Chapter Text
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The day was going great… until it wasn’t. Now Kimika was waking up with a pounding headache, in a box the size of her closet, with three strangers. She heard them mutter and as she tried to move her hands, she realised she was shackled to the floor. Shit she thought I’m stuck as they muttered amongst themselves. Her eyes adjusted to the dimness of the box as she listened to them converse.
“We’ll be lucky if the Marines don’t throw us in jail.” The orange-haired girl muttered to the green-haired boy and the other one- she couldn’t see his face. She tugged repeatedly at the chain in a desperate attempt to break free. The quiet muttering stopped as they all turned to face her. Awkwardly, she stopped pulling at her chain, and with as much dignity as she could muster she said, “Where are we? Who are you?”
“We’re in a box.” The third person said plainly. Kimika turned to the person and rolled her eyes. “No, duh idiot, I’m asking where we are-” She paused abruptly as her eyes finally took in the person in front of her, “Luffy?!”
The boy paused for a second, his eyes roving over her, trying to pull a name out of his memory. He smiled brightly, “CIRCE?! How’ve you been?”
“Tied up currently.” She replied, shaking her shackles as proof, “Let me get out of these quickly.” She inspected the shackle for a second before pulling her arms outwards with as much force as possible. The cuffs shattered in the middle with a loud clank as the metal fell to the floor. “Rusty handcuffs. I’ve used better.” She scoffed, kicking them into a dark corner of the box. “How are you?” She smiled before crushing him in a hug, “Still stretchy, I see. You’ve gotten taller too.”
“I’m good. Guess what? I’m a pirate now.” He said, beaming at her, “Been one for all of three days.”
“That’s amazing Lulu.” Kimika laughed, pinching his cheeks, “I knew you’d do it.”
“Yesh,” he said, slurring as she pulled his cheeks, stretching them out widely, “I’mf gonna bee de king off de pirates.”
“I know you can do it, Luffy.” Kimika grinned, letting go of his elastic cheeks.
“You’re not a pirate.” The ginger girl scoffed, “You’re just some stretchy guy with a tattered hat.”
“That’s not what Circe said.” Luffy responded, rubbing his sore cheeks, “Besides, I’m a different kind of pirate.”
“Pirates are pirates; they always will be- Wait. Did you say Circe?” The girl paused. “As in the famous magician and escape artist Circe. The purple-haired Circe? Circe the next owner of the multimillion berry circus troupe? The East Blue Lotus?” Even the green haired boy next to her raised an eyebrow at that description.
“Technically, I won’t own the troupe. I just help run and plan our shows sometimes. But I do have purple hair if that helps.” She replied coolly. What an awkward place to meet a fan. The girl clasped her hands and shook Kimika’s arm violently.
“I’m a fan. The trick you did with the locked door was so amazing; it took me three whole days to figure out how to pick a lock of that model but when you did it it looked so effortless. I actually used that trick you did with your wrist to open this old man’s treasure chest-”
“You’re a thief?” Kimika asked. The girl let go of her hand, and her sunny expression darkened like storm clouds.
“Yeah, what’s it to you?” She replied defensively. Kimika smiled, “That’s awesome, actually. What do you prefer to steal? Gold? Jewellery? Money?”
“Anything of value. I’m Nami.” The girl answered softening just a little, “This here is Roronoa Zoro.”
“The pirate hunter?” Kimika asked, “I’ve heard about you. What’s a pirate hunter doing teaming up with a pirate?”
“We’re not a team-” Zoro’s words got cut off by the sound of the box’s lid being lifted up. The four stared in silence as circus music began to fill the air. The box’s walls pulled apart slowly as she looked around, they were in a circus tent. A place so familiar to her yet so foreign, the faces that filled the tent weren’t familiar and the smell of sweet cotton candy was missing. A myriad of performers and acrobats danced around them and Kimika took a step back as the audience cheered for the acts. It felt wrong, sinister even, the crowd didn’t exude excitement or joy, the tent felt as if it were filled with prisoners of war, the atmosphere felt humid with tears and fear. Luffy clapped along with the crowd before being stopped by Nami.
“Don’t clap Luffy.” Kimika put her hand up, her bubbly personality disappeared as she took a protective step towards the boy. The music continued to blare loudly from above as the four looked around.
“No, no, no, no, no. Stop clapping!” a loud voice yelled as a figure walked in from the entrance, “No, stop. It’s all wrong.” Kimika squinted under the bright light to see the figure in the dark. She peered closer and- oh no. Oh no no no. She understood why she’d been captured. She punched herself mentally. Me and my stupid stupid mouth, why didn’t I keep my dumb mouth shut?? On a scale from Shit to I might die, Kimika decided she was on the I’m in deep deep shit because of something I said on the scale. Not the flipping pirate clowns. Why the clown pirate, why did I go and talk shit about the stupid clown pirates?
