Thanks for your patience on this chapter! I'm really excited for what's planned for this arc, hope you guys are too!

No matter how hard he kicked the thick blankets around that night, Sunny couldn't drift off to sleep. His muscles ached with all the walking they had done that day but his mind raced. Maybe it was the sheer troubled energy radiating from Vivi, who was laying awake in her sleeping bag on one of the beds, looking at the ceiling as if had the key to stopping the rebel's plans.

Toto had cried tears of joy when he'd realized Vivi was their princess. Hope. Maybe that hope had translated to more guilt in Vivi or maybe it had steeled her resolve to settle the conflict without fighting. Whichever way she wanted it to go, Toto had told them of the rebel's plan to attack Alubarna, and the rebel leader had been her childhood friend. In all, it was creating such a complicated web of problems Sunny couldn't help but scrabble his paws across his face in frustration and give up trying to figure her out.

He knew better than to disturb her like this, so he left her alone with her thoughts. But finally, after trying to snuggle up under the thick blankets of no less than three of his crewmates and not being able to lie still, Sunny staggered grumpily out of Toto's house into the freezing night.

Thankfully, it didn't come close to the frigid and horrible experience that had been Drum's weather, and it helped that the air was dry and still. A blaze on his back was just enough to keep the cold to a bearable level. It didn't take long at all to find what had enticed him out of the warmer building in the first place.

"Hey stop! You're getting sand in my hole! Are you trying to fill up my hole?"

"No, I'm trying to dig?"

The quarreling voices of Luffy and Toto came from inside the hole they'd seen Toto next to just an hour or two ago. Sunny peered over the edge, careful of not falling in. His mouth hung open in surprise. The trench had been dug out several more feet all across. They hadn't been crouching as Sunny had assumed when he couldn't see their heads, the hole had been dug that deep. Sunny hadn't even realized that his captain hadn't joined them in the house until he'd attempted to seek him out.

"Yes, I know that but you're getting sand in my hole! There's no point in digging if you fill up the hole I'm digging!" the old man tried to reason.

Luffy's face was the picture of confusion. "Ohh. So your hole is some kind of magic hole is what you're saying?"

Taking pity on the old man's sanity, Sunny chose then to slide down the side of the trench and tap on the old man's leg. The man startled slightly to see him.

"May I?" Sunny asked, peering down pointedly at the now-shallow hole they were standing in. Luffy's head popped up from his chin-height hole to watch Sunny. His captain had sand in his hair and on his face though he didn't seem to notice.

Somewhat confused, the man stepped out of his hole to make room for the fire-type as he took a step forward into the old man's space and herded him out. Luffy gave his lieutenant of fire a wide grin a moment before the latter started to dig.

Scooping with both paws, Sunny easily pulled back the loose sand from Luffy's digging. It was softer, hadn't settled or stuck together yet, and within a handful of seconds, he reached past that point. More packed sand was coming up in pawfuls, not able to be thrown out of the hole anymore but efficiently and tightly packed against the side with his backlegs the same way he did to prevent collapse when burrowing. It was second nature to him, and it kept his progress from being interrupted by backsliding.

It wasn't long before he was starting to tire and the hole only got deeper, narrower, and colder. He paused, looking up at the edge of the hole at least five body-lengths above him.

Luffy's face suddenly appeared. "Is everything okay down there?"

"Yeah, it's just getting damper," Sunny huffed, shaking moist sand off one of his paws.

Luffy's grin returned. "That means water, right? Okay, I'm going to work on my digging too!" Luffy disappeared from a view. A few moments later, Sunny was hit with a small wave of sand, followed by admonishment from Toto, and thankfully no more sand raining down on him.

Sunny could feel through his paws the rapid shoveling Luffy was doing on his end took up his again. The digging wasn't solving the problems the crew would be dealing with it, but the repetitions felt cathartic and moved it to the back of his mind.

