Defeat

(Several Minutes Later)

Rex had faced some pretty bad fights in his life.

He had been viciously injured in his first few fights against Lumberjack, he had struggled greatly against Gion in a few clashes, he had almost died to a sneak attack from Doflamingo, he had faced Borsalino in combat and barely managed to use trickery to get away.

But never, in Rex's entire life, had he faced a pummeling as ruthless as fighting the CP0 agent.

Bang!

Rex goes flying as the Cipher Pol agent leaps out of his own sword to kick him in the chest. Shooting out his claws, for an instant, Rex digs into the earth before retracting them again.

Clang!

Without even needing to look, Rex immediately knows that the Cipher Pol agent has sprung up behind him, clashing sword against kick. Rex ignores the risks and imbues Hasshoken into his sword strike to amplify it but still gets sent flying.

The agent then disappears once more causing Rex to reach into his pockets and sprinkle a ring of flour around him.

The CP0 agent's devil fruit was annoying. Rex discovered it was called the Color-Color Fruit and let the agent change his color and merge with anything that was the same color as him.

The agent used this fruit aptly in many ways by turning himself brown like the dirt and traveling through the ground or silver like his sword leaping inside of it. What was most annoying was that any attacks that were the same color as the agent didn't harm him at all.

"I have to admit, I have a lot of respect for you now." The CP0 agent says. "You sacrificed yourself so your comrades could escape. By stalling me out this long, they're probably long gone by now. But now you've gotta pay the price."

Rex is shocked at the CP0 agent's blasé attitude towards his mission but realizes that this probably wasn't his mission. CP0 didn't handle small tasks like this. Odds were, the agent was just here on a trip to Enies Lobby on the sea train. He had plausible deniability towards responsibility for any action that happened here.

Rex curses his bad luck, before widening his eyes. The Sea Train!

Ignoring his wounds, Rex dashes with renowned purpose towards the tracks of the Puffing Tom. Seeing the train pulling out of the port, Rex grits his teeth.

"Give it up! I won't let you escape!" The CP0 agent kicks out sending a razor sharp blade of wind at Rex, but Rex predicts this and throws out his last Gem grenade at the kick.

BOOM!

Using the massive explosion, Rex launches himself forward, dashing towards the puffing Tom that was pulling out of the station.

For a moment, the world seems to slow down for Rex, he wouldn't be able to make it onto the train at his speed. He needed to go faster. But how could he do that?

At the last moment, Rex kicks the air behind him, imitating Geppo, his last Rokushiki technique. If any CP9 agent or marine, who spent years mastering the Rokushiki knew that Rex had mastered them with almost no effort, they would cry out in complaint.

But it didn't matter as Rex was safe now, dragging himself to the top of the train, he sighs.

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

Rex freezes as he looks up to see an impossible sight before him.

"I'm impressed." The CP0 agent says with a slow-clap, sitting cross-legged on top of the train with a wide grin on his face. "To learn Geppo in a moment of weakness and then use it against me to make it onto the train, not to mention that explosive of yours. At first, I wanted to kill you, but now, I think I'll take you alive."

Rex smiles morosely, it seemed there were no more tricks to be done.

As the CP0 agent approaches him, Rex looks up at the sky.

What a beautiful moon.

(Two Days Later)

Momoiro Island, Paradise

"You lost the captain!?" Kid cries out in rage, looking at the newspaper then back at the four crew members in front of him.

The newspaper had a bold headline on it. "World Government Agents Give Life to Slay Jacket D. Hoodie."

The picture on the cover shows a ragged, pale man in a white suit covered in wounds as he kicks a dark, masked figure covered with lightning into the sea.

The newspaper goes on to explain how Jacket D. Hoodie had aided and abetted the escape of a criminal who had constructed ships for pirates. While the newspaper heavily undercuts the casualty numbers, they still acknowledge them due to numerous people having seen the body.