“I know you.” Luffy stated smiling. Don’t smile at the clown. Kimika thought. “I saw your wanted poster in Shells Town.” Kimika looked away hoping he didn't spot her. She listened to the clown introduce himself and turned to look at the pirate hunter in worry. What was going on with them and the clown? She sent a questioning look wondering if they had also snubbed the clown at one point. Zoro shrugged as if to say the hell would I know what we’re doing here.
“I bet everyone in the East Blue knows who you are.” Luffy stated without a hint of malice. Kimika gasped in unison with the crowd. “What did you just say?” Kimika knew Luffy messed up when Buggy stopped smiling. Not the nose. “Just that everyone knows who you are.” Luffy repeated. The clown spared no time walking up to Luffy and grabbing his face in a singular motion.
“NOSE?!” He yelled as Kimika flinched, she was in some deep shit if this was how he reacted to the word Knows. The acrobat pirates took menacing steps forward as they held wooden clubs. “Are you making fun of my nose?” Buggy asked in a booming yell.
“Well…I wasn’t.” Luffy mumbled out, “But now that you mention it. Is this thing for real?” He put a hand out in a squeezing motion before being slapped away by Buggy.
“What’s real is that I’ve been scheming for months to steal that map from old Axe-hand Moron… only to find out that I was upstaged by three little nobodies. And you…” He pointed an accusing finger at Kimika, she pointed to herself questioningly, “You little- youuu little brat! Did you think I wouldn’t find out what you said about me behind my back?! A little nothing backstreet magician with no talent dare look down on the Buggy pirates.”
“Technically I wasn’t looking down on you. I just said you’re not technically a real circus because you’re not recognised as a ‘circus troupe’ despite what that one guy said last time.”
“You called my crew stupider than a singing tuna.” He argued.
“I did not say that!!” She replied indignantly, she called his crew stupider than a clown fish on a bike.
“You insulted my nose.” He yelled back.
“I said you’re the man with the red nose. It was an observation not an insult!” She retorted.
“You beat up two of my men.” The clown screamed back looking red in the face.
“Your men started harassing my acrobats!”
“You threatened to chop their arms off!”
“They had it coming, you overgrown manchild!!” Kimika yelled hotly, the fear she had felt earlier had dissipated and turned into a sort of indignance and anger.
“Listen here you little child, I am Buggy the pirate clown, I have a 15 million berry bounty on my head, I am not some fool that you can talk back to, I am a grown man with several years of experience, you are a child with some few years, you are nothing.”
“I’m not the one arguing with said child and very pointedly losing might I add!! If your fragile ego can’t even handle the word nose I shudder to think what would happen if I said what everyone was thinking about you. You are an absolute sorry excuse of a performer, I’ve seen dogs with more talent than you!” Kimika very faintly registered the silence in the tent. Her mouth pursed into a thin line. I’m so dead. Kimika closed her eyes and sucked air through her teeth, “I shouldn’t have said that.” she whispered.
Luffy gave a very helpful nod in response. Silence permeated the air and Kimika cringed; she could almost see the smoke coming out of Buggy’s ears.
“Alright listen up.” Zoro announced, saving them from the silence, “I’m Roronoa Zoro. Drop your weapons now and I may let you live.” The clown laughed as Zoro stepped forward. Better the pirate hunter than me. She thought as Buggy opened his mouth again.
“-My freaks put quite a lot of rehearsal time into these little abductions. And if I can’t reward them with that map… I suppose I’ll have to offer them a pound of flesh instead.” What? This wasn’t how Kimika was expecting her day to go. I’m going to be killed by a clown.
“Wait. Wait. What if I have something else to offer you?” Nami asked, stepping forward. Kimika and Luffy listened to her curiously as she continued.
What could be the most spectacular act in all of the East Blue? Could she recruit them for her troupe? She didn't have the chance to ask as Nami suddenly tossed Luffy’s prized hat into the air and made a mad dash for the exit. Kimika watched as Luffy stretched out his long arms to reach for his hat. She snorted in disbelief Nami had done a runner. It wasn't long before Nami was dragged back in and Buggy’s horrible actions are brought to light. The poor crowd, their village had been destroyed from what Nami had described the view outside the tent to be.
“I didn’t destroy everything. I let them keep their hands,” Buggy shrugged, as the crowd clapped, “Okay. Here ends the theatrics.” The lights of the tent focused on them and for a split second Kimika felt like she was in her own world again. The stage, the lights, the phantom feel of her deck of cards in her hand, a wand in the other ready to wow an audience. The moment ended and she was being dragged away with Nami and Zoro.
“Luffy!” She yelled worriedly as he stood face to face with Buggy, “Luffy be careful.”
“I’ll deal with you later.” Buggy laughed with a menacing point of his fingers.
