Chapter XXIX: The Royals, the Rebels, and the Ruffians

"It feels like it's warming up again," Nami said with a shiver as she rubbed her hands together. Walking through the desert at night had not been any more pleasant than doing so during the day. The atmosphere dropped below freezing temperatures not long after sunset. Apparently, even Vivi wasn't use to these harsh conditions, as most Alabastians knew to avoid being outside in the desert at night. So this time, the only ones completely unaffected were the reindeer human hybrid, the marine mammal with a passion for martial arts, and the bio regulating rubber man.

The only logic in all this is that they all defy logic, Nami thought enviously as she snuck a glance at the last of the three, who was strangely looking around for something.

"You lose something Luffy?" she asked, trying to distract herself from her discomfort.

The rubber man pouted. "I've been looking for a stick, but there are no trees in the desert," he said sulkily.

Nami looked at him oddly. "Why do you need a stick?" Usopp on the other hand, gave Luffy a sympathetic look and clapped him on the back in an attempt to console him...of what, most of the crew could only guess. Chopper and Seal looked up at the two curiously while Nami felt her brow twitch.

"Am I missing something here?" she asked.

This time, she was on the receiving end of an odd look from Usopp. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked, as Luffy continued sulking. Nami's answer was to glare at him in annoyance, and he sighed.

"Luffy has been looking for a walking stick since we started our journey to Alubarna, but as he said, there are no trees in the desert. Now we're almost there, and he still hasn't found one, so he's going to miss his chance to use one." As he spoke, Luffy's head sagged, and Seal let out a low empathetic moan.

"That's great and all, but you've failed to answer the original question. Why does he need a walking stick?" Nami asked in exasperation. Usopp sighed again.

"Because," he said, in a tone that suggested he was explaining something rather simple to a small child who kept asking questions, "We're walking, and it's a man's romance to carry a walking stick while going on an adventure, or even just a hike."

"Really!?" Chopper exclaimed, as his eyes lit up in fascination. He wasn't the only one. Seal immediately began his own fruitless search for a stick.

Unable to hold in his mirth any longer, Zoro burst out in laughter. Vivi also giggled, and Sanji's mouth quirked up in amusement.

"Man's romance huh?" Zoro asked thoughtfully, before unstrapping one of his sheathed swords from his hip and using it as a makeshift walking stick. "Then, how's this?" Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper looked at him enviously, while Seal was still too busy with his search, too hopeful to acknowledge the fact that there were indeed no trees around.

"Idiots…" Nami muttered.

The Strawhats were brought out of their antics when Vivi pointed at the horizon, and they all looked ahead to see the city of Alubarna off in the distance. "We're almost there," she whispered.

"Your majesty, I realize how severe the situation is, but what you're suggesting-"

"I have no choice in the matter," King Cobra said gravely, cutting Chaka off. "If negotiations are not to occur, out only choice is to move in against Crocodile. I will not raise arms against the people of Alabasta, however misled they may be in their assumptions."

"With all due respect," Pell began, "If we were to attempt to apprehend Crocodile now, we would merely be adding fuel to the fire. It is a long distance between here and Rainbase. Crocodile would easily be able to read our intentions, and not only would our chance of success be slim at best, but he would be able to avoid a conflict completely if he so wished. He also has the backing of the people, regrettably more so than your majesty at the moment." He paused. "Right now, the rebel army's actions are unpredictable. If we were to move our troops to Rainbase now-"

"What would happen?" the king interrupted. "Would we lose more face? Would the people denounce us? Would the rebel army take the palace? Is that what you're so worried about? Pell, Chaka, I've told you many times. A country is its people. Even if the royal army were to fall, so long as Crocodile is defeated, Alabasta will be rebuilt. But if we were to take up arms against our own people and walk right into that madman's hands, the only one celebrating in the end would be Baroque Works! It matters not whether we still have the means to suppress the rebel army afterwards. They are not the enemy. My only target is Crocodile!" He paused for a moment. "Perhaps my rule may very well come to an end when all this is over. If that were to happen, it would be a small price to pay."

Chaka's eyes widened. "Your majesty…" I underestimated his resolve. What sheer force of will.

Pell, however, did not look so convinced, which did not escape the king's notice.