"Bonney, I'm disappointed in you! Why didn't you fight with the captain!?" Kid shouts out angrily.

Of all of the crew members who had been deployed, Bonney was by far the most capable combatant. If she had fought with Rex, then maybe he…

"The captain is not dead." Faust says simply, looking out in the north-western direction. His tattered jacket seems to rustle in that direction, against the wind.

"Eh?" Kid says. "Explain yourself cat man!"

"You do know what Rose's latest invention is, don't you? The one that lets the captain assume my body from afar." Faust says.

"Yeah, it's the Veal Jacket thingy he was talking about. What about it?"

"You mean… You can feel the captain?" Rose's eyes widen as she considers what Faust was saying. "Of course! Your jacket still isn't burnt, which means the captain must be alive somewhere! But based on the condition of the jacket, we don't have much time. We have to save him!"

"But how did he survive?" Monet questions, staring back at the newspaper. "There are dozens of witnesses who attest to him falling in the water, not to mention the photograph."

"The Captain has always been a master of deception." Killer states. "I would never be certain of his death unless his corpse was ripped to bits and fed to 10 different animals who were then burnt alive."

The rest of the crew nods, recalling Rex's cockroach like survival and affinity for deception.

"Rose, you and Hawkins work on a way to find the captain using the jacket. Killer, you, Monet and Bonney get some supplies from Momoiro and call back the crew. Faust, I need you to prepare what the captain intended and then give Tom over to the Revolutionaries. Robin, you stay here."

Then, one by one, the crew all file out of the room, following their orders as Kid looks at Robin with a stern glare.

"You're done here." Kid says simply.

"What?" Robin asks incredulously. "What do you mean I'm done here? The captain recruited me, you can't just toss me out for making a mistake. This is comple-"

"YOU! ARE! DONE! HERE!" Kid shouts out angrily, causing Robin to tremble. "I don't care what you know, I don't care how damned useful you are, this is YOUR fault. If you had done your job and killed that Cipher Pol chief, none of this would have happened!"

Robin tries to speak up here, but Kid silences her. Releasing a wave of aura that Kid himself doesn't recognize he continues.

"I can tolerate a lot of bull, but I don't tolerate failure!" Kid barks out angrily. "You are no longer a member of the crew. If you want, you can be a passenger on this ship, but you don't go on missions, you don't ever have another person's life in your hands again because it's obvious you can't handle it! Now get out!"

Robin nods, meekly leaving and returning to her room. As she leaves, she is spotted by Rose who looks at Robin with some pity.

Rose knew Kid well, and was sure that whatever he had said to Robin was harsh. Being the crew member who knew Robin the best, Rose felt it was a bit excessive for Kid to kick her when she was down, but was conflicted as to whether or not she should confront Kid.

As for Robin, she had packed her bags and was now staring at them. She knew she could go to the Revolutionaries. They would treat her like a queen compared to how Kid was treating her. Or any pirate group that wanted her for her devil fruit powers for that matter. She knew she could leave.

But Robin doesn't leave. Instead, she curls up on her bed and cries. Cries for failing to protect a comrade again, for being too weak and for letting her memories cloud her judgement but most of all, she cries for failing.

In her life, Robin seldom failed. She was a genius archeologist gifted from childhood, a brilliant spy who had escaped the world government for years. Before this, she had never failed. And it felt like trash.

Meanwhile, all around the world, people are reacting to the news that Jacket D. Hoodie is dead.

Jacket D. Hoodie was a pseudo-global phenomenon with both lovers and haters. In the seven months that Rex had traveled the four blues, he had robbed many kingdoms who were working with Doflamingo, making him rather famous even outside the North and South Blues.

Germa 66, Current Location: Grand Line

"Father, it seems that Jacket D. Hoodie was finally defeated by the marines." A young red-haired boy announces.

"That's great! That'll show him what you get for messing with Germa 66!" A green-haired boy adds.

