we'll be well-hydrated if we end up fighting anyone."

"Alright, everyone," Nami clapped her hands. "Let's finish off this... Where's Luffy? And where's Usopp?"

"Crocodile! I'm gonna kick your sandy ass!"

"Oh," Nami sighed as the two ran off. "They ran off."

"Don't worry, Nami," Coby placated. "We have the baby den-den now. We can call them if we need to."

"I'm worried that they won't call when they need to," she responded. "Anyway, everyone get your cups ready. We've got about three gallons in here."

With Luffy and Usopp, they walked into a small restaurant, sat at the counter next to a man and a woman, and ordered food which was placed before them quickly. They were so absorbed in their eating that they completely missed the discussion going on not three feet away.

"What makes you so sure that the Straw Hats are going to be here in Rainbase?" Sergeant Major Tashigi asked, a glass of water in her hand. The man next to her took a drawl from the cigars in his mouth and exhaled before answering.

"I've just got a hunch," he said. "Straw Hat is after Crocodile, as far as I can tell, and there have been reports that the Warlord is stationed here in Rainbase. If Straw Hat is after Crocodile like the reports speculated, then he'll be here eventually." He turned to his right and the two messy eaters there. "Would you two slow down and use some manners?"

Luffy and Usopp stared at Smoker and Tashigi. The marines stared back at the pirates. Nobody moved.

"Run!" Luffy ordered through a mouthful of food, throwing his empty plate at the marines. It passed through Smoker's head, forcing Tashigi to duck. He and Usopp were out the door faster than the captain could react.

"Tashigi, get the other marines," Smoker ordered. He gave chase.

The crew, with the exception of Chopper, Luffy, and Usopp, were lounging by a fountain near the middle of the town. Chopper had dismissed himself several minutes prior to go to the "little boys' room" as he'd called it. Vivi shifted uncomfortably from being so close to the place were Crocodile had pulled the strings. She had her hood pulled up in case there were any Million or Billions around to recognize her. As one, all of their baby den-den began to ring.

BUDUP-BUDUP-BUDUP... BUDUP-BUDUP-BUDUP...

It was a group call, as every call for the baby den-den Usopp had bought would be. They were synced to each other, so all of them would ring until someone picked up. After that, any of the others could join by awakening their own den-den. Nami was the one to answer.

"Hello?"

"Nami!" Usopp's frantic voice called over the tiny snail. He sounded winded. "Thank Goda! The Marines are here and chasing me and Luffy!"

"Everyone!" Luffy's voice interrupted. "Head to Crocodile's base. We'll meet up there!"

"Understood," Nami answered. She shut the shell over the small snail, severing the call. "You all heard him. Let's-"

"Too late," Zoro grunted. From a side street into the plaza came Luffy, Usopp, and the marines chasing them. The government people, including Smoker and Tashigi, saw the pirates and ordered the men to capture every one of them.

"It's the rest of the pirates!" Tashigi gasped.

"Don't let them get away!" Smoker shouted to the men behind him. Tashigi started to pull ahead.

"Roranoa!"

"This way!" Vivi yelled over the sounds of the marines as Luffy and Usopp caught the group. "Do you see the top of that gold pyramid over there? That's Crocodile's base, Raindinners!"

"Got it!" Luffy replied, his eyes locked on the decorative golden bananadile on top of their goal. "We'll all meet up there!"

"Split up!" Nami shouted, the crew fracturing into smaller sub-groups that each ran down a separate alley with a crowd of marines after them. Vivi, Zoro, and Coby went one way, Tashigi after them, till yelling at Zoro to give up his swords. Amy, Grace, and Gin went another with their own hoard behind them. Usopp ran off with Nami and Sanji in tow. And finally, Luffy jumped a building, Smoker hot on his heels with a cry of "White Vine!".

Vivi, Coby, and Zoro

Much to Zoro's dismay, his student was dragging him by the sleeve as they followed Vivi through the town. The street they were running on opened up to an intersection with three other streets, a plethora of armed men already waiting for them.

"There they are!" one of the nameless men called. "Get them!" Teacher and student both drew two swords and got to work disarming the attacking mercenaries.

"Is that the best you've got, Baroque Works?" Coby taunted, punching a Million with the pommel of his right sword. The man crumpled. "I've fought animals with more skill than that."

"You've really gotten the hang of this, haven't you, Coby?" Zoro complemented, throwing away a dozen opponents with the blunt of Yubashiri.

"Roranoa!" Tashigi yelled, the agents parting for her and her entourage. "You've corrupted a child into the ways of piracy and now you're teaching him to cut down innocent civilians! This will not stand!"

"You don't understand!" Coby tried to reason. "We're trying to save this country!"

"Pirates don't do that," the marine spat. "They raid and kill for fun. This is where you fall, Roranoa." The woman brought out her weapon, a brand-new sword, and pointed it at Zoro. "Unhand the princess. You're under arrest."

"We don't have time for this," Vivi announced as she pulled her hood off, revealing herself.

