The Red Haired Devil

Chapter 20

"You can quit fooling around now. What a coincidence, we were just about to head to Alubarna ourselves, Ms. Wednesday." Crocodile said and Kairi looked down at Vivi who was now crawling on the floor with her hands tied behind her back. "If you'd like to come with us princess, then please do. Or you can try and save them." He held up two keys.

"The keys to the cell and my handcuffs." Kairi said.

"Hey! Give it!" Luffy yelled and Crocodile held it out. Kairi, still being held by Ms. All Sunday, growled. He dropped the keys and Vivi broke free of the ropes on her hands. She crawled forward to try and catch it and Crocodile tapped his foot. A trap door opened up and the keys fell in it. "NO!"

"A trap door." Vivi said.

"It won't be too long until the rebels and the royal army forces begin their battle to the death. Even if you hurry to Alubarna from here, who knows if you'd make it in time. To stop the rebellion, you need to leave at once, Ms. Wednesday. Will you do that or try and save your friends and cousin instead? It's your choice, but if you choose the latter and it doesn't help that I accidentally dropped the key into the bananagaters den."

"Bananagaters!" She said as she looked down at the gater. 

"What are those things?" Luffy asked. "AH! Look out the window! There's an alligator growing out of that banana."

"In case you haven't noticed, that's not the only one!" Nami yelled.

"It looks like we're in an aquarium." Usopp replied. "I hope we're not the fish food."

"Weird bananas." Luffy said.

"You idiot! Look closer! They've got bananas growing out of them. They're weird gaters not weird bananas." Vivi gasped as the gater ate the keys.

"What now? Vivi, what happened?" Luffy asked.

"A big bananagater just swallowed the key to your cell and the one to Kairi's cuffs."

"Well then go down there and make him spit out!"

"I wouldn't stand a chance. They're alpha predators at the top of the food chain! They're so ferocious they even pray on Sea Kings, Luffy! Get near one and they'll devour you in one bite."

"Heh. Sounds like fun." Kairi replied about to jump in just as Vivi grabbed her arm.

"Are you insane?! Your hands are bound and your Devil Fruit powers are gone at the moment!"

"And?" It swam back into the water and Kairi groaned. "I could have gotten the keys back if you would have let me go."

"How?" 

"Easy, but it's a secret. I can't let everyone know my powers. It would be too simple then." 

"I'm sorry, but we must be going. Time is of the essence. Oh, and speaking of time, this room will be destroyed in exactly one hour. It served me well, but it's no longer of any use. Soon the waters of Rainbase's lake will fill this room. Anyone left in here won't survive. Well, it's either one million citizens, or a mere four pirates and your cousin who have no future. Time to choose. But to be honest, the odds are quite low for both. I hope you like gambling, Ms. Wednesday. Because like they do at the tables upstairs, you're going to have to roll the dice. Just like I did with this country, which was simple thanks to all the fools here. People like those juvenile rebels. And that old man digging in Yuba."

"You don't mean that dried up old guy, do you?!" Luffy yelled.

"Of course. Even though everyone else has abandoned it. That old fools keeps pecking away everyday in an Oasis that's long dead. Even as he's plagued by constant sandstorms, he still digs away."