"Now can we go home?" A grumpy blue-haired boy remarks, upset that Jacket D. Hoodie had stolen his power gimmick.

"No." Judge says, looking down at the newspaper. "He's alive… I can feel it."

Unknown Island, Paradise

"Fuffuffuffufu! So, you 'died' did you!?" Doflamingo says with an insane expression in his eyes. "Well, well then, I guess it's safe for me to leave… NOT! I know you're still out there, I know it! Fuffuffuffufu!"

The fellow Donquixote cadres shake their heads. Doflamingo had been like this for a while, ever since Rex's bounty had finally surpassed his own. Unless Doflamingo killed Rex, he would likely never regain his former sanity. Doflamingo had just lost too much to him.

Marineford, Paradise

"Are you really dead?" Sengoku seems to ask into the air, staring out with a faraway expression on his face. "If so, why can't I get rid of this feeling? This-"

"Bwahahahaha! Sengoku, are you in love with this Jacket D. Hoodie?" Garp says, laughing boisterously. "That's good, I've always wondered why you've persecuted me so unjustly and now I know. You're after me for my body aren't you!? You want to do nefarious things to me!"

"What the hell are you talking about Garp!?" Sengoku hisses, bonking Garp on the head. "I'm not after you for your body!"

"Ahh! This is domestic abuse! I need to report this!" Garp says running out of the office.

"Get your butt back here right now! I'm not finished with it!" Sengoku says, running behind Garp, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck.

"Tsuru-chan, help me! Sengoku wants my butt!" Garp cries out seeing a passing Tsuru. Sengoku then slams the door to his office and many weird screams escape.

Tsuru looks at the door and sighs. Her two best friends were weird.

Kenzan Island, Grand Line

A weary, blue haired figure lies sprawled out on the sand of a beach. Before him an immense human-drill stands on waiting for him to rouse.

The figures were Rex and Harambe, having made it onto this island after being thrown off of the sea train.

Rex's memory of the whole event was blurry, but he remembered going crazy, then… did he bite the CP0 agent? Rex spits out noticing that there is blood and flesh in his mouth.

Regardless, after a while, Rex started to regain consciousness and got kicked off the train by the CP0 agent. Then, just before he hit the water. He separated from Harambe, with the large human-drill swimming to safety with Rex.

As for the island he was on, Rex had no idea.

Then, a cacophony of loud music notes play in the distance annoying Rex. While the music was good and all, he found it annoyingly loud. It would play incessantly for hours at a time then go away.

Unfortunately, Rex still wasn't able to move, and he could barely talk. If it weren't for Harrambe being in better condition than him and baiting animals towards him to be felled with Conqueror's haki, Rex might have died of starvation by now.

"Harambe." Rex says weakly. "Can you stop that incessant music? Or just find some earplugs for me?"

The large primate looks at Rex, unable to understand a word that is coming out of his mouth. Rex sighs.

However, as fortune would have it, Harambe's intuition would not be a problem today as the music was growing louder. That meant its player was no doubt approaching Rex.

Rex looks up trying to see who it is who has stumbled upon him, only for his eyes to widen in shock.

"Aha! So it was you!" The boy cries out. "I knew someone was getting a free seat at my beautiful concertos the past few days but I didn't know it was someone so ugly. That disgusting face and those tiny arms. As a recompense for the many shames befallen you by the god of beauty, I, Scratchman Apoo, will show mercy to you and play you a song!"

"Ugly!?" Rex cries out, before realizing his face was probably covered with bruises from his fight earlier. "Can you please take me to a doctor?"

"A doctor!? I refuse to believe your ugliness is so serious of a problem that you need medical help! I, Appo, will cure you through the most ancient medicine, Music!" Apoo said beating his chest proudly as one of his arms turns into a large clarinet. "It just needs to be louder!"

Rex widens his eyes, trying to stop Apoo but it's too late. Apoo takes a deep breath before blowing into his clarinet.

'Oh for the love of…'