War Criminals

by Dirty Bit

Chapter 1

The sea: An endless blanket of saltwater that has been crossed by several boats for the longest time. However, with the passing centuries, it has been tainted by the villainous scum known as pirates. As far as the world goes, pirates have known to have been lawless, odious, and detrimental throughout each of their lives and towards those they have come into contact with. They were considered an obstacle, if not an existing factor that cannot be condoned by those who follow the path of justice. But right now, some followers of justice are being hunted down by their former subordinates.

On a stolen marine boat rested a group of experienced agents that have broke ties with their superiors; steering the boat was a tall man with black hair that resembled the horns seen on a bull, his beard consisting of a triangle pattern along his chin; His clothes included a black shirt, camoflauge pants, and brown sandals. He wore a stoic face as he looked ahead of the endless blue horizon, thinking to himself as he continued to steer 'So this is where we end up? The same World Government we served for years happens to have turned their backs on us? Then again, at least we'll be able to give Spandam his comeuppance once we cross paths again...'

At a table on the base deck of the boat sat a man with a long rectangular nose and big black eyes; his orange hair was covered by a black cap; He wore an orange and white striped shirt with his short sleeves, breast pocket, and collar all colored red, as well as black pants and shoes. He was busy studying a map that was found in the boat's supply room, a thin frown on his face "Where to go..." He muttered to himself as he looked at each location shown "We could easily sail back to where Spandam is hiding, but he would expect us to come with tight security..." He heaved a sigh "This wouldn't have happened if the Straw Hat crew hadn't been victorious. I wish there could be a way to escape this."

"We cannot run away from a problem so easily, Kaku. You know that." The horn-haired man replied in a deep voice without looking down at him "I'm not fond of the fact that we're now fugitives myself, but we just have to press on. We've been trained to endure such situations, haven't we?"

Kaku stared up at the man blankly before he ended up chuckling lightly "Perhaps you're right, Blueno. I suppose Lucci wouldn't be happy to hear me complain either." He said, sporting a thin smile on his face. He looked over at the door leading to the boat's cabin "I wonder if he has a plan of his own for this situation."

Blueno's brow furrowed "You already heard him on the Den-Den Mushi. No matter how long it takes, he's gonna find Spandam and make him suffer for his actions. I don't blame him, actually; that guy has no spine whatsoever, always hiding behind his own resources...Time will only tell when we get the chance to catch up with him."

"Like we'll let Lucci have that bastard all to himself!"

Kaku looked away from the cabin across his table to see a dark-skinned man with pointed sunglasses over his forehead, a vertically trailing scar over his left eye, a pointed goatee on his chin, and a predatory grin on his face. He wore an open black shirt with a blue flower pattern that was covered by his scorpion-like ponytail and black slippers on his feet; his Fu Manchu moustache and the red sash on his black shorts were carried in a small gust while he approached Kaku "Don't forget that we all have a score to settle with Spandam once we get a hold of him. I say we just find him and take care of business once and for all! The sooner we take him down, the better."

Kaku frowned "Jabra, You forget that he still has power over some of the World Government's forces." He looked up at the afternoon sky and the slowly drifting clouds covering the sun "Besides...Once we've settled our issues, where will we go? The Marines will not stop until we're captured, so we're without a place to call home until we're out of their reach."

Jabra scowled at the mention of him being a fugitive "Don't remind me..." His face quickly contorted into his former grin "As for those traitorous dogs, let them come. We can wipe them out in droves before they can even approach our ship!" He crossed his arms as he continued "They have no one to blame but themselves if they choose to come after us right now."

Kaku stared at Jabra after his boastful remark 'At least he's in good spirits about the situation, as with everyone else.' He sighed wistfully to himself as he went back to studying his map 'Personally, I wouldn't mind to turn back time to five years prior to this day...'

Jabra looked down at Kaku and grunted "Hey, what's with the silent treatment? Nothing to add, Giraffe?" He asked, using his favorite nickname towards his long-nosed comrade.

Kaku's eyes narrowed at the small insult, though he did not face Jabra "I'm busy trying to find another island for us to lay low in. I don't need you egging me on when we have to focus on bigger matters."

While Jabra wished to poke more fun at Kaku, he admitted that it was a good point to determine their next destination. With a shrug, he scoffed "Whatever." He looked around at the endless sea surrounding the ship "Where are we, anyways? We've sailed for so long that there should be a sign of land by now." Jabra said as he turned back to face Kaku with a gruff, but curious glance.

Kaku considered Jabra's question and looked down at the map, pointing at a body of water north of a large island "As I recall, we traveled due north after Lucci's conversation with Spandam. We were lucky to cross the Calm Belt safely thanks to the bottom our ship being covered in seastone, but as you already know, we've yet to decide on a concrete destination." He closed his eyes "I'm surprised none of us have even suggested a good area to go other than the places we're most familiar with. We cannot go back to St. Poplar after the horrible impact made on our end, and our homeland is off-limits as well. Where else could we go unless we're to travel on the sea for the rest of our lives?"

"Yoyoi~! Perhaps I could be of assistance~?"

Jabra's face fell into an aggravated scowl at the new sound, not turning to acknowledge the large figure behind him. Towering over Jabra was a pale-skinned man wearing a black shirt and a strapped blue vest over it, with dark blue pants covering his legs; a bronze shakujo was in his left hand while he held his right out in a pose that involved him standing on one foot, both of which were covered by black and green sneakers; both hands were covered by green glovelike straps. His pinkish hair flowed in a style similar to that of a lion, and purple makeup was seen on his face as he bared his teeth and kept his right eye shut, resembling a kabuki actor.

