69 Chapter Sixty-Eight
Chapter title: Wealth. Fame. Power.
(Song recommended: Palladio 1. allegretto - Karl Jenkins. This song will be playing in the background on the cruise's PA system.)
Now without further ado, enjoy this chapter...
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On a moonlit night, the SSS Santana glided gracefully through the gentle waves of the sea.
The deck was dimly lit, with only a few black-suited bodyguards patrolling the area.
It seemed like a peaceful night, but little did they know that they were about to encounter the unpredictable force of chaos known as Harley Quinn.
Harley, with her signature twin tails and her cheeky smile, was perched on the edge of the ship, looking down at the dark waters below.
As one of the bodyguards communicated over his com, Harley listened attentively, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
When he confirmed that everything was clear, she pounced. With uncanny agility, she leapt onto the bodyguard, wrapping her legs around his torso and pinning him to the deck.
"Hi there!" Harley greeted him with a singsong voice, her eyes glinting with mischief. Before the bodyguard could react, she pulled out a gun from her waist and shot him twice in the chest." Bye~Bye!"
Harley giggled and stood up while placing her gun back in its holster.
Quickly, she grabbed a life-saving hoop and expertly secured it around him, ensuring he would stay afloat. With a wicked grin, she playfully saluted him before tossing him overboard, where he would be discovered later.
Hopefully, a few fishies would like the midnight snack she left for them
Harley giggled mischievously, then she turned to an empty space of air as if aware of an invisible audience watching her every move.
"Well, well, well, ain't this just a delightful turn of events?" she says, her eyes sparkling with glee. "You're all probably wondering how we found ourselves in this situation and why I just threw that poor guy overboard, huh? Well, there's a really good explanation for that, you see...!"
She leans in conspiratorially, as if sharing a secret with her imaginary viewers. "You see dear readers, life on the high seas can get pretty dull sometimes. A girl's gotta keep things interesting, right? And what better way to do that than with a little dose of good ol..."
Before she could continue her explanation, her sharp eyes catch sight of two more suited men approaching. In a split second, she drops the playful act and hides behind a stack of deck chairs, her heart pounding with excitement.
Looking around she spotted a bucket and grinned maniacally.
*Puiiiiii~*
As the men walked past, one of them carelessly stepped on something. The man simply glanced down and saw a clown plush on the ground.
"Huh, a kid must have dropped it or something." He said lifting his foot.
Taking advantage of the situation, Harley pulled out a bucket of water she had found earlier.
As the men walked over the plush, she poured the water under their feet, creating a small pool beneath them.
With a playful giggle, she activated the plush toy, causing it to buzz and emit a large electrical charge. The water beneath the men's feet conducted the shock, and they yelped in surprise as they were temporarily incapacitated.
Harley couldn't contain her laughter as she observed the scene. "Oh, boys, you really should watch your step!" she quipped, enjoying every moment.
Harley walked up to the two men and pulled out her gun. But stopped herself from shooting them, and instead grabbed a sharpie from out of who knows where and started drawing on their faces.
One got a Mihawk-type moustache and the other got a Shanks scar.
As the men started to recover, Harley finally dragged them onto the ledge before throwing them overboard." Wow, this feels great. Jayden was right, throwing away your problems does lighten your shoulders."
She was messing around but she knew she had to be cautious; after all, her impromptu antics were not always appreciated by her partner.
Once she was safely out of sight, Harley resumed her usual cheerful demeanour. "Well, that was fun! But let's not forget why we're here folks. There's a lot more to come!" she said, winking playfully at the readers.
...
(Location: Deck 15 - Zipline)
Harley dangled mid-air, her heart pounding with exhilaration as she unclipped herself from the zipline.
With a mischievous grin, she let herself freefall towards the 7th deck, the wind rushing past her in a thrilling whirlwind.
But just as she was about to embrace the excitement of the fall, something unexpected happened.
As if nature itself had come to her rescue, plant tendrils shot up from the deck's garden, grabbing Harley in a gentle yet firm embrace. She let out a surprised yelp as the vines swiftly lowered her down, gently landing her in the lush greenery below.
"Whoo-hoo! Now, that was awesome, again again.!" Harley exclaimed, patting the vines appreciatively. "Thanks, Ivy, you always got my back!"