There was silence for a couple minutes as all three continued to dig before Sunny noticed the deepest part of the hole was slowly filling with water. Sunny pounced on the spot, ignoring the uncomfortable sensation of wet paws. Pulling, pulling, pulling sand away from the water until he was standing in water that was four inches deep and just tickled the tip of his nose. It was only then that he tried to back up, remembering that he very much did not like water.

After he called them over, Sunny shook out his fur, reigniting his fire to fend away the bitter chill in his legs despite the exercise he'd just gotten.

Luffy stretched his arm to pull Sunny out."Good work, Sunny!" Luffy cheered, patting his head before letting him go with a gentle toss. Sunny stumbled slightly, making him take a couple steps back toward the house to regain balance and looking back at Luffy. "Now go back to bed, let me handle the rest! Shishishi."

Sunny found his usual place on top of Zoro's chest and was finally able to rest.

The next day, Luffy was presented with a barrel of water and Toto's hearty thanks. Luffy had dug until he fell asleep, and Toto had been able to not only provide them with three small barrels, but enough for everyone to drink their fill before they left.

The crew and the princess said their goodbyes and moved on. Everyone was quiet, set on their mission, and saving their energy for another day of braving the sun's heat.

Luffy abruptly sat down on the hot sand, crossing his arms. "I quit."

The rest of the crew's heads whipped around to stare at their captain. "Luffy?"

"I quit."

"You quit! What do you mean, Luffy?" Vivi cried out.

"We don't have time for your stupid games now, Luffy!" Nami yelled at him as the group trudged back to their captain. "Get up!"

"We're going back," Luffy said.

"Yeah, we're hours away from the rebel base. If the million citizens of this country clash, it's all over!" Sanji growled, stopping a few paces from where the captain was stubbornly seated. "This is for Vivi! Come on, let's go!"

"No, that's boring."

Sunny growled nervously at the tension skyrocketing in the group. He gave a quick hiss, steam escaping his mouth in a puff.

"What did you say-" Sanji bit into his cigarette.

Luffy gave him a mild, blank look before turning to the princess. "Vivi."

"What?"

"I want to beat the hell out of Crocodile! If we stop the guys who are rebelling will that stop Crocodile? We can't do anything even if we just find the rebels. We're pirates. You'd be better off without us."

Next to Sunny, some of the fight left Sanji's shoulders. "He's not wrong."

When Vivi was too shocked to piece intelligible words together, Luffy spoke up again.

"You just don't want anyone to die in this war! This countries' people, us, or anyone! We're facing one of the Warlords and a war of a million people and you still aren't accepting that anyone will die! Stop being so naïve."

"Luffy! Consider how Vivi feels," Nami yelled desperately.

"What-what's wrong with that!" Vivi screamed. "What's wrong with not wanting people to die?"

"People die."

Sunny, nor anyone else on the crew had time to react before Vivi lunged toward Luffy. The only one who could have reacted in time was the one facing the punch. It connected with his cheek, slamming him backward into the sand. Sunny hadn't known Vivi was as strong as she was. Ever since she'd revealed herself as the princess, she had taken to pacifism every time she could. Maybe even before that, she'd been holding back. Restraining herself, maintaining a degree of separation, of royalty, benevolence. "Stop talking like that! Don't you dare say that again! That's what we're trying to stop! The rebels aren't our enemies! Why should anyone die! This is all Crocodile's fault!"

"Then why are you risking your life!" Luffy yelled back, swinging with his own fist and catching Vivi across the face.

"That's going too far!"

"DAMNIT LUFFY!" Sanji yelled. He was only anchored from taking steps forward by Sunny, who had wrapped his paws around his leg in shock.

"EVEN I CAN TELL WHAT THIS COUNTRY NEEDS THE MOST JUST BY LOOKING AT IT!" Luffy yelled as he and Vivi began to brawl on the ground, both fighting for an upper hand in their rage. "YOU THINK YOUR LIFE ALONE IS ENOUGH!"

"I DON'T EVER WANT TO HEAR SOMEONE SAY 'I'LL DIE FOR YOU' AGAIN!" Vivi shrieked back in Luffy's face, shoving at him.