The large man gave one hop with the leg he stood on before he continued "Though a loosed arrow flies straight and true, our arrow flies, flies at an undetermined direction~!" He said in a dramatic vocal inflection.

Jabra growled irritably while he remained frozen "No shit, Kumadori. We were just talking about it." He spat, not fond of Kumadori's company or his loud and bothersome speech pattern.

Kaku looked up at Kumadori "Do you have a suggestion for our next destination?" He asked curiously.

Kumadori spun his shakujo before gripping it with his right hand, striking another similar pose "Yoyoi~! As we travel ever northward, perhaps we should seek refuge towards, towards, towards, towards~-"

Jabra quickly turned to leer angrily at Kumadori "Out with it, already!" He snapped.

Kumadori continued despite Jabra's anger "towaaaards~ the island known as Mock Town~!" He gripped his shakujo with both hands as he slammed it onto the floor, though was careful not to puncture it "We shall blend in with the sa-sa-savage scum that make up its populace~, like dedicated shinobi performing their duties~!"

Kaku stared at Kumadori before he sweatdropped "You do realize that Mock Town was far west from where we left off, right, Kumadori?"

Kumadori froze in his encouraged pose before instantly falling to his knees with his arms slumped, hanging his head as he uttered a defeated 'Yoyoi~' from his slip-up in his worldly knowledge.

Jabra scoffed "Even if that was a suggestion, I'd sure as hell decide against it." He pointed a thumb towards himself "We were trained to put pirates in their place, and it'd be foolish to just blend in with them while we're on the run." He looked at the map with a critical glance "We traveled north, right? So we must be in the East Blue right now." He pointed a finger towards a small island far north by northwest "Why don't we travel to Syrup Village?"

Hearing his friends below deck, Blueno frowned while he steered "A trip like that could take days. As far as our current location goes, this ship is our new home for the time being..." He looked up at the crow's nest of the ship, where an enormous and round figure was perched "I'm surprised we haven't heard anything from Fukuro yet, since he's the most talkative out of all of us..."

"Chapapa!! I have an idea for our next location, chapapa!"

'Speak of the devil...' Blueno twitched an eyebrow after hearing the invigorated high voice from above; Between Fukuro and Kumadori, he found a kindred spirit in Jabra for considering their vocal patterns to be nearly intolerable. He looked up at the crow's nest to see the mass instantly wink out of existence.

After the next second, a round figure around the same height as Kumadori stood beside Blueno with an unzipped mouth curled up in a smile; His eyes were far apart on his face, and purple dimples were right under them. Some strands of his green and well-groomed hair blew in another small breeze while the small hairs on his chin remained still; He wore a short sleeve shirt that was covered in yellow, red, and black stripes, red wristbands on both of his arms, and black pants and shoes like Kaku's. He pointed northwest of the ship while staring at Blueno with his eager eyes "I saw something up ahead towards the left! It looked very interesting, chapapa!"

Blueno shifted his eyes to Fukuro "An unnamed island, I hope?" He asked calmly.

Fukuro stood still and stared blankly before speaking up "Actually, it looked like nothing was there, but I saw some waves in the air shaped like a ball. Maybe it could be some kind of invisible forcefield, chapapa!"

Blueno cast a deadpan stare at the loud mass "If it were a forcefield, then it would be unwise to just sail right towards it." He stated matter-of-factly.

Fukuro waved his hands frantically "But it could possibly let Marine boats in and keep pirates out, chapapa!"

Kaku perked up at the information shared by Fukuro "Wait...Since when has there been some kind of invisible anomaly in the middle of the East Blue that hasn't been recorded on modern-day maps?" The long-nosed man scanned the map diligently "There's absolutely nothing there, save for the Baratie farther northwest in the Sambas Region...Could it be some sort of hidden refuge unseen by the World Government?"

Jabra stroked his goatee with his right hand as he thought about the news himself. If what Kaku is saying was true, then this anomaly could be an ideal spot to not only hide from the World Government, but possibly plan their next move. He grinned exuberantly and looked up at his comrades "I say we go for it. For all we know, it could be the escape we're looking for if we want to lay low."

Kumadori instantly rose up and struck another signature pose as if he were injected with adrenaline "Yoyoi~! An excellent idea~! We can u-use this mysterious island as a bulwark for our current predicament~!"

Blueno hummed pensively to himself before he spoke up "If we're all going to go through with this, we should at least let Lucci and Kalifa in on Fukuro's latest find."

Jabra scowled up at Blueno "He doesn't need to know that. In fact, he should be grateful that we even found another place to hide without his help!"

Fukuro looked down at Jabra with a frown "But he's also our nakama. We're in this together, chapapa."

Kaku stared at Jabra, who bared his teeth angrily at Fukuro "He's right, you know; there's no need to act dominant on a situation we're all a part of, Jabra."

Jabra snarled at Kaku "All I'm saying is that it's dumb to just ask permission from one of our subordinates. He's not our damn leader, you know."

Kaku closed his eyes "Be that as it may, he still overpowers us both, and for all we know, he could have a different suggestion for us if ours does not seem to be the best one."

Jabra scoffed as he crossed his arms, looking down at Kaku in disappointment "Listen to yourself; it's like you're his bitch or something..."

Kaku narrowed his eyes at Jabra "Now isn't the time to bicker. Let's just run this suggestion by Lucci and Kalifa and see if they will agree or not." He said firmly, slightly irritated by Jabra's tendency to run at the mouth.

