Chaos at Arabasta 5

Sengoku POV - Blue Star, Grand Line, Marineford - 20 GAP

After the initial shock of hearing the news about an attack on a World Noble, I quickly collected my emotions and calmed down, after all, I needed to be calm and lucid to choose the most correct course of action.

I take a deep breath and take another look at the man in front of me, Vice-Admiral Bastille, and say, "Calm down Bastille! Take a deep breath and report the situation." 

Bastille is a tall man, around twice the height of an ordinary human, he wears a gray metal mask with ten eye-holes and two long, curved bull horns, never fully exposing his head as his tribe's tradition.

His long orange hair falls to the front of his chest and the rest of his hair can be seen going down his back, as with many high-ranking officers, he wears a double-breasted suit with a blue shirt and black tie, and a military overcoat he wears draped over his shoulders with chains hanging from the lapels.

(Image Here - Bastille)

Hearing my words, Bastille takes a deep breath to calm his nerves as he mutters, "That's right..." before he quickly starts to report, "A few moments ago, we received a priority report coming from the Marine Base located on Sandy Island, the home of the Arabasta Kingdom. The report states that Saint Shalria of House Manmayer informed us that her brother, Saint Alfred of House Manmayer, was assaulted by a member of the Bounty Hunter organization known as Baroque Work."

At this point of the report, I can't help but frown because something about this report seems off, 'I have read some reports about this Baroque Works, it is a somewhat mysterious Bounty Hunters Agency that operates mostly in the Four Seas and the First Half of the Grand Line known as Paradise, it was quite an effective one too as their members hunted and captured many dangerous pirates... If I remember well, the only thing we know about the boss is that it is a man called Mr. 0... So why would someone from the Baroque Works be crazy enough to attack a World Noble?' 

While I'm thinking that, Bastille continues with the report, "There is some additional information about this incident which says that this organization is actually under the control of the member of Seven Warlords of the Seas Crocodile who is currently aiming to overthrow the rightful regime of the Nefertari Family with the objective of somehow find out the location of some kind of Ancient Weapon in hope of defying the World Government. As we are speaking all the marines on Sandy Island are already moving, those closest to the location of the incident are already moving to support." 

Hearing that, I can't help but feel slightly irritated, especially hearing the keywords, "Seven Warlords of the Seas", "Ancient Weapon", and "World Government", so much so, that I can't help but choke out a curse word before I let out a defeated sigh while muttering, "Shi-! Seriously!? Again...? First Simon and now Crocodile? Just what is wrong with these Seven Warlords of the Seas!? Why can't they just do their jobs while enjoying the already excessive privileges we already gave them? I'm starting to think that it was a bad idea to allow them to exist in the first place..."

But then I quickly fix my attitude and focus on the most pressing matter while saying, "Anyway, if everything in the report is true, then we don't have any time to waste. Our response must be swift and decisive. Bastille spread the word to all the Marine Bases. The Baroque Works Agency is now an enemy of the World Government and a threat to the people. All its members are to be captured or eliminated. Go!"

In response, Bastille acknowledges his orders and gives his salute before quickly rushing out of my office to see them through, once he is gone, I sit back on my chair and bring out my Den Den Mushi while thinking, 'Now, I have to call one of the Admirals and order him to quickly head to Arabasta as quick as possible... but which one should I call... Admiral Aokiji, Kuzan is no good as he is still watching over the "New Force" situation at Sabaody Archipelago... Admiral Akainu, Sakazuki is currently in the New World, way too far from Arabasta to do anything... In the end, the only one available is Brosalino, Admiral Kizaru, not only he is the closest, but also the fastest, he could probably reach Sandy Island in a moment if he leaves his battleship behind.'

Coming to that conclusion, I don't hesitate and quickly call Borsalino, after a few seconds, the Den Den Mushi quickly changes his features, sporting a very thin beard and gold-amber tinted sunglasses which quickly reminds me of Borsalino, then a lazy voice calmly says, "Hello, Fleet Admiral Sengoku... If you call for the situation of the Nanatsu Islands you don't have to worry, everything is under control. I have interrogated quite a few people and confirmed that everything in the report was true, Simon did try to get his hands on some kind of Ancient Weapon causing chaos and destruction all over the islands, but he was stopped by a group of people. It also seems that this group also helped them in quickly recovering from the disaster-."

But before he could continue, I interrupted him, then I quickly cut down straight to the core of the matter and gave him his orders, "Kizaru. That isn't important at the moment. There is an emergency that needs immediate action. A World Noble was attacked and what is worse is that the one behind it appears to be one of the Seven Warlords of the Seas, Crocodile, who apparently desires to defy the World Government. Quickly head to the Arabasta Kingdom as fast as possible and swiftly bring down Crocodile and his organization, he can't be allowed to get away from this!"

