A/N: REVIEW FOR IT FEEDS THE ETERNAL ENGINE OF CREATION!

Seriously though, they're the only reward I get for writing these days. I don't get paid to do this, sadly...

Been awhile, but I'm back!

Blame the trolls-Doom Marine 54-for my absence. Now I've returned with thicker skin and a band of helpful co-writers to help me get my stories up off the ground and back to their former glory. It really does help to have folks like Dylan Millwood, Agurra of the Darkness, Greyblueflames98 and the like there to help. If I've forgotten to name anyone, I apologize. Its a bit of a long list!

Oh, and Doom, if you keep harassing us with your sock puppet accounts and keep telling ME to kill myself, we'll just have to keep blocking you.

No hard feelings, you little troll =D

Also, I'm very tired right now so it really helps to sit down and read all those wonderful reviews after a long day at work. Really keeps my engine going; if someone leaves an exceptionally good one, I'm able to feel inspired and keep writing for week on end =D

Yo! AND THE REQUEST YEARS ROLL ON AND ON AND OOOOOON~!

You guys may want to reread the last few chapters, else you're going to be confused.

Now...

CRY HAVOC, LET SLIP THE DOGS OF WAR, AND CAST YER VOTES FOR WHAT YE WISH TO HAPPEN!

Sorry if its short, but I'm trying to get back into the swing of things after being away for so long.

Think of this as an interlude of sorts, an update on what Naruto, Sasuke, and Kurotsuchi were up to while Sakura and Whitebeard wrecked Mariejos. Poor Vivi's going to be in for quite a shock when she and the Strawhats finally make it to Alabasta...

...and is it just me, or does anyone else want to see Naruto and co. take on Spandam and CP9?

Oh, that'd be a fun fight to see...

One last thing...

...surprise!

"So you can turn to sand. That's adorable. Tell me...

...what happens when we turn that sand of yours to glass?"

~?

Kill the Warlord (Interlude)

"So you've betrayed me, Nico Robin?!"

If the famed "Devil of Ohara" was at all wounded by her ex-benefactor's statement, she did little to show it. On the contrary, the sight of the great Crocodile in chains warmed her heart in a way few could these days. Having all but abandoned any notion of an ordinary life from the age of eight, she worked under a number of loathsome individuals in the past just to survive. Whenever they grew tired of her-as criminals often did-she'd simply abandoned or betrayed them to the authorities; always fleeing before she could witness the consequences of her own actions.

Now she found herself witnessing the consequences of her actions firsthand, yet without fear of retribution.

It was rather...satisfying, all things considered.

"Betrayal is such a harsh word, dear." the tan woman hummed, crossing her legs in her chair as she sifted through a fresh stack of papers. I was never on your side to begin with. How can you betray something when you never believed in it to begin with?" That he thought she owed loyalty to him of all people was laughable. Her life in Baroque Works may have been a luxurious one, but it was still a far cry from pleasant. Yet for all his flaws and cruel sadism, the Warlord kept meticulous records on his enemies. She supposed she ought to be thankful for that, at least.

Countless hands rifled through heaps of documents, filing away items of interest, burning others.

"I'll kill you for this!"

Aqua orbs regarded him coldly.

"I'm afraid my new friends won't allow that."

"You blasted devil!" he roared! "You'll regret this mistake-UGACH?!"

"Right, right," Naruto's cheery voice chirped from across the room, "That's enough of you, alligator."

The man's expression bordered on apoplectic.

"IT'S CROCODILE, YOU FOOL!"

"I'm sorry, what was that, alligator?"

"Aaargh!"

"Stop poking the shichibukia, Naruto." Sasuke's reply carried from one of the lower floors, "You're liable to give him a heart attack."

"Tch. Fine." the blond groused. "Just kill all the fun. Put it in camps why don't you, duck-butt...

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

Robin stifled a small smile.

There was certainly something to be said about the blond; he spoke his mind and didn't give a damn what others thought about him. Unlike his compatriots who preferred violence to silence, the whiskered warrior wasn't afraid to offer his opinion when needed. Indeed, while Sasuke and Kurotsuchi tasked themselves with keeping Crocodile immobile, he seemed all too eager to help her rip apart the man's palace and scatter his riches to the winds. Ah, speaking of winds...

"Whiskers-san?"

Naruto's head poked around the corner.

"Hmm? Find anything good in the mass, Robin-chan?"

The casual suffix almost drew a small blink from the older woman. Oh, my. If she hadn't known better she might've mistaken his remark for flattery. Alas, she didn't think her shinobi escort was remotely capable of such things. Perhaps his more stoic companion, but she found herself drawn to this one's youthful innocence regardless.

A hand sprouted from the shelf beside him, presenting him with a sheaf of paper.

"I believe these are the documents your team was searching for. All the information Crocodile collected pertaining to the Seven Warlords is contained within."

As she looked on, those blue eyes lit up like fireworks.

"Oho~! This is perfect! I knew we made a good decision teaming up with you!"

Crocodile stirred underfoot.

"Give those back! They're mine!"

Naruto nudged him with a sandaled foot.

"Riiiiiiight, keep telling yourself that, alligator."

Alright, now the whiskered warrior was just trolling her former employer...

"Shinobi! You wouldn't talk so big if I wasn't cuffed!"