Fukuro raised an arm "I'll go tell them, chapapa!" He hopped down from the stern and landed next to the door leading to the boat's cabin. When he went to go reach for the doorknob, he noticed how the door was smaller than him, then froze in embarrassment "Chapa..."

Kaku smiled awkwardly as he rose form his chair "Don't worry, Fukuro, I'll go get them." He walked towards the door, though he could've sworn he heard Jabra murmur something along the lines of 'kiss-ass' or 'bitch' while he opened the door and went inside the cabin.

Kumadori saw this moment to gaze over at what Fukuro was talking about by jumping up and walking on the air as if it were the boat's floor. Using his geppou, he quickly shot upwards to land onto the crow's nest and squinted his open eye to make out the sight Fukuro saw for himself. After catching a brief glimpse of a ripple in the air far from his current location, his eye widened "Yoyoi~! That really is an in-in-invisible barrier~!" He said, recoiling in dramatic shock.

Fukuro looked up at Kumadori "So you see it, too? Then I was right, chapapa!" He smiled to himself for his demonstration of clairvoyance. He then heard the door open to see Kaku exit the cabin with two more people, one male and one female.

The female was blonde, wearing glasses that covered her blue eyes, and a black suit that went down to her exposed legs. Her feet were covered by long socks and purple heels that clicked each time they touched the hardwood floor.

Following behind her was a man with flowing black hair, a close-shaved goatee, and bandages seen on his forehead and left cheek, bearing a cold and calculating expression on his face that was further punctuated by his arched eyebrows. He wore a yellow shirt with black dots similar to that of a leopard with a black jacket that acted as a cape. Much like Kaku and Fukuro, he also wore black pants and shoes; perched on his right shoulder was a white pigeon wearing a red neck tie.

After the three exited the cabin, Kaku turned to Fukuro "Go on. You wanted to tell them, right?"

Fukuro perked up and quickly nodded before turning to the new male and female "Lucci! Kalifa! I think I found a place we can hide for a bit, chapapa!" He sounded to the two vigorously.

Kalifa pushed her glasses towards her eyes with her fingers as she retained a neutral expression "You don't have to shout, Fukuro. Can you show us where?" She asked curiously.

From the crow's nest, Kumadori called down to the entire group "Yoyoi~! North by north-northwest rests an invisible area that would serve as excellent camoflauge~!"

Fukuro looked up at Kumadori with a miffed expression "Chapa! I was gonna tell them that!" He called up to the kabuki performer crossly.

Jabra groaned "Both of you are too damn loud. It's a wonder you two are even agents!"

Lucci shifted his eyes towards Jabra "Have you forgotten that we have no affiliation with the World Government at the moment, Jabra?" He said in a calm, but indifferent tone "We're agents no more."

Jabra frowned at Lucci "Well, if it weren't for that bastard Spandam cutting us loose for something that was HIS fault, we would've kept our positions and wouldn't end up running away from him!"

Lucci narrowed his eyes "We're only falling back until we find a suitable moment to exact proper justice on that spineless cur..." He said as he looked away "Although we're agents of CP9 no longer, we're still envoys of justice, even if the World Government does not see it for themselves..."

The boisterous man scoffed before grinning at Lucci "Preaching to the choir on that one, kitten."

Lucci regarded Jabra with a piercing glare after the small insult; if looks could kill, Jabra wouldn't be standing anymore. However, like any other time they butted heads, Lucci's glare had no effect on Jabra whatsoever. He decided to turn to Fukuro as his expression softened "You said you've found something invisible northwest, correct?" He asked dispassionately. The pigeon on his right shoulder cooed at the loud mass after Lucci's question.

Fukuro smiled "Yeah! I think we could hide there if we can see what's inside of the forcefield, chapapa!"

Lucci stared at Fukuro after his self-excitable discovery. He was skeptical on the fact that there existed something invisible in the middle of the East Blue, let alone something that could be considered easy to access just because they're on a Marine ship. He decided to give a faint amount of trust in Fukuro's direction for the time being. It was a gamble, but even he could not decide where to go in order to keep a low profile from their current destination just past the Calm Belt; the silver lining to his action is that if his fellow nakama's assumption was wrong, he could beat him within an inch of his life.

With his decision final, Lucci distanced himself from his comrades to get a good view of Blueno up on the ship's wheel "Blueno." He called to him "Sail northwest towards the field."

While his face didn't show it, Blueno was shocked to hear Lucci agree to traveling where Fukuro wished to go "Are you sure about this?" After receiving a curt nod, Blueno wordlessly complied and steered to the left, directing the ship towards the strange anomaly up ahead in the distance.

At the sight of the ripples growing larger in size, they were getting closer towards the invisible field in little time. Kalifa looked ahead, feeling slightly nervous "Lucci...can we really trust Fukuro's sense of direction? For all we know, this could be a trap."

Lucci's expression did not change as he looked ahead "Not even the World Government has knowledge over this particular field, and for all we know, this could possible serve our benefit if it leads to another island unbeknownst to them..."

Jabra stared ahead until he frowned "Hey...How do we know if we even touched this th-" A flash of light that had started from the ship's bow had interrupted him. The light had engulfed the entire ship, blinding the group as they shielded their eyes from the intensity "What the hell!?" Jabra shouted in surprise.

"Yoyoi~! We're in the presence of divine light~!" Kumadori shouted while covering his eyes.

Blueno grunted while he clenched his eyes shut and tried to keep his hands on the wheel. If he let go, it could mean the end of him and his friends. Hopefully, the light would die down shortly while he maintained control of the ship.

