Chapter 23: Arc 2: All Out Battle! Luffy vs. Zoro, Mysterious Grand Duel!

"Damn." Zoro watched from the roof as Igaram fired his turrets at Miss Valentine and Mr. 5. "Luffy's still down there.

"Hurry, Vivi-sama, escape while you still can!" Igaram shouted.

"Igaram!" Vivi exclaimed.

From the smoke, Mr. 5 flicked his bugger at Igaram, the resulting explosion taking down the Security Captain.

"Igaram!" Vivi gaped.

"Don't bother." Miss Valentine cut in, floating in the air with her parasol and kicking Vivi in mid-air as she descended, the force of the kick breaking Vivi's hair tie. She giggled, leaping out of the way as Vivi removed her yoyo and swung at her.

"Monsters..." Vivi growled.

"So, you're a princess, Miss Wednesday?" Mr. 5 asked.

"Stop being ridiculous, Mr. 5!" Vivi snapped.

"This night is getting dangerous." Zoro concluded. "You guys have fun! Later!" with that, he grabbed the bloated Luffy and took off.

"Vivi-sama!" Igaram muttered.

"Igaram, are you alright?" Vivi asked.

"Vivi-sama, do not worry about me." Igaram assured. "Please hurry and flee this place. For the sake of our homeland. Without you, Alabasta Kingdom will... now, quickly!"

"Don't even think of escaping." Mr. 5 stated, digging his nose.

"Don't underestimate me!" Vivi snapped, taking out two more yoyos.

"I can't even begin to understand the circumstances." Mr. 9 admitted, taking up arms. "But because of our long relationship as partners, I'll buy you some time. Now go, Miss Wednesday."

"The only thing we should need is the willingness to carry out our missions." Mr. 5 remarked as Mr. 9 somersaulted towards him, "All this nakama bullshit does is invite death. Now understand that yourself! Nose Fancy Cannon!" he flicked his bugger straight into Mr. 9's face, blowing him back into the nearby river.

"Oi, oi, that's some dangerous snot." Zoro noted.

"Master Swordsman." Igaram grabbed onto Zoro's foot. "Seeing the strength of one such as yourself I ask of you an unreasonable request. The two before us have abilities of the Devil's Fruit. I am no match for them. I beseech you! Protect the princess in my stead!"

"Carue, run!" Vivi got on her flightless duck and they took off.

"She escaped." Miss Valentine noted.

"She can't escape." Mr. 5 corrected. "Here we go, Miss Valentine."

"Far to the east lies the Kingdom of Alabasta." Igaram continued. "If you deliver the princess safely, there will most certainly be a handsome reward. I beseech of you this one request. Please protect the princess!"

"Quit screwing yourself!" Zoro snapped. "You tried to kill me, remember? Don't make me cut you again!"

"A handsome reward, you say?" Nami cut in. "I like the sound of that. How about 1 billion Berries?"

"One bill..." Igaram gaped in shock.

"I thought you passed out." Sasha stated.

"Oh, come on." Nami chided. "A suspicious town that throws a party when pirates come by? What kind of idiot would get smashed in a place like this?"

"Well, that's the 'Cat Burglar' for you, I suppose." Sasha mused.

"I am but a soldier." Igaram looked away. "I can't make such an expensive promise."

"Isn't that extortion?" Zoro scoffed.

"What was that?" Nami retorted, the two glaring daggers at each other.

"Here we go again." Sasha sighed. "Anyway," she turned to Igaram. "You say you're from Alabasta, yes? Water Heal Dome." she encased Igaram in her healing water hemisphere. "How much you do know about the Great Kingdom?"

"Need a piss..." Luffy woke up and walked off.

"The humiliation..." Igaram muttered as Zoro took off. "If I were stronger... I could have protected the princess myself."

"It's okay." Nami assured. "He's so strong, it's stupid."

"The princess..." Igaram started. "If anything happened to Vivi-sama... it will spell the end of the Alabasta Kingdom. She must survive."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Zoro demanded, Luffy having suddenly challenged to a duel.

"Shut up!" Luffy snapped. "You ungrateful bastard! I'm gonna kick your ass!"

"Ungrateful?" Zoro echoed. "Oi, Luffy." he sighed. "Listen up. The truth is they're... what?" he gaped when Luffy jumped at him. "Are you trying to kill me?" he exclaimed, dodging Luffy's punch. "Asshole!" he ducked another punch. "Would you listen? That dimwit..." he growled, dodging a headbutt. "That damn idiot...!" he muttered, kicking Luffy away and resulting in him slamming into Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine and sending all three of them into a house.

"Shut the hell up!" both combatants glared at Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine, still locked in their fight as the two agents dashing in to take them down. "Our fight... you're in the way!" the two males punched the two agents off.