"Is there something else I should consider?" he asked suddenly. Chaka and Pell were his most trusted advisors, and despite all his experience, he couldn't account for everything.

"Your plan is flawless," Pell began, "So long as we can detain Crocodile." Chaka looked toward his long time friend in curiosity, while the king's stony features remained blank.

"Go on."

Pell looked him directly in the eye. "Our enemy is one of the Seven Royal Warlords. We all know the kind of power such an individual possesses, even alone. To be perfectly honest, I don't think even the entirety of our forces could take him on."

The king contemplated this for a moment. "Do you merely mean to point out that there is no one in our country who can oppose Crocodile? If all you have to say is that the situation is hopeless, I don't want to hear it," he said with authority.

"Not at all," Pell amended quickly. "What you said may very well be true. The may not be anyone in Alabasta who can take him on. But that does not make the situation hopeless."

The king's eyes widened as he caught on. "The World Government…"

Pell nodded. "I think it is of the utmost necessity that we enlist their aid," he said.

"I don't think that would work," Chaka stated. "Against a government sanctioned pirate? You know how extensive the privileges granted to the Royal Warlords are. We would need sufficient proof of such an accusation, proof which we don't have. I'm not sure they would be willing to help us without solid evidence."

"They might," Pell said. "You know as well as I do, Chaka. Due to the unique history of the Alabastian throne, we are not just any affiliated nation to the World Government. Our privileges run as deep, if not deeper, than those of the Seven Warlords...all things considered."

Realization dawned on Chaka's face, and King Cobra almost looked annoyed. "And you suggest we use this to our advantage?" he asked.

"I don't think he have a choice. It may be our only hope," Pell said somberly. Nearly a minute passed as the king considered the idea. To abuse such a connection...it would leave a very bad taste in his mouth. But if the country could be saved, the benefit would far outweigh any personal grievances he had. He opened his mouth and was about to announce his decision when a guard stormed into the room.

"Your majesty!" he exclaimed, nearly out of breath.

The three were visibly startled. "What is it?" Chaka asked.

"It's Vivi! She's arrived!"

Pell and Chaka straightened, and Cobra immediately headed towards the door. "Did you show her in?" the king asked.

"Yes your majesty, but she had unexpected visitors with her-"

"Pay it no mind. I will personally greet my daughter, as well as our guests. Pell, Chaka!"

The two royal guard commanders followed him out.

When Vivi had told him that her traveling companions were pirates, King Cobra's uncertainty was easily outweighed by his gratefulness towards their unknown benefactors. He had many visions of what this pirate crew would be like. This...was not one of them. Upon entering the lobby of the royal palace, he was greeted by the sight of a small bipedal cross between a raccoon and a reindeer, a long nosed man who was currently telling the creature some outrageously outlandish story, a woman with beri signs for eyes who was currently admiring a set of historical relics as though she might swipe them at any second, a swirly browed man in a suit and tie who was not so subtly hitting on her and being ignored, and a man in a straw hat who was in the middle of what looked to be a sparring session with a kung fu dugong. The only level headed member of their group seemed to be a man with three swords strapped to his hip, who was leaning against the wall with a bored countenance. If not for his vibrant and unusual hair color, one might think he was the only normal one among them. That is, if you didn't count-

"Vivi!" the king shouted as he dashed up to his daughter whom he hadn't seen in over two years. She wrapped his arms around him, reassuring him that she was ok. As much as he wanted to catch up, he knew there were more important matters to attend to, which Vivi wasted no time in addressing.

"Father, where is Kohza? Did he leave already? How did the negotiations go?"

The room suddenly fell silent, and Vivi started to get worried. "Father…?"

"Vivi," Pell spoke up, "Kohza never came." The princess went still, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Many of the Strawhats had the same reaction. The only ones from their group who didn't seem surprised, Pell noted, were the man in the straw hat and the one with the green hair.

"But...that can't…" Vivi couldn't seem to find the right words to convey her disbelief.

"Vivi," the king began, "Yesterday, when the negotiations were supposed to take place, Kohza and his guard never arrived at the palace. After some time, we discreetly sent out a search party. All we found was an abandoned carriage with no horse in the middle of the desert...on route from Katorea."

Vivi's eyes widened, and after a few seconds, she sank to her knees. "No…" she whispered. "Kohza…" Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as the king, Chaka, and Pell tried to find words to comfort her. The Strawhats all looked unusually somber. Beside them, Luffy and Zoro shared a glance, and Luffy nodded.