Much to his satisfaction, the light had subsided, and the former agents opened their eyes and scanned their surroundings. Around them appeared to be the same blue sea they had sailed upon. Kaku could not comprehend what had happened while he looked "I-...What just happened?"

Lucci was just as confused, though was also vehement about actually trusting Fukuro to guide him and the others towards a safe haven. He turned towards the loud mass with a murderous glint in his eyes, easily striking fear towards his target.

Kumadori looked down at the beginning of a possible blood bath and turned his head away, tears streaming in his eyes "Fukuro~! It wasn't your fault that this had happened~!" The kabuki performer was found with a sharp knife in his hands, the blade pointing downward "I shall shoulder the blame and uphold your honor~!" He opened his right eye to look at the blade, only to notice a small image of a distant city behind it "Yoyoi~?"

Down below, Fukuro frightfully backed away from Lucci as he slowly advanced on him "P-P-Please forgive me! I thought I was right about going northwest, chapapa!" He said as he waved his arms in front of him.

Lucci stared down Fukuro as the pigeon on his shoulder flew off "You were wrong...and now you shall suffer for it..." He uttered venomously.

"I see a city~!"

Lucci halted his advance to look up at the crow's nest "You're in no position to defend Fukuro, Kumadori. Stay out of this..." He called up to him in warning.

Kumadori looked down and pointed the blade in his hands west of the ship, the pigeon hovering next to him "Yoyoi~! I speak profound truth~! Over the vast ho-horizon lies the sanctuary we've longed for~!"

Lucci narrowed his eyebrows "Now you're acting foolish..." He noticed the pigeon fly down from the crow's nest down to to his shoulder once more, cooing at him and pointing a wing in the same direction as Kumadori. Lucci decided to follow the wing of his pet and noticed the microscopic image far away from their ship. He stared for a moment until he hummed to himself "So it's true then..." Lucci then turned to Fukuro with his former expression "Perhaps I've acted rashly...Well done, Fukuro..."

Fukuro calmed himself and blinked at Lucci in confusion "Chapa?"

Lucci looked up at Blueno "Steer the ship west. It would seem that Kumadori and Hattori have found an island..."

Blueno nodded down to Lucci and steered the ship, equally curious to what was in store for him and his friends. Each of the former agents looked ahead at what would hopefully be their temporary sanctuary from their current status as fugitives.
_____

The sun shined brightly in the land of Equestria, namely over the towering royal city of Canterlot that rested on the side of a mountain. Inside of the majestic castle, many of its occupants were busy, from the stalwart guards to the highly-regarded nobles. But nopony was more busy than the two princesses that rule Equestria together, one of which sat at her throne as the day passed.

Princess Celestia was busy signing paperwork presented to her by one of her aides that ranged from royal business from neighboring nations to appointments from her subjects, quickly moving through each signature so she could at least enjoy a small break afterwards. After enjoying some time to herself, she could move on to bigger business, including what tasks she should give to her student-turned-princess Twilight Sparkle to better her knowledge for the future.

She smiled to herself when she thought about how she had managed to guide her faithful student in the right direction and helped her fulfill her destiny. Like a mother to her child, she saw something great in Twilight that would give her the drive to achieve her goals.

...That is, if she manages to not stress over any problems along the way.

Thankfully, she had nothing to worry about between her new princess and what was currently going on in Equestria. Princess Celestia had finished the last of her paperwork and nodded to her aide, signaling her to leave the throne room and take care of the signed papers. With a sigh, she tried to relax in her throne, closing her eyes to think about where to get her student started out. Little did she know that a serpentine shadow towered over her throne with a sinister grin, slowly advancing down on her with sharp claws reaching out. The head of the shadow carefully neared Celestia's ear.

Before the shadow's mouth could open, Celestia narrowed her eyebrows while they were closed "Don't even think about it..." She said firmly.

The shadow quickly vanished to reveal a pouting Discord, who glided around Celestia until he hovered next to her "And here I thought you'd be distracted with all of this work piling on your shoulders." He stated dryly.

Celestia opened one eye towards Discord "Even though I'm busy, I'm always vigilant, Discord. Shouldn't you have business of your own?"

Discord turned his head away and waved a dismissive paw "Oh please, like I'd even deign to lift a claw to jot down my name in black ink countless times. I have my standards, thank you very much." He smirked at Celestia "But I can see you're already wrapped up in the same old song and dance at the moment. What say I whisk you away from all of this so you can take a load off of your shoulders for a bit? You've obviously got a lot on your plate right now."

Celestia smiled gently "It would be nice to have a little vacation, but I'm not one to turn away from my little ponies." She turned to Discord "But I'm serious about you, Discord. Equestria needs our help, and for all we know, there could be tasks that only you can handle."

Discord rolled his eyes "Well, I'm not one to go about a boring lifestyle on a daily basis unlike yourself. I have my own schedule, mind you."

Celestia frowned "Oh really? Care to elaborate on your so-called schedule?" She asked inquisitively.

Discord inched himself away from Celestia with an arched eyebrow "Hey now. Do you see me trying to invade on your personal life?" He shrugged "Besides, it's nothing of dire concern, really. I've just dropped by certain spots around Equestria and viewed some sights. You know I wouldn't go so far as to cause any notable disturbances."

Celestia stared at Discord, unamused by his explanation. While she was aware of his reformation thanks to Fluttershy, she was still aware of his penchant for mischief and his tendencies to use his chaos magic for the sake of escaping his boredom for a short time. She had asked him nicely at first to take it down a notch, but when she had received several complaints from when Discord turned a vacant house in Canterlot into jello under the reason of 'appealing to the children', she cracked down on him and asserted him into keeping his mischievous acts to a minimum.

