章節 18: Chapter 18
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The Straw Hat pirates (and one member of the Whitebeard pirates) travelled from the once-green city of Erumalu to Yuba oasis, arriving in Rainbase at last. Rain Dinners, the town's famous casino, was Crocodile's secret lair—something Vivi discovered during her undercover stint in Baroque Works.
Currently, they were recovering in a run-down hotel, being strapped for cash. They were somewhat unsure of what to do next.
"…I say we just go beat him up now."
Luffy's opinion drew a sigh from Vivi. She stared at the ceiling, thoughtful.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea. Crocodile should already know we're here. Who knows what traps he's laid for us?"
"He does?"
Sitting cross-legged with his swords in his lap, Zoro grunted.
"Is there something wrong with your eyes, Luffy? We've been followed by Baroque Works agents all the way from Erumalu."
Luffy scratched his head.
"Then why didn't they attack us?"
Sanji was the one who replied, gesturing at a certain someone with his cigarette.
"That's obvious. They didn't make a move because they were too scared."
Ace chuckled, realizing everyone's attention had shifted to him. His injuries were all but gone, healing quickly despite the lack of bedrest.
"It seems my reputation precedes me."
"…that, or they're just don't want to piss off Whitebeard."
Ace looked at Jack. He apparently didn't find that comment too pleasing.
"Why do I feel like you're trying to start another fight? By the way, I suddenly can't help wondering why your hair didn't get burnt off back then. It's a little… suspicious. Are you sure you don't have a devil-fruit?"
Jack shrugged. He too appeared to be in good shape. There were a few discolored patches of skin, but that was it.
"Please stop calling me suspicious. And I applied a burn-resistant ointment to my hair and eyebrows. Can't have these luscious locks ruined. You guys have no idea how hard it is, looking this good-…"
He trailed off, noticing the gazes directed at him weren't too friendly.
"…tough crowd. Anyway, to get back on topic, I agree with the captain. We should just rush in and beat Crocodile to a pulp."
"Haha, I knew you'd agree with me, Jack!"
Luffy's happiness only lasted a moment, quickly silenced by a scolding look from Nami.
"Jack, can you consider making some sense? I thought we already decided that was a bad idea."
Jack nodded at her.
"It is a bad idea, but… not doing it might be even worse. If I can put it this way: Crocodile will be more at-ease if we walk right into his trap. He's a pretty crafty bastard. It would be great if we could stop him from using that evil brain of his."
Nami didn't look too pleased, but she did take a moment to ponder his suggestion.
"So what you're saying is, we can get him to underestimate us."
"Correct."
Vivi and Nami exchanged glances. It was the former who spoke hesitantly.
"…I don't know, Jack. We have no idea what's waiting for us. It seems too dangerous."
Jack raised a finger.
"We have some idea. For starters, I doubt Crocodile would be willing to deal with all of us himself. He's too cautious for that. Doubly so with Ace here."
Zoro nodded.
"He'll have his numbers back him up."
"That's right. We can sweep them all up at once."
Nami sighed exasperatedly.
"Just because you say that doesn't mean we can do it! If you don't have a plan-…"
"In fact, I do have one. I suspect he'll try to split us up inside Rain Dinners. That way, he'll be able to pick us off one-by-one. With the traps backing them up, the agents can deal with us easily."
"…that sounds even worse."
"At least finish listening. All we need to do is… not get caught up in his pace. If we confront him in the common room, where all the other gamblers are, we'll be able to avoid his traps. And with our numerical advantage, we can definitely win."
There was a moment's silence in the room. Vivi raised her head to look at Jack, resting her chin on her hand.
"You're right about Crocodile being clever. No, he's beyond clever. He's… terrifying. So far, everything went according to his plan…"
She furrowed her eyebrows, showing a rare intense look. Almost as if she were judging him.
"…I feel like I've learned a little bit about you, Jack, during my short time with you all. You're smart too, but if I'm being honest… if you can think of this, Crocodile can as well. He'll realize things aren't in his favor, in which case he definitely won't fight us."
Contrary to expectations, Jack wasn't deterred. Going over to Vivi, he put his hands on her shoulders. He smiled mischievously.
"Ah, but he doesn't have a choice. We have something with us he needs to get. At all costs."
Vivi quickly caught on.
"You mean… me?"
"Indeed. If he wants the war to continue, he definitely can't let you meet with the rebel army at Alubarna. His years' planning will all be ruined."
Next to them, Nami's expression twisted. She understood what he was implying.
"No. We're not using Vivi as bait. That's ridiculous."
Removing his hands from the person in question's shoulders, Jack shrugged.
"As expected of our two girls, having beauty and brains. But I said what I wanted. I'm not going to try and convince anyone. Decide for yourselves."
Biting her lip, Nami looked from him to Vivi.
"Vivi…"
Everyone in the room exchanged glances, trying to see if someone would come up with a better plan. When that didn't happen, Sanji exhaled a stream of smoke. He looked at Ace.
"What do you think? You're the most experienced pirate here."
Put on the spot, Ace rubbed his head awkwardly.
"Well, I can't really intervene in this situation, since it involves your friend. But I do think it's a good idea to attack now."
Nami snorted.
"You just want to leave as soon as possible. You can't fool us."
Ace chuckled. He didn't deny it.
Sanji cleared his throat.
"In that case, maybe we shouldn't put too much trust in your advice..."
Raising a clenched fist, Ace smiled, his eyes scanning the room.
"Don't be so timid. There's no way you guys will lose with me here! I'm still pretty strong, you know?"