The rage on Luffy's face shifted to determination, he stopped trying to fight her, holding himself up over her. "We're friends, Vivi! We don't need to say it!"

Vivi released breath she hadn't realized she had left. "That's not what I w-"

"Each one of us signed up for this, flying under a jolly roger. Pirates don't fight for countries, we fight for what's in front of us, and here you are." Luffy leaned back to sit. Vivi pulled herself back and sat too, huffing for breath. Luffy graced her with a wide grin. "Sorry, but that's all there is to it."

Tears began to leak out of Vivi's eyes, regardless to how badly she fought them.

"Look at you," Luffy sighed. "You're crying. You're the one who wants to kill Crocodile the most, after all. Tell us where he is."

Vivi's teeth bit into her lip a little before she gave a small nod. "We don't have long. Rainbase almost a full day's walk. We'll get there by tomorrow morning."

"Kouza, everything is prepared."

"Good," the rebel leader said, stepping forward in front of the assembled rebels. "Tell the men to start marching. We mount a full-scale attack on the capital now."

Pell, in his falcon form flies over the buildings in Nanohana and out toward the river, far in the distance, will be Rainbase. In several hours, the royal guard will also be deployed. They have one goal: crush Crocodile.

Time Remaining until Baroque Works' Project Utopia: 36 minutes

"Alright! Time to kick Crocodile's ass!" Luffy cheered, raising his fists up as they approached Rainbase the next morning.

"Didn't you listen to what I just said? He'll know that we're coming and we'll need to make a plan!" Usopp yelped.

Sunny turned his head back to look at the sniper. "We'll find him, not get killed, and kick Crocodile's ass?" He posited thoughtfully.

"No, I mean yes-but no!" Usopp bemoaned dramatically. "You two are useless as strategists."

"That's a good plan, Sunny! We definitely should all try to live," Luffy affirmed.

"Actually, Usopp," Vivi cut in, "I think I agree with Luffy here. We don't have much time left. A direct approach may be best here. Luffy may actually be seeing the situation more clearly-"

"Hey Usopp, I have an even better plan!" Luffy said, grinning and pointing to a restaurant they were just passing.

Usopp, Luffy, and Sunny volunteered to go inside and bring out barrels of water in the crew, the three charging in before Nami could warn them not to cause trouble.

"Aahh! We can finally drink water, Usopp!" Luffy cheered, walking into the bar.

"WADUR!" Usopp gasped.

They took two available seats next to another pair and hurriedly ordered several barrels of water. Sunny scrambled a little when he realized the boys had taken the only two remaining seats on that side and the only other seats available were on the other side of the couple. Sunny, now an experienced pirate with a bounty couldn't just sit in his crewmate's laps, so he huffed, standing himself up to his full height and squared his shoulders, hopping up to the bar seat on next to the strangers. He pointedly looked straight ahead, sure that this would save him from any kind of awkward situation. It seemed the couple, who were caught up in a conversation about the state of the country and didn't look up at him, even as he peeked out of the corner of his eye to see the man and woman. By the smell the man he was sitting next to was smoking indoors. Sunny paused a moment...then gestured to the tap when the glamorous bartender came by. To his surprise, the woman didn't seem to care that he was effectively a burrowing animal ordering a drink and put a glass of water in front of him before moving on. Sunny took a long, contented sip.

"I really can't figure out why the princess is traveling with the Strawhats..." This time, the man's words were met this time to a silent room.

Suddenly, Sunny, along with Usopp and Luffy were capable of hydro blasts, spit-taking on Marine Captain Smoker and his Lieutenant Tashigi in unison. Sunny fell off the barstool backwards in his fright, scrabbling for the door with the other two as Smoker shouted for back-up.

"W-why is this happening again?" Sunny wailed as they charged toward the entrance of the bar. Were no restaurants safe?

"Why the hell are there Marines here?" Luffy yelled, making it out of the restaurant just barely ducking under a slap from the lady bartender at the door, instead missing and hitting Smoker full in the face.

"Not without paying, you don't!" She screeched.

