The Jackal Guardian's Ascent

Chapter 1

Our story starts towards the end of the Straw Hat crew's time in the Kingdom of Alabasta. The pirate crew in question, with the unexpected help of a contingency of Marines led by Captain Smoker, are currently in the throes of battle with the agents of the underworld organization known as Baroque Works. At the Royal Palace in Alubarna, the Royal Guards were doing their best to defend King Cobra and the various other palace staff from the rebels looking to overrun the palace and capture the king. "We need to move now Your Majesty!" a member of the guard shouted. "The rebels will breach the doors any moment now!"  

"I will not leave this palace until everyone else has left first," King Nefertari Cobra replied.

"Are you sure about this Your Majesty," one of the guards questioned.

"Yes I am. Now help these people get to safety. I'll hold off these rebels as long as I can," Cobra replied.

"You're not going to stop anything King Cobra," a large rotund man said as he broke through the palace doors.

"That's right," a small mole-looking woman chimed in. "You're coming with us."

"Who are you people?" the king asked.

"You know who we are Cobra. We're going to take you to see the boss," the large man answered.

"Baroque Works?" he replied in shock. He never expected a pair of agents would be capable of actually infiltrating the palace.

"That's right," the woman answered. "You're gonna come with us or else."

"And if I refuse?" the king replied.

"We start laying waste to the entire palace along with everyone in it," the man answered.

"I see," the king started. "I will come along peacefully."

"Your Highness?!" the guards said in shock.

"Don't worry men. What I do, I do for the people of Alabasta. Make sure to protect Vivi with your lives should you find her."

"As you wish Your Majesty," the guards replied as they saluted their king.

King Nefertari Cobra soon filed out of the room being flanked the people now known as Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas of Baroque Works. One of the younger guards stepped forward and spoke to the rest of his companions. "I'm going to follow those Baroque people and find out what exactly they need King Cobra for."

"What are you talking about Anu?" one of the other guards replied. "You'll be throwing your life away. Besides, not only would you be disobeying a direct order from the king, but you're second in line to the throne. Your safety is just as important as Princess Vivi's."

"The king's safety is more important than my own," Anu replied.

"Are you sure that you wish to do this Anu?" another one of the guards asked.

"Yes Shalid," Anu replied. "The king's safety, along with the kingdom's, is what I vowed to protect at the cost of my life. I will not break that vow."

"Very well then Anu. We will not stop you. May the will of Alabasta and her people be with you," Shalid said as he saluted his comrade before he started his mission.

"The same to you my friend," Anu replied as he returned his own salute. The 20-year-old guard then turned on his heel and ran after his uncle and his captors so that he could fulfill his sacred duty.  He ran through the labyrinthine halls of the palace in the hopes of catching up with the assassins who surely meant his uncle harm. "They seriously can't have gone far," he said to himself. "Hmmm, I have an idea. Nothing is hidden from the eyes of a God," the young man said as his icy blue eyes glowed a bright white. Before him lay 3 pairs of footprints that pointed him to where he needed to go. "Why are they headed to The Tomb of the Kings?" he asked himself. The young man wasn't sure, but he knew that the only way he could know for sure what these people wanted was to follow them. After a few minutes of running through the palace in hopes of catching up with the assassins, he finally arrived at his destination the legendary and sacred Tomb of the Kings. Anu arrived just in time to see his uncle, now bleeding massively, being followed by a large man with slicked back hair and a tan woman wearing a white cowboy hat. The young guard was about to enter the tomb behind the trio when he was suddenly stopped by a kid with a straw hat.