Her stare managed to make Discord waver and hold up his paws in a placating motion "Oh, come on. Don't give me that look. I said I haven't caused any notable disturbances. I'd say I'm in the clear, wouldn't you?" Celestia raised an eyebrow, obviously unconvinced by his explanation, and he gave a sigh "Okay, fine. You gave me the opportunity to make a friend, so I suppose I owe you a small explanation." He moved his arms, making gestures as he began his explanation "After you had 'reformed' me..." Discord twitched his talons for emphasis "I was going through a period of withdrawal that had taken a huge toll on me lately."

"Withdrawal?" Celestia parroted in deadpan.

Discord simply nodded in response "Yes indeed. And let me tell you that the symptoms are just awful!" He began to twist and turn and stood on the marble floor with his talons giving him balance "My body gets all twisted and I do handstands; it's not pretty!"

Celestia knew there was more to his explanation despite his comical background "Go on..." She said, wanting him to get to the point.

Discord ceased his humor and stood upright "Well, you know how my love for chaos is only outmatched by my own power, right? Oddly enough, it had been growing recently since I've been released, and I've managed to use most of it up before you went Mother Hen on my poor tail." He looked back at his tail, which appeared to be wrinkled and bruised, and his lips curled in a pout "The poor thing has seen better days..." He said in mock sadness.

Knowing that Celestia had given him his full attention after the mention of his power, Discord continued "Well, after you asserted your dominance and threatened to use your precious elements on me, I tried to listen and be a good boy, but there was nothing I can do about this growing power within me, and I just couldn't let you see me in a state of unrest today, so I decided to - for lack of a better word - let it all out."

Celestia stared blankly after Discord concluded his explanation "...May I ask where?"

Discord chuckled awkwardly "Oh, you know, not anywhere important in Equestria, just Baltimare..." He muttered at an inaudible volume as he looked away awkwardly.

Celestia narrowed her eyes "Repeat that, please?"

Discord feigned innocence as he quickly stared back at Celestia with the best poker face he could manage "You heard it from me, Celly, I said Baltimare..." He muttered again, repeating the same gesture of breaking eye contact afterwards.

Celestia was now growing both annoyed and impatient with Discord's stalling. She leered at him "Discord...where did you release your magic?" She asked authoritively.

Discord flinched at her raised volume before groaning "It was Baltimare; the ocean far outside of Horseshoe Bay, to be precise. We've barely had any ships sail onto port as of late ever since the airships took off, and it was an ideal location since absolutely nopony would notice."

Celestia was now both wary and curious as to what Discord would possibly do in the middle of the ocean "May I ask how you've released said magic? Please tell me none of the sea life have been mutated..."

Discord closed his eyes held up his paw and claw with a smug smile "Trust me when I say that I've done nothing of the sort. What I've done was release my magic in the form of an intangible collective capable of unpredictable results." He opened them when he paused "Of course, I say unpredictable in the sense that even I don't know what would happen; the whole release around that area was last minute, and my mind was hazy at the time."

Celestia widened her eyes. An invisible mass of chaotic magic sitting in the middle of the ocean could mean all sorts of trouble if it were left unattended. Any ships out there that would come into contact with it could either sprout wings or warp the minds of the sailors and passengers on board. Her look of shock slowly turned into anger towards Discord as she cast a burning glare in his general direction.

The draconequus stared back before grinning at her "Oh, don't tell me..." He said in amusement before he distanced himself away from Celestia and cleared his throat. Discord held an expression of displeasure similar to the princess in front of him, shaking a pointed talon at her "This action is unacceptable and you know it! This magic could have horrible effects on whoever or whatever comes across it! Head on over to Balitmare and resolve this situation at once before something goes wrong!" He said in a horrible impression of her voice.

Celestia closed her eyes and placed a hoof to her temple in an attempt to calm herself "While the impression of me was unnecessary, you're correct. Please hurry and correct this problem, Discord." She replied in an even tone, though was nearly drained of her tolerance of Discord's antics.

Discord huffed "Well, maybe if you'd let me have my fun in more discrete areas, this wouldn't have happened." He defended before he noticed Celestia levitating a parchment and quill next to her with an expectant glance towards him. The draconequus stared with wide eyes before grinning nervously "One chaotic correction coming up!" He chirped quickly before snapping his talon and winking out of existence.

Celestia set down the quill and parchment and heaved a sigh to herself "It may have been a mistake to trust that he would behave properly now that he's on our side..." She murmured to herself as she rose from her throne and trotted down the red carpet, making for the doors. If there was anything she needed right now, it was a walk to sort herself out and keep her mind in check.

Surprisingly, the doors to the throne room opened to reveal Celestia's younger sister, Princess Luna, who seemed to be in good spirits until she got a good look at her older sister's weary appearance "Sister, are you well? What happened to you?" She asked in mild concern.

Celestia stared at her sister before taking a deep breath "Discord..." She replied, her voice laced with fatigue and disdain. There were times when she regretted coming up with the idea of reforming an untamed spirit of chaos and disharmony for the greater good.
_____

The city of Baltimare, on the eastern edge of Equestria, was a city that was reknown for the many ships that have been made there, as well as its bustling commerce along the harbor. Most of its residents could easily learn the basics of sea travel if they were ever interested, and city itself is active each day.

