215 Chaos at Arabasta 1
(AN: This is the last important arc of the One Piece Universe, after this, there will be the one where I give closure to this universe, all this is for a very simple reason, the OP Universe is just too big and still unfinished and one can write a full fanfiction about it, which is something that this fanfict isn't focused on.)
Crocodile POV - Blue Star, Grand Line, Sandy Island, Rainbase - 20 GAP
I'm in the basement of my casino the Rain Dinners, which is my main base on this island from where I control all my operations.
It is a large room several stories below the main building, which is made entirely out of a blue stone, moreover, it is connected to the underground river where several Bananawani can be found which I use from time to time to eliminate and dispose of people I no longer need.
Right now I'm calmly sitting in my office waiting for my guest to come, from here, thanks to a one-way mirror, I can see the room where I'm going to encounter the Officer Agents who will soon arrive in response to my summon.
I ordered them to come so that I could not only introduce the new Mr. 5 and his partner Miss Valentine to them after that useless fool of Gem got himself killed but also reveal my identity and part of my plan to them.
Remembering that last part, I can't help but click my tongue while thinking in annoyance, 'This is way sooner than what I had initially planned, but it is needed as my plan is moving a lot slower than intended. Damn it! For some unknown reason, no matter how much Dance Powder I use, it isn't working! I'm not able to create a full-blown drought in Arabasta! It is almost like nature itself is going against me! Luckily, the situation is still in my favor, as I was able to sabotage the king's reputation among the citizens by secretly importing rain-producing dust into the capital during a period of major regional drought, then having it "accidentally" discovered on the route, inciting the threat of civil war and thereby drawing attention away from his own machinations, after all, Alubarna is still the city in which rains the most. But the situation is still moving too slowly for my liking, if nothing changes, then instead of 2 years, it will take 5 or more for my plan to come to fruition, so I need to speed things up!'
Sure, revealing my identity so soon isn't ideal, but I already have enough prestige within the Baroque Works as Mr. 0, and my true power as Crocodile will be more than enough to intimidate the Officer Agents into not raising any further objections.
At the same time, a frown forms on my face as I think, 'Another reason why I have to speed up my plan is that lately, some very worrying news reached my ears. The most worrying of them all is that apparently the main route to reach the New World is now much more dangerous as Fish-men Island is now under the control and protection of a new unknown force that not only seems able to control Sea Kings but whose members wear some kind of strange armors that makes them invincible.'
At the moment, this new force isn't overly aggressive, as they focus on protecting the people living on Fish-men Island from slavers and pirates, but the delicate balance between the three major powers seems to already shift a little, especially since even someone like Whitebeard didn't do anything after this new group took Fish-men Island under its protection, and both the World Government and the Marine are also unable to determine their true powers, causing much unrest within their ranks, something quite easy to pick since the number of summons and gathering of the Seven Warlords of the Seas spiked up a lot, and now they even started to put some more pressure on us, ordering us to be more active to hunt down and destroy some of the more daring Pirate Crews.
Then with a frown, I can't help but worry about the other piece of intel I just received, 'A World Noble ship docked on the port of Tamarisk city, huh? This is something quite unusual as those shitty people rarely set foot on this part of the sea. I just hope that none of those shitty Celestial Dragons set foot on Rainbase as those wrenched people are totally unpredictable and could very likely delay my plans even more with their tantrums...'
While I'm thinking about the current situation, I hear the sound of calm footsteps approaching, and soon, the door of my office opens and I see the figure of my most beneficial business partner in this endeavor of mine and also the only one who currently knows my true identity, codename Miss All Sunday, she is "Devil Child" Nico Robin, our relation is quite simple I shelter her from the authorities in exchange for her services, she is nothing but a tool, a very useful tool.
She is a tall, slender young woman with shoulder-length black hair and blue cerulean eyes that have dark, wide pupils, she has a long, thin, and defined nose, and her limbs are very long, especially her legs, contributing greatly to both her fighting capabilities and overall height.