"Vivi," he said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him. "Don't lose hope. We can still fix this."

"But Luffy-san," she protested weakly, "if they took Kohza…" she trailed off.

"Then we just need to get him back," Luffy said firmly. After a long moment, Vivi pulled herself together and stood up.

"You're right," she said, with newfound resolve. The king and his followers stared in awe at the scene.

Are they really pirates? Chaka couldn't help but wonder.

"It looks like you two were right," Sanji said suddenly, motioning to Luffy and Zoro. "Crocodile won't just stop, and he won't let us do as we please. If we want to stop this war, we have to take him down."

"We were considering that," Pell said, fully willing to share their plans with these pirates after the scene he had just witnessed. "But we can't understand Crocodile's motive in this. Even if the rebel army was unaware that negotiations were supposed to take place, they aren't likely to act without their leader. No matter how angry a viper is, it can't bite without its head. If anything, this should stall them."

"Maybe not," Zoro said, speaking up for the first time. All eyes turned to him. "Vivi, are there any agents in Baroque Works who specialize in impersonation?

Vivi's eyes widened. "Now that you mention it, Mr. 2 is rumored to have an ability like that, but I've never met him." Pell turned to Zoro curiously.

"You think they mean to impersonate Kohza?" he asked.

"Most likely," Zoro replied. "We have to assume that this wasn't just an act of desperation. We'll work with the assumption that they have a plan, and then we'll plan accordingly. That way, we'll be prepared for the worst case scenario." Chaka and Pell both nodded in approval of the logic.

"So what do you propose?" Chaka asked.

"In order to unmask the imposter, we need the real Kohza," Zoro said. "That's why one of our priorities should be to liberate him from Rainbase."

"That won't be an easy operation," Pell commented.

"Which is why we'll be sending Zoro," Luffy spoke up. "He'll get it done, don't worry." King Cobra, Pell, and Chaka looked uncertain, but nodded in agreement.

"I'd like to go too," Vivi said. Zoro consented to the request. The king and his advisors looked worried, but Vivi assured them that she would be fine.

"I hate to bring this up," Chaka said, "But how do you know that Kohza is still…?"

"We don't," Luffy stated. Though knowing Croc, he's alive for the moment. "That's why our other priority is to take down Baroque Works." The king's two advisors now looked at him like he's insane, but the king merely stared at him thoughtfully.

"Do you think you can do that?" he asked. Luffy smirked.

"I know we can," he replied. "Just leave everything to us." Chaka and Pell still looked skeptical, but the king simply nodded.

"Then we will rely on you. Sorry for the trouble," he said respectfully. Luffy just grinned.

"Don't worry about it."

Zoro turned to Luffy. "There is one more precaution we should take," he said. Luffy nodded, while the others wondered what they were talking about. "Our enemy specializes in impersonation. If we succeed in revealing him to the rebel army, he may try to impersonate one of us next. So we'll need a way to ensure that we can trust each other."

Vivi agreed to the plan he proposed, and after all the Strawhats were marked with the symbol of their comradery, she headed towards Rainbase on Carue's back, along with Zoro, who, to his slight displeasure, rode atop the back of one of the Super Spot Billed Duck Squad. The rest of the Strawhats agreed to wait in Alubarna, seeing as Baroque Works would most likely arrive there along with the rebel army. Today, the conflict would be set in motion.

In a certain bar in an active district of Alubarna, a white haired man with a large jutte strapped to his back sat in silence along with a blue haired woman with a sword on her hip.

"Smoker-san?" Tashigi spoke up, breaking the silence. "Why do you think that Strawhat is in Alubarna?"

"Just a feeling," the white hunter replied, taking a swig of his drink. Tashigi was silent for a moment before speaking again.

"Are you planning to confront him again?" she asked quietly.

"Why do you even need to ask?" Smoker said in an annoyed tone.

"Your injuries from last time just healed…"

Smoker glared at her, and she fell silent. Deciding it wasn't right to misplace his aggression onto her, he turned away. "I have some questions for him," was all he said, indicating that the conversation was over." Tashigi took the hint and sipped her drink, leaving Smoker in deep thought.

Strawhat...why am I still alive?