Around the harbor rested some ships in the water and ponies running stands that sold fishing gear and items seen from faraway places that sold for varying prices. What stopped the harbor's current activity was a certain draconequus appearing in a flash of light from his teleportation spell. He looked around, ignoring the many eyes that were locked on him "Alright, now if I can just try to remember where I went from here, I can hurry up and stop this before Celestia thinks to sic Twilight and her friends at me." He stroked his goatee as he looked down deep in thought "Now I remember traveling out far in the ocean, but since it's invisible..."

Discord stopped to noticed that several eyes were on him, some of which where frightened at his sudden appearance. He stared back before smiling in a cheerful manner "Don't mind me folks, I got places to go and people to see!" He quipped before he flew out of the harbor and over Horseshoe Bay, looking around frantically 'Normally, I'd pat myself on the back or toot my own horn when stuff like this happens...Usually both...But now I feel like tearing myself apart! Where is it!?'

He was growing more nervous until he froze in the sky "Oh wait...I can just sniff it out." Discord smirked until he began to sniff at the air at different directions. He caught a scent east of him "Hrrm, peanut butter and guacamole...Now I know where!" He cheered as he flew towards his acquired scent.

Discord was pleased to know he could manage to track down the source of his stress, but his cheer was replaced with shock when a bright light had spontaneously flashed in front of him, causing him to retreat as he bared his teeth in a mixture of surprise and anxiety. He decided to teleport back towards Baltimare's harbor to wait for the light to die down.

Unfortunately for him, the many citizens of the city had caught the flash of light themselves and began to murmur to one another over the sudden happening.

From what he caught in his vision, there was a green ship with white sails that had the word 'Marine' written in blue on the upper ones with blue birdlike symbols on the lower ones.

Discord lowered the telescope and blinked to himself "Strange...I'd never think for a ship to just randomly appear out of nowhere." He looked in his telescope again, this time zooming in further to see who was on it. Upon further inspection, he found what appeared to be bipedal creatures that were almost as freaky as him in appearance. There appeared to be a balloon with a zipper looking frightened for a short time backing away from an angry man with a bird on his shoulder that flew off.

...Bird on his shoulder...

Discord yelped as he fumbled with his telescope 'Oh Faust help me, I've possibly given birth to a band of chaotic pirates!' He momentarily smirked to himself 'If I hadn't been reformed, I would've undoubtedly patted myself on the back...' He quickly thought before looking nervous again 'But oh no~! Pirates~!'

After thinking to himself, he looked back at the ponies that have been staring at him "Oh...right..." He donned another chipper smile and waved a claw "Nothing to worry about folks, this is just my doing, after all. You know how I am with chaos." He announced reassuringly. After receiving several voices on confirmation, though some had sounded annoyed, he sighed in relief and focused back on the faraway image of the ship 'Okay, at least I've diverted their attention from the ship...Now's the time to go over there and sort things out...' Discord snapped his talons and winked out of existence.
_____

Blueno got a better look at the city in the distance, humming in intrigue "This really is unlike any island we've seen on the Grand Line or anywhere else in the world..."

On the deck, Lucci looked as well with Hattori on his shoulder "Indeed...When would such a place on the East Blue reveal itself to this day if it had remained hidden for so long?"

Kaku frowned, thinking that the image of the city was too good to be true "Everyone, I'm beginning to agree with Kalifa that this could very well be a trap."

Jabra grinned while looking at the far city "Somebody's scared..." He taunted without looking at Kaku.

Lucci shifted his glance towards Kaku "What changed your opinion about our arrival in this field?" He asked inquisitively as Hattori cooed.

Kaku stared back at Lucci briefly before looking ahead at the growing city "Well, the invisible field we've entered in seemed quite ominous, and right now we appear to be in good condition after that blinding light earlier..."

"You feel that we would be surprised by any defenses now that we're inside, correct?" Lucci asked before looking ahead as well "Your feeling is justified; we have to be ready for anything..."

Kalifa pushed her glasses in front of her eyes "All we can do is hope that this island would be willing to take us in. I don't think we have much to worry about as long as we blend in with the crowd."

While the ship was sailing, the group was caught by surprise when another flash of light appeared in front of them, only it had quickly subsided to reveal a floating creature unlike anything seen back on the Grand Line. It appeared to be a serpentine creature with several body parts of different animals including a lion, an eagle, a horse, a dragon, a bat, and a goat. Red mismatched eyes stared at each of them as they easily felt threatened by its sudden appearance and got in their own defensive stances, readying themselves for a fight.

The creature stared before holding up its arms in a defensive motion "Easy now, folks; there's no need for violence." It spoke in a sophisticated male voice "What say we just stop what we're doing and talk this out?"

Lucci narrowed his eyes at the creature "Are you the ruler of the island behind you?"

The creature stared blankly "Island? Wait, are you referring to Baltimare back there?" He said as he pointed a talon behind him. He then chuckled in a friendly manner "Oh no no no, my good man. If I was the ruler of that place, It'd be small potatoes compared to the rest of Equestria."

Kaku piped up with curiosity "Equestria? Is that the name of this area?"

The creature nodded with a smile "He catches on fast!" He quipped before he cleared his throat and took a proper bow while he hovered in front of them "Allow me to introduce myself, my pirate friends; my name is Discord, spirit of Chaos and Disharmony at your service."

Lucci felt insulted to hear that Discord would label him and his allies as the very thing they wished to vanquish before they were cut off from the World Government "We're not pirates..." He stated with hatred clear in his voice.

Discord blinked at Lucci "You're not?" He pointed a claw at Hattori "Then how do you explain the bird on your shoulder? It might not be a parrot, but I know several pirates back then who would own such a pet!"