She wears a revealing cowgirl outfit consisting of a purple cleavage-exposing corset and matching miniskirt, both with white ornaments hanging from them, and a white fur-lined coat paired with a white cowboy hat and white high-heeled boots.
(Image Here - Nico Robin)
Robin stops right next to me and with a calm tone she reports, "All of the Officer Agents have arrived at Rainbase, Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger are already coming here as we speak they are being led through the backdoor, just like Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek who are slightly behind, on the other hand, Mr. 2 Bon Kurei is wasting some time window shopping but is still slowly heading toward the meeting point. Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas did stop at a nearby restaurant to eat something and will reach their meeting point slightly later and... and the perspective Mr. 5, who was the first one to arrive in the city this morning, is currently in a room of the Chabara Hotel enjoying the company of Miss Valentine."
Hearing that, I can't help but click my tongue in annoyance once again, but then I take a deep breath to calm my nerves as I remind myself, 'Even with their quirks these are currently the best men under my orders, especially the newly promoted Mr. 5 as from what I was able to gather is very likely the strongest individual among all the bounty hunters under the Baroque Works's command.'
At the same time, Nico Robin stands beside me in silence, but I'm sure that she is also using her powers to still keep everything that is happening in the casino under her control keeping an "eye" or an "ear" to any important event, after all, she is the manager of this place.
After some time, Robin mutters, "They have come." and quickly commands her people to send in the first arrival, after a few minutes, through the one-way mirror I see a pair of a man and a woman start to walk toward the table at the center of the lightly illuminated meeting room.
One is a tanned man with long, thin limbs and fingers, he is tall and very muscular and his head is shaven, his most striking feature is probably the black unibrow, right over his round eyes, big lips, and the archaic Japanese symbol of the number "1" (壱) tattooed on his torso.
He wears an oriental-looking attire consisting of a sleeveless dark coat with golden edges and white motifs on the front, over very loose beige pants held up by a white sash around the waist, with some light brown fur sprouting from it, his pants are tucked inside some bandages wrapped around his calves and in part around his shoes.
He is Mr. 1, real name "The Killer" Daz Bones, an infamous bounty hunter from West Blue and was known as "The Killer" for his deadly skills, he is currently one of the most well-known bounty hunters in the world, and for a very good reason, as he is not only very strong in direct combat, but also highly skilled at stealth and killing efficiently, making him one the very best men working under me.
(Image Here - Daz Bones)
Walking next to him there is Miss Doublefinger, real name "Poison Spider" Zala, the second highest ranking female officer agent in my secret organization, who basically worked her way up the organization to achieve her current rank.
She is a tall, slim young woman with curly dark-blue hair, thick lips, dark green eyes, pale skin, and a curvaceous figure, her most striking feature is probably the over-exaggerated way she walks, as she swings those hips way too much, probably a means to distract her targets.
She wears a short long-sleeved jacket with beige-colored fur brims, a bikini top describing an unusual spider web-like pattern across her abdominal area, low-riding pants, and platform sandals.
(Image Here - Zala)
Soon the pair take their place on the chairs closest to the head of the table indicating their ranking and wait with their arms crossed for the others to arrive.
They don't have to wait for too long as the next pair makes their presence known as they enter the room, and also walk toward the long table in the middle of the room.
One is an average-sized man with a rather frail-looking build, like many other male Baroque Works agents, he also has his number hidden somewhere on his costume, he has 3's visible on his vest design, the upper part of his glasses, and one big 3 achieved through his top knot, he also wears glasses and has neatly combed hair, from all that it is clear that he is Mr. 3, real name, "Loan Shark" Galdino.
(Image Here - Galdino)
While he is a quite capable man, the only reason why I allow this man to hold his position in the organization as "Mr. 3" is because Mr. 4 is too mentally slow, otherwise, he would have been ranked lower as his tactical intellect is his greatest asset, he is opportunistic by nature, as he prefers to use cunning wits to outsmart and defeat enemies and there is nothing wrong with it, but when things don't go his way, he easily breaks under pressure, he is lucky that he operates in Paradise because in the New World, he would have easily crumbled under the Haki of any individual living there.