In response to hearing about the current situation and my orders, Borsalino quickly comments with the usual lazy tone, "How scary~. There are some many pirates willing to defy the World Government coming out all of a sudden these days... Don't worry Fleet Admiral, I'll reach Sandy Island in no time and bring the situation under control. I'll show them the true power of an Admiral of the Marine." 

Right after he said that, my Den Den Mushi returned to its normal appearance as it made the usual "Gatcha!" sound which indicates that our discussion came to an end.

Done with that, I once again grab my favorite flavored Rice Cracker and while eating one, I start to think about the best way to deal with the aftermath of these events where we quickly lost two of the seven members of the Seven Warlords of the Seas.

Robin POV - Blue Star, Grand Line, Sandy Island, Rainbase - 20 GAP

I stand still with my eyes closed as I use the power of my Devil Fruit, the Hana Hana no Mi (Flower Flower Fruit) to sprout a couple of eyes and ears to check on the ongoing commotion happening in the casino hall.

Usually, I refrain from using this facet of my Devil Fruit's power too much not only because watching something from more than one point of view can be a quite dizzying experience, but because I can also easily overwhelm my brain with an influx of information, which, if I'm not careful, is something that usually ends up with a very strong migraine or I can even end up fainting.

This is why when I use my powers to spy or check on something I usually close my eyes and stand still, to avoid being overwhelmed. 

At first, the situation appeared quite normal, just a customer complaining about the unfairness of the game to hide his total lack of gambling skill or luck, a sight that is quite common in this kind of establishment, after all, in places like this one will always find sore losers, desperate people, belligerent drunks, or simply people that revel in causing chaos ready to find and cause trouble in a moment's notice and indeed the personal of Rain Dinners is already prepared to face situations like this.

Seeing that, I'm quite calm about it as not only there is the assistant manager Ultraking, who is quite an experienced and shrewd person, about to make his move but there are also the people of the Koala Mercenaries making sure that no one can cause trouble.

But just as I'm about to cut off the connection from my sprouted eyes and ear, the situation quickly changes drastically and I can't help but feel my blood turn cold in horror as I realize what is actually happening, for some reason the customer turns out to be a Celestial Dragons and even worse they know about Crocodile's plan, this can mean only one thing, the Baroque Works and Crocodile are finished.

Realizing that, I don't hesitate to cut off the connection to my sprouted eyes and ears causing them to disintegrate, then I quickly start to run toward one of the hidden underwater tunnels connected to the basement that leads directly outside the city of Rainbase. 

But as soon as I arrive in front of the entrance of the closest tunnel everything starts to shake as root-like tentacles pierce through the stone ceiling and walls, but the sight in front of me is even worse as even bigger roots pierce through the walls of the tunnel and starts to trash around causing it to collapse and from the rumble sounds that can be heard it is clear that the same thing is happening to all the other hidden tunnels built all around this building, cutting off all of my escape routes while at the same trapping me inside this building which is slowly turning into some kind of freaky forest as various plants, vines, flowers, and trees quickly grow from the tentacle-like roots, at the very least, I'm lucky enough as these plants are also blocking the water outside from rushing in and drowning me.

At this point, I instantly realize, 'It is blocked! Damn it! This is really bad, I have to get away from this basement as soon as possible, as I don't know for how long can these plants block the waters from flooding this place and drowning me. This means that the only way to secure a way out of this predicament is to make use of Crocodile's power to force a way out and ensure my survival...'

Reaching that conclusion, I don't hesitate and run back toward Crocodile's office, but on my way there, I can't help but notice the rising yellowish fog-like substance that is produced by some of the plants which quickly starts to fill the area. 

I unconsciously take a small whiff of it and instantly I feel my loins heating up as I start to get wet as my panties become damp.

Realizing how bad this could be, I quickly stop breathing and take a step back, pull out a handkerchief, and tie it around my face to create a mask to cover my mouth and nose and hopefully block this substance from affecting me even more.

At the same time, I can't help but let out an internal sigh of relief while thinking, 'Luckily throughout the years I made sure to build up a very strong tolerance toward aphrodisiacs and anesthetics as I have seen too many times how dangerous those can be in the wrong hands...'

Just as I'm about to continue moving forward, I hear Crocodile's voice as he yells, "What the fuck is going on here!? Who dares to attack my casino!!? Desert Spada!!"

Following that shout, a blade of fast-moving sand, breaks through the wall in front of me, moving along the ground like a torpedo, splitting anything in its path, including the very ground itself, through extreme and focused erosion created by the sand blade, then from the broken wall, a figure steps out.