The silent killer was beginning to lose his patience with Discord and his nonsensical rambling. It was one thing to be taunted by those weaker than him, but to be labeled as a pirate because of the fact that Hattori rested on his shoulder was utterly idiotic. He kept calm as he clarified his point "Be that as it may, none of us are pirates...If you're not the ruler of this area, we'll kindly ask you not to get in our way."

Discord craned his head back "Your way? And just what exactly are you here for, if you don't mind me asking?"

From behind Lucci, Fukuro spoke up impulsively "We're fugitives on the run, chapapa!" He said absentmindedly.

Jabra quickly darted his head to Fukuro with anger plastered on his face "Dammit, Fukuro! The last thing we need is for you to keep flabbing your gums to complete strangers at a time like this!"

Discord chuckled at Fukuro "He seems nice." He said as he lounged in the air, resting his chin on his lion paw and eagle claw "So now that I've introduced myself, what say you do the same? Common etiquette, wouldn't you agree?"

Jabra diverted his attention from Fukuro to stare at Discord defensively "What if we don't want to?" He snapped.

Discord smirked playfully "Well, I already know that all of you are fugitives, so perhaps I'll be willing to help you out after I hear of both your names and your stories..." he said as he raised an eyebrow "That is, unless you'll actually prove my point that you're all-"

"Rob Lucci..." Lucci interrupted tersely. He could not handle being called a pirate again by a random creature who hindered his trail. Moreso, if he was telling the truth, the least he could do was grant him the small courtesy of his name; although, he knew that Discord had no reason whatsoever to know of his past.

Discord smiled down at the silent killer "A nice name, if I've ever heard one..." He looked over at the group behind him "How about the rest of you?"

Fukuro instantly spoke up again "I'm the gossip-loving silent owl, Fukuro, chapapa!" He grunted when he felt his mouth being forcefully zipped shut by an angry Jabra. To Discord, his name seemed more than contradictory than it sounded.

Kaku hummed before he donned a thin smile "A pleasure to meet you; my name is Kaku."

From the crow's nest, Kumadori hopped down and landed next to Fukuro as he struck a pose while holding his shakujo "Yoyoi~! My name is~..."

Discord stared at Kumadori blankly "What?"

Kumadori waved his free hand "My name is~..."

Discord tilted his head "Who?"

Kumadori focused his open eye as he bared his teeth "My name is~..."

Found in Discord's lion paw was a fine gramophone with the needle on the record. He used his eagle claw to move the record a couple of times, making a scratching sound with an amused smile on his face. He then earned the confused expressions of the fugitives in front of him, grinning sheepishly as he snapped his talons and made the gramophone vanish "Sorry, force of habit." He chirped before turning to Kumadori "Continue."

The kabuki performer spun his shaukjo and struck another pose, hopping backward on the leg he stood on "Kumadori~!" Discord smiled at Kumadori after his introduction. He seemed to be quite the character out of the group he was in.

Blueno stared at Discord and gave a curt nod "My name is Blueno. Nice to meet you." He greeted halfheartedly. Blueno felt inwardly awkward to converse with a random creature in the middle of the ocean capable of all sorts of feats. That, and he on the verge of siding with Kaku and Kalifa into thinking this was some kind of trap.

Kalifa stared up at Discord "My name Kalifa; that's all you need to know." She stated firmly.

Discord eyed to Kalifa curiously "Oh? And what if I wished to know more about you?"

Kalifa stared before turning away, pushing her glasses in front of her eyes "That's sexual harassment..." She said dryly.

Discord flinched before staring awkwardly at Kalifa 'Oh dear...We got a feminist on board...'

Jabra grumbled at how everyone else was willing to get introductions out of the way before he sighed and crossed his arms, staring at Discord "I'm Jabra." He grinned briefly "And I must say you look pretty goofy; Even more goofy than the giraffe and the cat!"

Discord shrugged nonchalantly "Well, it wouldn't be the first time a draconequus like myself has received negative feedback about my appearance." He then pointed at the rest of the group "But I'm more worried about the lot of you if everypony ever caught a glimpse of your faces. Let me tell you, you'll be met with all sorts of reactions once you reach Baltimare's harbor."

Kaku blinked "Wait a minute...Everypony? What are you getting at?"

Discord frowned "What's not to get? Everypony would be surprised to see a bunch of...of..." He stroked his goatee "Mind informing me of your species, please? Unless you're all just animal hybrids of sorts."

Kaku held up his hands "We're known as humans. When you say 'everypony', are you referring to ponies as if they were a race here?"

Discord nodded "But of course. Do you not have ponies where you come from?"

Fukuro unzipped his mouth to speak up "Not the ones you're referring to. We only have the ones we use for transportation, chapapa."

Discord winced "Now I know you'll earn some instant notoriety..." He offered another smile shortly after "What say I help you out of your little conundrum? You were obviously born from my chaos magic, so all I have to do is hide you back at Canterlot and Celestia won't have to know until one of you decides to reveal yourselves to her."

Jabra pointed a thumb to Fukuro, a deadpan expression on his face "Then you're shit out of luck with him around..."

Blueno arched an eyebrow at Discord "Born from your chaos magic? We crossed an invisible field leading to this place."

Discord perked up at Blueno's small explanation and held out a claw in a stopping motion "Hang on a moment there. Did you say you 'crossed an invisible field'? As in you sailed into my hidden pile of chaos magic as if it were some kind of portal?" He leaned into Lucci's face "Where are you from?"