Meanwhile, a few more black-suited men continued to patrol the area, talking through their comms. They noticed that some of their colleagues weren't responding and grew suspicious.
"Hey, Tony, you there? Answer me, buddy."
"Frank, you copy? This ain't funny, man."
Before they could react, however, a few cunning plant vines struck again.
Silently and swiftly, the vines snaked their way beneath one of the men and expertly captured him, pulling him into the bushes without a sound.
His partner, still unaware of the danger, turned to find his comrade missing. Confused, he searched around, only to feel an eerie breath on the back of his neck.
Startled, he turned around to face a menacing sight – a man-eating flower hovering above him. His eyes widened with fear as the gigantic petals engulfed him in a single gulp. Unconscious, but miraculously unharmed, he was now trapped inside the voracious plant.
Well if that's what you think happened then you're surely mistaken, as before long his body became nothing but a puddle of human Soup.
*An: Good soup!*
While the chaos unfolded, Harley had managed to sneak away from the scene, feeling a sense of satisfaction in her little game of hide-and-seek with the suited men.
"Well, well, looks like the garden's got its own way of dealing with intruders, Ivy works fast." She said, her voice filled with amusement.
With her signature chaotic charm, Harley Quinn continued her escapades on the SSS Santana, taking out as many people as possible while being as discreet as possible.
The night was still young, and she had an entire ship to cover.
The glow of the moon illuminated the deck, casting playful shadows as Harley moved with a dancer's grace.
She hummed a tune to herself, revelling in the freedom of the moment. But amidst the carefree spirit, a thought tugged at her mind.
"Hey, you there, reading this! What's your favourite cruise memory so far?" Harley asked with a wink, breaking the fourth wall once more.
"Is it the Lazer tag game? Or maybe you liked the run-in with man-eating flowers. No that's not it...mhhh! Oh! I got it it's probably the time when you perverts took out your dinkies and masturbated to Jayden and Selina getting Bu-say." She said while inserting a finger in an imaginary hole.
Harley chuckled at the imagined response.
With a leap and a skip, she found herself back on the main deck, where the party was still in full swing.
Laughter and music filled the air as the passengers enjoyed the night to the fullest.
...
In the lounge area of the SSS Santana, the soothing sounds of slow jazz filled the air as passengers relaxed with their drinks.
Amidst the soft glow of candlelight, a figure sat elegantly, sipping champagne with grace.
She was Rose Wilson, the renowned assassin known for her lethal skills and icy demeanour. Tonight, however, she sought a brief respite from her usual endeavours.
As she sat there, lost in her thoughts, the atmosphere suddenly shifted.
The jazz musicians picked up the tempo, transitioning into an upbeat tune. Curious, Rose glanced towards the stage, where a man had just appeared.
He was impeccably dressed in a dark, stylish suit, adorned with a sharp moustache and a fedora, exuding a classic charm.
"Hey there, folks! How's everyone doing tonight?" the man greeted with a New York accent, captivating the audience with his charisma. "I hope you're all having a swell time on this fine cruise!"
The audience responded with cheers and applause, intrigued by the unexpected entertainment.
Harley, who had been peering into the lounge through a porthole, couldn't help but chuckle at the scene unfolding before her. "Crazy, right? Who knew Cupcake would look so hot in a fedora."
....
Meanwhile, on the stage, Jayden skillfully crooned into the microphone, his voice carrying a blend of smoothness and magnetic charm.
Little did the audience know that Jayden was more than just an entertainer – he was also keeping a watchful eye on the lounge...more specifically Rose.
Rose, though oblivious to Jayden's subtle intervention, couldn't help but be intrigued by the mysterious man in the fedora.
She found herself enjoying the unexpected entertainment and admired the enigmatic aura he exuded.
Meanwhile, Harley who was outside turned to her right and spoke." Now you're probably all wondering why I'm beating all these bad mafia guys up and why Jayden is on stage."
"Well, to answer that, we're gonna have to turn back the clock to half a day back...
Wealth. Fame. Power.
The man who had everything in this world. The great treasure he left behind, One Piece has opened the curtain on a grand era!...
"HARLEY!!!" Shouted a mini version of herself wearing devil horns.
"Right, right wrong flashback! Where were we again, oh right! It all started half a day ago...