While I'm thinking that, I also look at his partner, she is a teenager with a childish appearance, with relatively large eyes and circles of blush on her cheeks.
She is fairly short in stature and wears her dark red hair tied in twin braids, her attire consists of a wide-brimmed pink hat with a green band, a dark blue T-shirt with the word "GOLDEN" written on it in orange, a sky blue cloud-patterned button-down shirt, a maroon-colored overalls skirt with the top folded down, blue striped stockings, and big red shoes with white cuffs and white soles.
She is Miss Goldenweek, real name Marianne also known as the "Flag-Bearer of Freedom", she has a quite rare and effective ability, which is the main reason behind her current rank despite the fact that she is, in fact, quite weak herself.
(Image Here - Marianne)
The pair simply greets the other two who were already there, then they quietly sit while waiting for the others to come.
After a few minutes of silence, the ruckus coming from the distance, already makes me realize who is about to arrive, and indeed, soon someone enters the hall while singing and twirling.
He is a relatively tall male crossdresser who wears flamboyant ballet clothes with a swan theme, hs is dressed in a pink overcoat and blue medieval garments, heavy makeup, and sports a distinct wide grin, his legs, being exposed, are quite hairy.
Like all Baroque Works agents, he bears his number in his appearance and is seen in the form of his swans, which are posed into a shape resembling the number "2", indicating that he is Mr. 2 Bon Kurei, real name Bentham of the Wild.
(Image Here - Bentham)
Despite his flamboyant and fun-loving personality, he is quite a capable individual, not only he is strong enough to justifiably earn his rank within the organization, but he also has exceptional prowess in trickery, deception, and mimicry, which makes him a tough opponent to deal with, as he can as easily escape pursuit as well as cause devastating confusion to whatever side he opposes, plus his infiltration capabilities are second to none, he is, in fact, a pivotal part of my plan.
Mr. 2 is also the only agent of the Baroque Works who doesn't have a partner, for the simple reason, that a partner would be more of a burden to him considering how he usually operates.
Of course, as soon as he makes his appearance, he quickly starts to throw some verbal jabs at Daz Bones as the two of them truly can't stand one other as their personalities are just too different, but before the matter could further escalate, Zala stops them by reminding them of where they currently are.
After a few more minutes, the last of the already known Officer Agents step into the hall, the first one to catch my eye is a rather tall and fat man, he has big lips, dirty blonde hair, and wears a green shirt that covers most of his body with black pants and gray running shoes.
Just like all other Officer Agents, his number is expressed somewhere on his clothing or his person, he has an obscure "4" design on his shirt, as well as a "4" on his weapon, a big baseball bat.
He is Mr. 4, real name "Catcher-Killing" Babe, he is a true physical powerhouse, so much so that he is the only member of the Officer Agents that didn't eat a Devil Fruit and could have been even higher ranked if he didn't have the level of intelligence equal to that of a spoon.
(Image Here - Babe)
Walking next to him is a stout, middle-aged woman with red hair, she wears a necktie that resembles a Christmas tree, which goes with her codename, and another notable attire includes a large pair of purple-lensed sunglasses, a basket strapped to her back, and sandals, she is Miss Merry Christmas, real name "Town-Collapser" Drophy.
(Image Here - Drophy)
She is basically the brain of this team, her fighting capabilities are nothing to write on, but she more than makes up for her near-perfect teamwork with Mr. 4 as until now, the two of them have never failed a mission.
I also notice that walking between the two of them is a dog-shaped sandy-brown gun, similar to a bazooka, that has handles on the sides and a contoured barrel, that is their weapon which ate the Ino Ino no Mi (Dog Dog Fruit) making it able to change its form into that of a dog.
Soon the pair also take their place at the table and start to wait for the last one to come, feeling slightly irritated I throw a glance at Nico Robin and ask, "For how much longer do I have to wait for those two to come!? My patience has a limit and I'm getting pretty close to it." but Robin with still a calm expression on her face, simply replies, "They are here."