He is a tall man with a wide chest, broad shoulders, muscular arms and legs, and a thick neck, he has pale skin and nape-length black hair, which is kept neatly slicked back, though strands tend to fall in front of his face during battles, he is my boss and the man behind the Bounty Hunter Agency Baroque Works, he is Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Seas.

Crocodile has various battle wounds, most notably a long-stitched scar at the bridge of his nose that stretches across his face and a large hook made from a tough gold alloy in place of his left hand.

His eyes are deep-set and heavy-lidded, and his thin eyebrows are characteristically drawn upward in the middle, this gives his usual facial expression a feeling of condescension and distrust. 

He wears a bright orange, black-striped button-up vest over a long-sleeve peach shirt, along with a blue scarf, dark brown suit pants, and polished black shoes with gold buckles, he also wears a long, thick, dark gray fur over his shoulders.

(Image Here - Crocodile)

As soon as he steps into the corridor, Crocodile looks around and notices the current situation, the whole corridor is invaded by this unnatural but thriving vegetation, he clicks his tongue and says in an annoyed tone, "Tch. As expected... these damned plants are everywhere! Then there is this annoying aphrodisiac gas..." 

Crocodile then crouches down and places his hand on the ground, touching one of the roots, then he mutters, "Ground Secco..." and uses the power of his Devil Fruit, the Suna Suna no Mi (Sand Sand Fruit) to drain the moisture from the plants around him, then he uses the somewhat wet sand to collect, capture, and absorb all the fog-like substance around us, which I now realize is, in fact, some kind of pollen, cleaning the corridor from its influence.

At the same time, the dehydrated plants end up in a withered and lifeless state until they crumble into fine sandy dust leaving behind only the walls of the corridor damaged by the invasion of those tentacle-like roots and the sudden growth of trees and plants, luckily these walls are internal ones so their destruction didn't cause any flooding.

After that, Crocodile stands up and finally notices my presence, and then he walks toward me and asks without mincing his words, "Robin, what the fuck is going on here? Who are the fuckers brave enough that dare to attack my properties like this!?"

Hearing that question, I stop for a moment unsure of how to answer his question, so I close my eyes and use my Devil Power to check on the current situation, but also to buy me some more time to decide on what to do while thinking, 'Through these years working for him, I have learned that he is very quick to get angry if someone insults or ridicules him in any way, by his own admission he once said that he isn't always rational. Moreover, Crocodile shows no emotional concern for most of his subordinates, he is fully willing to sacrifice them to achieve his ambitions this is something I have seen him do many times before. He also has no qualms about killing them if they fail or betray him, having little tolerance for anything that may threaten the outcome of his plans. He shows no true attachment, affection, or trust toward any of his people and views them only as pawns, me included, but at the very least I'm still a very useful pawn for him at the moment, as he still needs me to decipher the Ponegylphs, so at the moment, I should still be safe from his wrath.' 

While I'm thinking that, I make an eye sprout just outside the casino and see that the pyramid that makes up this building now looks like a grotesque, overgrown, dense forest, not a single piece of the building under it can be seen from the outside, at the same time, I notice that the marines are also already surrounding the building but no one dares to rush inside. 

At the same time, I continue to analyze the situation, 'But while he is the safest way to get out of this place, now that he will very likely lose his position as Seven Warlords of the Seas, it is no longer safe for me to stay with him, especially since he became an enemy of the World Government like me, it seems that after two years of safety, it is time to once again run away,' 

And with that decision, I resolve myself, 'Time to cause some more chaos to ensure my survival.' quickly coming to that conclusion, I don't hesitate any more and say to Crocodile, "The situation is quite bad, Crocodile. Somehow someone found out about our "Utopia" plan and what is worse he reported it to the Marines and now the casino is surrounded by the Marines while the man who ousted your plan is inside. He is the one behind those plants, which means he probably has very strong Devil Fruit."

I can clearly see and feel his rage spike as he mutters, "This bastard... after spending so much time planning, plotting, and killing those standing in my way to make sure that everything goes perfectly! Everything goes down the drain in an instant!! Danm him! Who is he!? I'm going to slowly kill him and make him watch as I destroy everything he cares for!!" 

Before the rage completely blinds him and makes him do something stupid which will very likely doom us, I quickly warn him in worry, "Be careful! Those plants made the underwater tunnels collapse and are now the only thing that stops the waters from flooding the basement are those plants!! If you want to rage at least wait until we are safe!!" 

Hearing that, Crocodile looked at me with a menacing glare, for a moment, I thought he was going to attack me, but then he simply asked, "How did that person learn of my plan?" to which I quickly replied following the rough plan I made to ensure as much chaos as possible, "The most likely answer is that there is a spy within our ranks... The most suspicious ones are the new Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine, after all, they are the most recent additions-."