"Is that so?"

In response, the earthen prison sheathing his body tightened around him; further entrapping his form. For all his struggles his flailing only further encased him in the cocoon. Bloodshot eyes regarded his captors with a thin veil of scorn, his own fury narrowly serving to conceal the

Kurotsuchi smiled disarmingly.

"Ninja don't play fair, bub."

Bloodied and battered by the brief brawl that had taken him from the height of his power, the infamous Shichibukai lacked the strength to back up his threats. Bound as he was, the defeated warlord could only glower up at the archaeologist from where he lay on the floor. Try though he might his power refused to come to him, stifled by the Seastone shackles clamped around his forearms. Had that been the sole problem he would've fought his way free and found one of his subordinates to remove them. But therein lay the rub. He found himself unable to move. Even the act of breathing required an almost monumental effort on his part.

How could this have happened?!

He'd been careful-oh so terribly cautious in his machinations-painstakingly moving his pawns into position. Years of scheming, all undone in an instant. His network scattered, operatives flung to the winds. Even now he had no way of knowing who had gone into hiding or worse, who might've turned the coat. Surely someone else must've betrayed him; else this coup wouldn't have been so successful. A night attack, followed by a quick scuffle, then these blasted cuffs. He hadn't even sensed them coming! If only he could find a way to escape...

Sasuke sighed.

"So? What should we do with him?" a hand fell to the hilt of his blade. "Killing him sounds about right, I say. He made us work for this."

Crocodile swallowed thickly.

"You wouldn't dare, you broody little-

"Bah, we've already exposed his plot." Naruto disagreed, talking over the enraged mobster. "Let the people decide. Give him to the king...

...who thinks we're little more than terrorists, remember?" Kurotsuchi chimed in sweetly. "We weren't subtle."

"Alright, I admit we didn't plan that part out, but we've got the bastard now, so-

"WHERE ARE YOU YOU DAMN CROCODILE! STOP RUINING VIVI'S COUNTRY!"

A distant shout in the streets overrode whatever else he said.

Robin arched a gentle brow.

"Ara, it appears we have company." craning her elegant neck, she turned to regard a window. "That sounds like Strawhat Luffy, out there. I'm amazed they found this place so...quickly."

The ninja trio exchanged a baffled, disbelieving look amongst themselves.

"Who the hell are the Strawhats?"

A/N: Phew! Writing while sick isn't fun. The heat isn't helping, especially considering I live down south.

Still, an interlude is better than nothing, and I plan to update again-more than once!-before the summer is through.

Let's face it, few people ever die in One Piece, but there will be deaths in this story. Hell, two people died in the first chapter! Some may live, while others perish. For example, we all thought Ino and Shikamaru were dead, but they turned out to be alright...even if the former's in a coma at the moment. Who knows? If Choji IS somehow alive, knowing his luck, he probably wound up in Big Mom's territory, knowing his luck.

THE HORROR.

If you think this story is zany now, just wait till the next chapter. Also, I've got a damn good idea of what Crocodile's "secret" is, so the first preview should give a hint as to what I intend to do with that bugger...

On another note, Naruto and co. aren't trying to get in the way of the Strawhats, and I don't believe they'll stick with them for long. They've got their own mission to accomplish, of course. At present, that entials capturing/killing every Warlord they come across. Furthermore, shinobi intervention has drastically changed the One Piece world as we know it, setting some events into motion earlier than others, and preventing certain scenarios from appearing altogether.

As to everything else...

...well, you'll just have to wait and see, won't you? I promise, next chapter will have more of the promised humor, fear not! And we get into pairings...MWAHAHAHAHA!

So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...

..Review, Would You Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview! They are a bit rough, mind you, so I hope you'll excuse any errors. And to those who dislike previews, simple. If you don't want to read them, then don't. But isn't it easier just to give in? Come to the dark side...

...we have cookies! 8D

Next chapter we get to see Shanks!

And the Strawhats of course.

Next time: Kill the Marines!

(Previews Ahoy!)

"Hee-haw! Its been awhile, Croco-boy!"

"Gack! Who the hell're you?!"

"How rude!"

Smoker bristled.

"Surrender Nico Robin at once!"

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a look.

"Right, that does it. They're all getting a bijudama to the face."

"Not if I burn down those ships first."

Kurotsuchi groaned. "Boys!"

Naruto sniffed, preening at the praise.

"Hehehe, a hero always find a way out of a tough spot, ya know-WHY'RE YA HUGGING ME?!"

"He doesn't look like much."

Naruto clamped a hand over his mouth in a vain attempt to stifle his laughter. Even then his shoulders shook mightily, his whiskered visage turning red as he struggled to contain his mirth.

Nami and Kurotsuchi simultaneously face-palmed.

"Oi."

Zoro frowned.

...hey, ninja! You know how to use that sword?"

At that remark, Sasuke's right eye began to twitch violently.

"Don't you have three? Overcompensating for something, perhaps?"

In an instant, the two men were at one another's throats, blades blared to harsh afternoon sunlight.

"I'LL CUT YOU!"

"Bring it on!"

"Aaargh! Baka! What were you thinking?!"

"He was annoying. So I punched him."

"Naruto!"

"You must be joking."

Baby Five offered a small smile.

"Mercy?"

"Let me think about-no."

R&R~! =D