Indeed, I soon see the last pair walk into the hall, the first one that catches my attention is the woman, she is a tall young woman with short blond hair and bright green eyes, wearing a yellow and orange hat, as well as a yellow dress with a lemon-like pattern, lemon earrings, white high-heeled shoes, and carries a bright green parasol with blue stripes, she is clearly Miss Valentine, real name Mikita, a young and upcoming bounty hunter that recently joined my Baroque Works but which quickly rose the ranks thanks to both her partner and their quick completion of high-risk missions.
The reason why she catches my attention is simply that she is heavily leaning on the man's arm and seems barely able to walk but still has a bright content smile on her face, something which makes me scoff at the audacity of this couple that dared to do such a thing just before an important meeting.
Then my gaze focuses on the man, he is a young warrior-like man with long tied blonde hair, cold purple eyes, and a small confident smile on his chiseled face, he has a very tall and imposing body, full of well-defined muscles, with many different weapons strapped on his back, no matter how I look at him, he seems to be unnaturally perfect, he is the new Mr. 5 that will take Gem's place, his real name is Age, he is a mysterious and powerful man that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
The way he is dressed reminds me of the Giant Warriors of Elbaf, his upper body is mostly bare, and the only things on it are a pair of belts that form an "X" over his chest and hold a short purple cape over his shoulders, over both his wrist he wears brown leather bracers, a fur belt, and white trousers partially covered by a purple tunic-like skirt.
(Image Here - Ex-Champion Age)
Looking at the man as he walks into the hall with a confident stride while all the other Officer Agents look at him with varying degrees of wariness, I can't help but feel something off about him, my instinct is clearly warning me that this man is clearly more dangerous than what he lets on, but still, I maintain my calm and looking at Nico Robin, I command, "Go and start with the introduction before that bunch get rowdy."
Hearing that, Robin nods and walks out of the office while I focus on the situation in the hall I hear Mr. 2 Bon Kurei break the tense silence by asking, "Oh my~ Who are you guys Hunk-chan and Cutie-chan~?" making an annoyed Mr. 3 reply in their place, "It obvious you dumbass! Those two are very likely the new Mr. 5 and his partner who took the place of the late Mr. 5 who had quite the unfortunate incident."
Then Mr. 1 adds, "You are too loud." followed by Miss Doublefinger who calmly says to try to defuse the situation knowing just how much those two can't stand each other, "Please be quiet, Mr. 2." but Miss Merry Christmass doesn't gives a shit and yells, "Seriously, you -ba!! Your annoying shouting voice is killing my hips -ba!!!" which makes Mr. 4 laugh out loud, "Fwaaah! Fwaaaah! Fwaaaah" as Miss Doublefinger once again tries to calm everyone down, "You too, Miss Merry Christmas!"
At the same time, the new Mr. 5 takes his place at the table while saying, "What a rowdy bunch... at the least, there is some eye candy if you ignore the fugly grandma, and the disgusting queer." which makes Miss Valentine, who also took her place at the table, laughs as she says, "Kyahahaha! You won't spare even a brat like her!? You are such a beast!" making Mr. 5 comment, "If she is old enough to hunt down and kill pirates, she is old enough to get laid."
In response to Mr. 5's comments, Miss Goldenweek hugs her own body as if trying to cover herself from Mr. 5's "hungry" gaze while blushing heavily which makes Miss Merry Christmas exclaim, "Oyi, oyi! We have another degenerate among us -ba!!" but Mr. 5 calmly states, "I'm only stating simple facts, moreover, I'm personally into more curvy women, don't lump me together with that freak over there!" which makes Mr. 2 reply with a bright smile, "Come on 5-chan! It isn't so bad, one must be true to oneself to be happy!"
Overall, the situation is quite chaotic, but just as it is about to degenerate even more, Robin finally steps into the hall while saying, "Hahahaha... Looks like you can't get along at all... not that it really matters..."