That did seem to put the crew at ease. Usopp and Chopper in particular, having remained silent until now, looked at each other with relief.
Jack didn't seem like he was so easily won-over. Though, his weird expression remained unnoticed by everyone except Nami.
"…well, it's probably not a good idea to decide on impulse. You guys can take some time to consider my plan. For now, I think I'll get some fresh air."
He walked to the narrow door, opening it before looking over his shoulder.
"If anyone goes out, please be careful and don't… actually, just stay here. I don't believe for one second you lot won't immediately get into trouble."
"You're so annoying. Don't tell me what to do."
Hardly having stepped into the hallway outside, Nami stood as well, following after him. She wagged her finger at the rest.
"Jack is just as untrustworthy as you guys. I'm going with him so he won't do something stupid. Vivi, keep an eye on them until we get back."
Vivi raised her hand confusedly, but before she could say something, the door was already closed.
Luffy flexed his bicep, making a gesture of reassurance.
"Don't worry Vivi. We'll definitely beat up Crocodile and save your kingdom. Count on it!"
"…"
Sanji puffed on his cigarette where he stood near the window. Looking out, he could see Jack and Nami stepping into the streets, walking side-by-side.
"He's probably going to do something. Even though he said he'd let us decide."
Zoro grunted.
"Seems like it."
"Can we trust him, though?"
"It doesn't matter. He'll do what he wants. If you want to stop him, you'll have to use force."
Sanji didn't quite know how to reply to that. He sighed, turning away. Inside, the atmosphere had gotten quite boisterous, with Usopp having started a pillow-fight.
"I really hope everything works out."
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Strolling through Rainbase's crowded streets, Nami found herself occasionally glancing at Jack. It wasn't something she'd consciously admit to herself, but he… really wasn't bad on the eyes. It was his own awareness of that fact that ticked her off more than anything else.
"…what was with that look on your face?"
Jack's gaze flitted toward her curiously, pulling his hood lower over his face. The two of them were disguised, wanting to avoid Baroque Works' prying eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"In the room, when Ace was talking."
"Oh. It's… nothing much."
Nami huffed.
"Don't try to act mysterious. It doesn't suit you. Just spit it out."
Jack chuckled.
"Well, alright. I was just thinking that Ace… tends to be a little overconfident. He doesn't approach dangerous situations with a plan. Much like Luffy."
"And that surprises you? Anyway, it's not like you to care so much about one person. Do you have some kind of history with him?"
Jack shook his head.
"No."
"Then what? Don't tell me you're worried about him out of the kindness of your heart. I won't believe it for a second."
"Wow. You really don't think highly of me, do you?"
"And who's fault is that?"
Jack smiled strangely.
"…harsh, but you're not wrong. There is something special about Ace. He has a big secret. Something that affects a lot of people."
Nami raised her chin, preening self-satisfiedly.
"I knew you had an ulterior motive."
Putting a hand on her head, Jack petted her. He somewhat regretted the hood, since he was unable to enjoy her silky hair.
"Good job. At least I can rest assured, knowing you aren't the type that's easily fooled."
"W-What are you doing? Don't treat me like a dog! And I don't need encouragement from you."
"You're more of a cat than a dog."
"That's not any better!"
Having slapped his hand away, Nami looked at him impatiently.
"Since that matter's been settled, why don't you tell me where we're going?"
One corner of Jack's lips curved upward.
"Didn't I say I was going for a walk?"
"As if I'd believe that."
"…hah, fine. We're going to meet with the marines."
Nami's eyes widened. She hurriedly circled around, standing in front to block is path.
"Are you stupid? Why would you do something like that?"
"Obviously, it's to help deal with Crocodile."
She shook her head vigorously.
"That's ridiculous. Crocodile is a warlord. The marines are on his side!"
Jack stroked his chin, looking at her evenly.
"That would be the case, if we were dealing with anyone but captain Smoker. He doesn't like pirates, no matter who they are."
"Aren't you forgetting something important? Namely, us being pirates too?"
"Of course, it'll be an anonymous tip."
Nami sighed, putting her hands on her hips.
"I don't even-… this all just seems like an enormous mess to me. How can you be sure this plan will help us instead of the opposite?"
"I'm sure. As for it being a mess, that's exactly the point."
Jack pointed a finger at his own head.
"Crocodile is smart. Plots are his biggest strength. But if we cause enough chaos, it will be difficult for him to grasp the situation. With his Baroque Works, us and the marines all in the mix, it'll make it even more difficult for him to succeed."
Nami was quiet for a moment, running a hand over her face. She glanced at him from under her long eyelashes.
"…I hope you know what you're doing. This could go… really badly for us."
Jack grinned, leaning forward with his hands behind his back. Without giving her a chance to dodge, he pecked her on the cheek.
"It'll work out. We have Ace, and if things go south, we can just run. Our backup plan is still getting Vivi to Aluburna and stopping the war. And there's one more thing-…"
Before he could finish, Nami suddenly raised her foot, stomping on Jack's boot. Her face red as a tomato, she ground her heel into his toes.
"Scoundrel! Why are you always doing stuff like that? Be serious for once!!"
"I do it because I like it."
"You-…! I hate you!"
Gritting her teeth, Nami turned around, storming off in a certain direction. However, Jack didn't miss how she steered toward the local marine headquarters. He appreciated how she wasn't the type to let her emotions affect her judgement.
Smiling to himself, he followed behind her, blending seamlessly into the crowd.
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