Lucci was irritated by Discord feeling the need to breach his personal space; it had almost reminded the silent killer of him "That is none of your concern...All you need to know is that we're fugitives..." Hattori glared at Discord along with his owner.

Fukuro went to speak, only to be tackled and have his mouth forcibly zipped shut by Jabra "No you fucking don't!" He shouted as he held Fukuro down

Discord frowned at Lucci's indifferent attitude, but then smiled mischievously "Well, if you're gonna be like that, then I'll have you know that while I'm not the ruler of Equestria, I basically have as much, if not more power than the current ones." He smugly turned his back on him "In fact, seeing as how you trespassed here in our sacred land, it's only proper that you state your business so that I could do my best to help you out." He looked back at Lucci with a smirk "It's only proper, wouldn't you say?"

Kumadori hopped up next to Lucci and Kaku "Yoyoi~! We're at the mercy of a for-foreign demon~!"

"Meh, I've been called worse..." Discord muttered under his breath.

"There is no other option than to either retreat to the beaten path behind us~, or heed his words lest we seek oblivion~!" Kumadori explained as he shed a tear from his closed eye.

Lucci leered at Kumadori, but then scoffed, realizing that he had a small point to his explanation; by leaving Equestria, it would mean going back to the East Blue where he and his friends could be easily tracked at sea and be forced to fight any Marine ship that would dare to cross them until they were out of energy. He looked up at Discord "You already know we're fugitives...We're being tracked down by those whom we've formerly considered to be our subordinates. After a break-in we were unable to stop, our superiors have acted unaccordingly and chose to pin the blame on us...All of us are avoiding them for the time being while simultaneously swearing revenge on the one responsible for our situation..."

Fukuro managed to open part of his mouth while Jabra was tussling with him "His name is Spandam, chapa-" He grunted when the boisterous man was forcing the zipper over his lips.

Discord nodded in confirmation "I see, so you've all been unfairly laid off by your superiors and are now pegged as wanted criminals." He beamed "That's excellent!" He spread his arms "You're not just a group of misfits; you're a group of misunderstood misfits!" Discord shook a talon "I'm willing to offer you folks a chance to keep a low profile if you're willing to accept."

Kaku glanced up at Discord hopefully "You would do that for us?"

Discord crossed his arms "It's just the kind of guy I am. For a group of folks on the lamb, you're all quite the animated bunch." He smirked "So here's what I'm going to do: I'll take you back to Canterlot with me, where you'll have to be on your best behavior while resting under my wing. In other words, just listen to what I say for the time being and everything will be fine." He cupped his claws together "Rest assured, you'll be properly nourished and shall have a roof over your heads so long as each of you act accordingly."

Jabra ceased his tussling to look over at Discord with disbelief "You're actually gonna do that for us? We're in your debt if you're gonna take us in!"

While Discord's offer was uplifting for the former agents, Lucci's expression remained unchanged "We'll agree to your offer for now; I say this because we don't intend on staying here for long." He stated in a leveled tone.

Discord stared at Lucci before snickering "Honestly, you'd make for a good actor in a movie; a real mare's stallion, let me tell you."

Jabra snickered as well "That's implying that this little cat would be willing to get with a pony!" He said as he burst out laughing at his own joke.

Kalifa sighed at Jabra's jabbering and spoke up "Will you lead us to this Canterlot then? We're willing to walk if it's anywhere near Baltimare."

Discord chuckled "Oh naive little lady..."

"That's sexual harassment..."

"Canterlot is very far from your current destination, but why walk when we can just wink our way there?" Discord asked rhetorically.

Blueno stared at Discord "...Wink?" He asked cautiously.

Discord nodded "Yes, wink. There's no point in parking your ship when we can just teleport there at the blink of an eye." He pointed a claw "Metaphorically speaking, of course. I'll be providing the transport while the rest of you must join hands."

Trading glances amongst themselves, the former agents nodded and complied to Discord's request, wondering how Discord would handle the matter of transportation. With a grin on his face, the draconequus hovered above the group and snapped his talons, and everyone disappeared in a flash of light, leaving the Marine ship floating out at sea.
_____

Celestia trotted by herself through the halls of her castle, enjoying a nice walk to compose herself before going back to her royal duties. She should remember to contact Twilight as well, knowing that she needs to let her know about what responsibilities she will take as a princess.

The solar princess let out a sigh when she thought about Discord and his chaotic debacle, but then realized that when he mentioned his growing power needing to be released in order to maintain stability within himself, she felt that maybe she should try and consider to allow him access to some areas where he could have some fun without causing problems around anypony.

After her small talk with her sister earlier, Luna was just as annoyed about Discord and his tomfoolery despite his reason for causing so much chaos recently. Celestia smiled to herself at the thought of him actually sorting something out again by himself, even if she had to coax him into doing so; perhaps she needs to pay more attention to him and show him where to use his powers for good in order to ensure that his reformation is absolute.

As she reached the doors to the ballroom, she decided to go inside and view the architecture and think to herself before resuming her walk. She activated her horn and enveloped the door handles with her glorious golden magic to which she gently pushed them open to show the ballroom's interior.

What she did not expect was finding Discord with a group of misfits that stared back at her; some stared blankly while others stared in shock; two of them just stared. Out of all of the random acts she had seen Discord commit, this one had topped them all. Though they varied in height, all of them were much taller than the average pony. While the sight was interesting, she wasn't fond of it, and she could easily tell that the others felt the same way. One word coursed through the minds of each individual inside of the ballroom.

"...What?"

"...Yoyoi~..."
"...Chapapa..."