Crocodile doesn't wait for me to finish as he morphs his lower body into jets of flowing sand and starts to fly toward the upper level while yelling, "Those worthless bastards!!"

Seeing that, I smirk a little while thinking, 'Good... Now Crocodile has a few targets for his rage, and from what I have heard and seen, Mr. 5, Age is likely much stronger than what he leads on so he should be able to buy me more time to find a way out... Moreover, since Celestial Dragons are involved in this mess, it is likely that an Admiral will soon arrive turning this place into an even more chaotic battlefield and everyone will be too occupied to notice me... or at the least I hope so.' 

Crocodile POV - Blue Star, Grand Line, Sandy Island, Rainbase - 20 GAP

After hearing Nico Robin's analysis about the possible spies within my organization, I don't waste any more time and quickly morph my lower body into jets of flowing sand and start to fly toward the upper floors of this building ignoring everything else. 

Of course, even if I'm enraged and can't wait to shred those bastards apart, that doesn't mean that I'm going to be careless, as I make sure to continue to drain the moisture from all the plants in front of me and use the somewhat wet, sticky sand to capture and absorb that clearly dangerous yellowish pollen, because even if I can withstand the effects, it is still better to not be affected by it at all.

The reason for that is quite simple, I'm quite a bit experienced in poisons and the likes myself, because, it is one of the lesser-known weaknesses of a Logia Type Devil Fruit User. 

No matter what kind of powers the Devil Fruits gives us, in the end, we are still living beings and as such, we still have some weaknesses that is common among everyone else, for example, even if a Logia Type User can elementize his or her body, his internal organs can still be affected be affected by poison, because for some reason even if one transforms his or her whole body into an element, that doesn't destroy or purge the poison within one's body, making poison a very effective weapon against Devil Fruit Users, especially the airbone types.

(AN: Before writing that, I did a huge hours long research, and can confidentily say that it is somewhat logical as many times in anime/manga we have seen Logia Type User affected by things that shouldn't be able to harm them, i.e. Smoker was asphyxiated by Caesar when he removed the oxygen, or the fear that many pirates in Impel Down have of Magellan. Which makes me come up with the theory that says that the standard operations of a human body don't change even if they become something else by eating a Devil Fruit. So, they still need to breathe and perform normal bodily functions, which can all be interfered with.) 

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, as it is possible that there are some Devil Fruits User that can be immune or have other means to deal with poison, but despite that, it is still a very effective weapon to have, and that is why I have a poisonous hook hidden inside my usual golden hook.

This porous secondary hook releases a powerful scorpion venom, which is strong enough to melt through rock and kill anyone with the effect of a single slash, moreover, the scorpion venom inside this hook can be released in both liquid or gaseous state perfect for dealing with all kinds of opponent.

As I continue to quickly advance toward the upper floors while carefully cleaning my surroundings of those annoying plants and their clearly dangerous pollen, I start to analyze what the bastard behind this is capable of, 'For sure this is the result of a Devil Fruit's ability and from what I'm seeing, I'm pretty sure that it isn't a Zoan Type Devil Fruit, as the only ones with the kind of power capable of such things are the Mythical ones and those are freaking rare, even rarer than a Logia Type. This leaves only a Paramecia Type or a Logia Type, both are possible. It could be a Paramecia that allows one to speed up the growth of plants and control them, if I remember well there is one with that power called Mosa Mosa no Mi (Growth Growth Fruit)... but it is unlikely... this kind of range, variability, and control basically screams Logia Type to me...'

While I'm thinking that, I finally reach the upper floors and just like I expected the situation is even worse compared to the basament, the scene in front of me doesn't even look like a casino, but of a triving wild forest, plants, vines, roots, pollen and trees is everything I see, no traces of the stones, decorations, or forniture that makes up this hallway that hides the entrance to main building from the hidden basament can be found.

Just like a forest, this place also isn't completily silent, as animal sounds can be heard all over the place, of course, they aren't really animal, but people who succumbed to that damned aphrodisiacs pollen and are now so mad with lust that they are mating with everything in sight.

Seeing that, I click my tongue in annoyance and mutter, "This is a quite annoying route to travel... if I leave it in this state that is!"

I swing my right arm forward calling out another one of the techniques I developed thoughtout the years, "Barján!" leaving a crescent shaped trail of sand behind it. 

As the crescent shaped trail of sand moves forward, anything hit by it is instantly robbed of all moisture because of the dehydration ability of my Devil Fruit, instantily clearing the area of all the roots, vines, plants, and trees, then I use the hydrated sand to once again gather and contain all the sand into a small spheical ball of sand, then I continue walking unobstructed, searching for the man behind all this shit and those fucking traitors as my desire to rip them apart grows stronger and stronger each passing moment.