"P-Princess?!" Tashigi gasped." What are you doing?!"

Vivi ignored the marine. "Let's go, guys!"

"I couldn't agree more," Zoro muttered. The trio took off with Vivi in the lead, outrunning the confused marines and the agents. Of course Zoro, with his sense of direction, got separated from the other two within 20 steps and ended up in front of the casino, kicking over three agents with guns.

Gin, Amy, and Grace

Both sadists and the young girl were running as fast as they could, the male in front with his tonfa out, beating away Baroque Works agents that got in their path. The marines following them were getting closer as the trio exited an alley.

"Grace," Amy said. "Do the thing."

"What thing?" Gin asked, knocking the last agents around them unconscious with a tonfa to the face. Grace moved to the entrance of the alley and started painting her design on the ground. She finished within seconds and backed away from the design quickly. The marines flew out of alley and stopped dead in their tracks.

For you see, Grace had used her black paint. This paint was special; made from a mixture of rebellion-inducing compounds and fast-acting acids that target inorganic matter, Grace's black paint could eat through even the toughest shoes before reaching the feet of her victims and releasing chemicals into the bloodstream that would force anyone to refuse any order and do the opposite as long as they continue to stand on the symbol.

"Group Color Trap: Betrayal Black."

"Alright, boys," Amy cackled. "Don't you dare fire on these innocent bystanders that were chasing us."

"We don't take orders from you, lady," the lead marine yelled. He hoisted his gun and shot one of the unconscious agents. His men followed suit, shooting the downed Baroque Works men.

"You don't think Don Luffy will be mad that we did this, right?" Gin questioned over the gunfire.

"We didn't kill anyone," Amy waved off. "Plus what Luffy doesn't know won't kill him."

"I... I guess so."

"Come on," Grace insisted, wanting to leave the area as soon as possible. "We need to get to the others."

"Yes," Gin agreed. "Let's go." They made their exit, the sound of the marines' firing continuing to echo behind them.

Sanji, Usopp, and Nami

"Crap!" Usopp yelped. "They got ahead of us." He was staring at the pack of marines advancing from the front while his two companions watched another set approach from behind.

"Go," Sanji ordered, pushing Nami and Usopp into an alleyway perpendicular to the road and standing guard at the entrance.

"But, Sanji-" Nami tried to protest.

"No buts. I'll be fine. Just go!"

"Right," the two nodded. They took off toward Raindinners as the marines drew closer.

"Sorry about this," the chef apologized, lighting a cigarette. He waited until the first marine with a sword was swinging to retaliate. Sanji shot forward with his right leg extended, throwing that man into the three behind him. He shifted his weight to his arms, altering his momentum into an upside-down roundhouse kick that took out most of the rest of the first row. He righted himself as the rest of the government lackeys backed up a few steps. "Bring it on, Appetizers."

Nami and Usopp were the first two to reach Raindinners, three guards standing at the front steps. The building was a pyramid. Taller than any other building in Rainbase, it had a golden bananadile resting on top and was situated directly over a lake, only one bridge providing entry and exit.

"Halt!" one of the guards ordered, pointing his gun at them. Recognizing the duo as members of the Straw Hat Pirates, his fellow guards aimed their weapons at the navigator and sniper. They were about to kill the two when a green-haired swordsman mowed them over from the side, rendering them unconscious.

"Zoro?" Usopp questioned. "Where are Coby and Vivi? Weren't they with you?"

"What?" the swordsman replied, looking around. "Ah crap. They must have gotten lost."

"You moron!" Nami shouted.

"Get in the building!" they heard Luffy yell. He ran by, the others hurrying to catch up. Smoker followed them, his gaseous body making him lighter and faster than any normal person, but if there was one thing outside of fighting that the Straw Hats were good at, it was running. They easily kept ahead of the irate marine and entered the casino on the lake.

"Keep running!" Nami yelled as they entered the building. They never slowed down, lest Smoker catch them and send them to the gallows. The noises of gambling rung through the air; slot machines and the cries of people around poker tables as they either won big or lost it all. The pirates bowled over patrons and employees alike in their search for the Warlord until a path to the VIP lounge was opened for them. The quartet and their pursuer sped through the door and down a long, white hallway. At the end, a sign read "VIPs left, Pirates right."

"Which way, Luffy?" Zoro asked.

"Go left!" Nami yelled. "Go left!"

"No, we're going right," Luffy said. "The sign says pirates go right. We're pirates."

"Well, he does have a point," Usopp agreed. They made the turn, only to find a dead end.

"Finally," Smoker commented, "I've got you now, Straw Hat."

And that's when the trapdoor beneath them opened up.

"How did we fall for this?" Zoro questioned as Nami screamed and grabbed Luffy.

"Oh no!" Usopp cried. "My SwimmingWhileI'mFallingBecauseIThinkItWillHelp syndrome is acting up!"

"Damn you, Straw Hat!" Smoker yelled. Luffy shouted.

"CROCODILE!"