In response to her presence, all the Officer Agents turn to look at her, with Mr. 3 simply says, "Miss All Sunday." followed by Mr. 2 who loudly asks, "Oh, Sunday-chan, how are youuuu!??" which makes Miss Merry Christmas yell, "I said shut up, you -ba!!!"
I also notice that Mr. 5 is basically staring at her with a gaze full of hunger and desire which makes me internally scoff while thinking, 'That poor fool doesn't even try to hide it, she is going to toy around with you until she wrought every little bit of your worth before throwing you away..'
At the same time, seeing him like that, also lowers my wariness of him a lot, after all, no matter how powerful, if he lets his lower half dictate his every action then he will be quite easy to manipulate to my advantage and even get rid of if needed.
Robin ignores all of them and continues with her speech, "Thank you for enduring the long journey to come. Having all of us together will ensure the successful completion of our grand plan."
At this point, Mr. 1 asks, "Where is this? Miss All Sunday." making Robin realize, "Oh, that's right... We made you arriver through the back door." then she explains, "You're probably familiar with the town... the place where people dream of getting rich quickly by gambling. The "Town of Dreams", Rainbase. The building you are in right now towers above the oasis in the middle of Rainbase. The greatest casino in town. Rain Dinners!"
After explaining that, Nico Robin walks toward the two newcomers sitting at the end of the table while pointing at them and saying, "If there are no further questions, we'll continue. I'll start by introducing you to our newest members who will take the place of the late Mr. 5 who went KIA (Killed in Action), the new Mr. 5 and his partner, Miss Valentine... even if they are new recruits you shouldn't underestimate them, their powerless and mission success rate allowed them to quickly rise through the ranks in just a few months of activity."
In response to her brief introduction, both Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine simply nod back at the other Officer Agents, then Robin walks toward the top of the table as she says, "Now that we have dealt with that, I must introduce you to the boss you haven't seen yet! Until now, I have acted as his "private face" in giving you orders, but things have changed and there is no more need to do so... understand?"
This is my cue, so I quickly use my Devil Fruit's powers to transform my whole body into the sand and quickly pass through the tiny fissures in my office to quickly reach the empty chair at the top of the table, then I quickly reform my body as I say, "It's about time I'll tell you guys about the final plan of the Baroque Works... about plan "Utopia"!"
As expected, everyone is shocked by the revelation that the boss of the Baroque Works is, in fact, the Seven Warlords of the Seas, Crocodile.
While everyone is in shock, Nico Robin comments with a small smile on her face, "I thought you would recognize his "public face"..." which makes Miss Merry Christmas declare, "Well damn, this is unbelievable." followed by Miss Doublefinger who asks, "I would never have guessed... why one of the Seven Warlords of the Seas!?"
Mr. 2 also seems to be the most shocked as he yells, "You mean we've been working for a pirate!!?" but I also notice that among all the people only one doesn't appear to be surprised by my revelation, the new Mr. 5, he is still calmly ogling Nico Robin without any shame, this makes me frown as there are only two reasons why he shows such lack of reaction.
Realizing this, I quickly start to analyze the situation, 'One reason, is he simply doesn't care and only thinks about getting his dick wet, this would be the best possible option. But, more worryingly, somehow he already knew that I'm the boss behind the Baroque Works... this could be especially bad, because it is impossible that a nobody bounty hunter like him would have known this information, after all, I was especially careful in hiding this secret and the only one before today who knew it and is still alive is Nico Robin... did that bitch betray me? If so who is the one pulling the strings? One of the Emperors? Not likely to busy keeping an eye on each other in the New World. The World Government? Even less likely, they are still after her I know this the best after all, I'm the one hiding her from them, there is now way they would work together for the same reason I can also exclude the Marines.'
At this point, I can only reach one possible conclusion, 'It must be another of my fellow Seven Warlords of the Seas! And the most likely to do this kind of thing is that slimy bastard of Donquixote Doflamingo!!' but I quickly calm my nerves and control my rage while thinking, 'No, It's too soon for that. For now I'll keep an eye on both of them to make sure of their intentions, and if they truly plan to betray me, I won't show any mercy!'