Nami's wave at seeing them quickly morphed to pure terror as the three rounded the corner with a stampede of marines close behind.

"Those damn idiots! Everybody, run! Marines!" Nami yelped, as Luffy, Usopp and Sunny caught up to the group. "Pair up! Get to Rain Dinners! Luffy-Rain Dinners!"

The Marines, along with Smoker and Tashigi, on their tail sent the Strawhats sprinting in all directions in the chaos. Sunny hurtled off blindly after seeing Zoro and Vivi go one direction, Nami and Usopp in another, and only realizing he was following behind Sanji when his head of blond hair took a sharp turn, clearly looking for the other members of the group. Evidently, he hadn't even noticed Sunny.

Moron! Sunny mentally dragged a paw across his face in exasperation. How did Sanji always end up splitting off from the rest of the group? Sunny attempted to follow into the alley but, seeing a dozen marines charge in after the cook, kept running. Life was hard enough for a cyndaquil without adding in two dozen feet to trample him in a small space. Besides, they weren't fighting. It would draw in too much attention and time was running out.

What had Vivi said? Rain Dinners was a tacky casino built in the middle of Rainbase. That didn't sound too difficult to find. Sunny risked a glance behind him and nearly jumped out of his skin to see Tashigi not five feet behind him, sword drawn and at her side. Squeezing his eyes tight, he pushed to his maximum speed, lengthening the distance between them just slightly. It was then that he realized that he was sprinting straight toward a river, cutting right through the city itself.

A river? We were just in the desert, no fair! Sunny thought as he desperately tried to find footing as he shifted in preparation to sprint in another direction. His tiny paws flew out from under him, sending him into the high curb built along the river's edge at a thankfully reduced speed.

A split-second later, Tashigi's sword was under his chin. He was standing, and held his head a little higher with a gulp. With his back against the curb, there was nowhere for him to escape to with risking decapitation.

"So this is how it ends for a pirate, huh?" Sunny sniffed, managing to keep his voice from trembling even if his legs did.

Tashigi's face, which had been scary when she was chasing him, was dramatically shifting. Her eyebrows were furrowed in determination but her lower lip was now shaking slightly and her face was turning pink? Her eyes were getting strangely watery too. There was a sudden movement to her blade, and Sunny stiffened, sure he was finished.

When he summoned the courage to open his eyes, he saw Tashigi sheathing her blade, sweat beading her forehead. She wasn't even looking in Sunny's direction. "T-the Marines have a rule against arresting anyone under twenty pounds. So even if you appear to be colluding with the Strawhats, I have to assume that you are not, in fact, the Strawhat's pet, or else I'd have to arrest you."

"You're...letting me go?" Sunny ventured, nose twitching. Never in his life had he been given a free pass due to his size.

"I was pursuing who I thought was an affiliate of the Strawhat Pirates but it was actually a shrew," Tashigi continued, nodding to herself.

Sunny was about to make a break for it when something made him stop in his tracks, bristle, and arch his back like a cat.

"Lieutenant!" Smoker shouted, running up to them with a peeved expression. Tashigi yelped, freezing as Sunny had.

"Ah-ah-Captain Smoker!" She performed a rigid salute. "I was just arresting this pirate, sir!"

Smoker slowed to a stop in front of Tashigi, looking both of them over. "See that you do, Lieutenant, now! I won't allow Strawhat to escape this time." Smoker grit out.

"R-right!" Tashigi pulled out her set of cuffs and turned to Sunny.

"Sorry, little-" Tashigi choked on her words. She froze and with her face now so close to Sunny's, he could read every bit of shock and terror on her face. She choked, sputtered, and coughed blood. Sunny's red eyes mirrored her's, opening in shock as a drop of blood landed on his snout and Tashigi pitched forward on her hands and elbows. The glint of a blade buried in Tashigi's gut was visible as she landed.

This story made it to the top 250 One Piece fics and I have all of you to thank for it, and I'm showing my appreciation by leaving you with a cliffhanger lol (oops). Let me know what you think!