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“Give it a rest, the ropes are too strong.” Nami said to Zoro as he struggled in the restraints. Kimika sighed heavily as she stood in her cage, she felt trapped, the cage was too small and her movements were severely limited compared to Nami who had begun to pick the lock of her door. Kimika watched and gave a sigh, she had a lock pick hidden in her bra, if only she could just- her hand twisted uncomfortably and her elbows ached as she attempted to reach into her shirt. Zoro had the grace to look away from her as she pulled out a pick.
“I have six lock picks. Those clowns only found four.” she stated smugly, picking her lock and freeing herself. Nami wondered where exactly she had hidden the other two picks. She looked behind her at Zoro disapprovingly.
“What?!” Zoro snapped.
“This is my life now…” Nami sighed in disappointment.
“Want to trade places?” Zoro bit back. He was bound tightly on a spinning wheel and was looking less pleased than a cat in a bath. Kimika strided across the room to where Zoro was sulking.
“Not much of a team are you?” She noted reaching to his restraints.
“We’re not a team.” Nami and Zoro said in unison. Kimika blinked.
“That was pretty in sync for a-not-a-team,” She joked, “What’s your deal? Wait- let me guess. Zoro is a bounty hunter who made enemies with a Marine and ended up being chained on the base as punishment, Luffy saw you and persuaded you to join his team and then he got Nami caught up in his schemes and obviously, as a thief you needed a getaway vehicle which just happened to be the boat Luffy has.”
“That-” Zoro began.
“Was scarily accurate.” Nami agreed pausing in her lock picking attempt. "How'd you guess?"
Kimika shrugged. “When it comes to Luffy I always make up the most ridiculous story and it usually ends up being true. Plus it sounded like a very Luffy situation.” She pulled at the ropes again. Whoever had done this had an extensive background in kidnapping and tying people or waspassionate about bondage play.
“So- what’s your deal?” Nami asked, picking away at her lock, “How does the director of the most famous circus troupe this side of the Blue know some stretchy rubber kid who’s deluded into thinking he’s a pirate?”
“He used to play at my cousin’s bar,” She replied simply, “I played with him when I used to visit her.”
“So you encouraged his childhood delusions?” Zoro asked.
“Hey!” She slapped his chest before yelping, the man was tougher than a wooden plank, “Luffy is a special kid- a bit crazy sometimes but special. I have complete faith in him so don’t make fun of h-”
“Stop talking,” Zoro whispered.
“Rude.” she whispered back, not quite sure why they were whispering.
“Someone’s coming, go back to your cage.” He said. Kimika wasted no time running back into her cage and closing it with a click.
“What?!” Nami said, “I need more time- keep them talking.”
“I don’t talk. I hit things.” Zoro stated almost petulantly. A figure came unicycling menacingly into their tent. He circled the room before stopping and walking towards Zoro.
“Remember me?” He asked.
“No,” Zoro replied coolly, “Must be some other homicidal unicycle riding clown.” The man punched Zoro in the gut, his pained grunt echoing through the tent. Suddenly Kimika was grateful her cage bars were so much tighter and smaller, it would be difficult for the man to grab her through the bars.
“I’ve been thinking about you for years.” The man whispered almost softly. Kimika raised her eyebrows. She wasn’t expecting to hear a love confession in a place like this. “-And how you killed my brother.” Kimika gasped. That made marginally more sense. The man looked over at her cage as she pushed her hands towards her mouth.
Zoro looked up at him, “I killed a lot of pirates.” The man took out his daggers and looked at Zoro. Uh-oh. “My name is Cabaji-” Cabbage? She mouthed at Nami who shook her head, she couldn’t hear as clearly from where she was. He certainly looked like a cabbage. The green and white hair wasn’t doing him any favours. Cabbage went on and on as Kimika began to lose interest. She yawned quietly.
“Still not ringing a bell.” Zoro replied. The knife cut through the air and hit the board with a loud thwacking sound.
“You missed.” Kimika yelled out booing, “Aim a little more to the left, it’s more exciting that way.”
Cabaji looked at her in disbelief, “Shut it Sea Witch.” He began to spin Zoro as he tossed another knife towards him. Each one missed the man as he spun.
“I could do better with my playing cards- I have done better with my playing cards. Boo you suck!!”
“Oh shut it you hag. Do you want to see your friend dead?” Cabaji snarled.
“He’s not even part of my crew,” Kimika pointed out, “I literally met him in a box about two hours ago, besides, he’s a bounty hunter, I don’t give a flying fish about whether he lives or dies. Your throwing, however, is abysmal.” Kimika was really wishing her goading would work. Cabaji stalked towards her cage and pulled the door off its hinges. So much for being safer in the cage. He pulled her by her shirt and snarled in her face.
“You try it then since you’re so clever.” He challenged looking down on her.
“Get me a pack of playing cards and I’ll show you how it’s really done.” She smirked as he walked to the corner of the tent and picked up a stray pack of cards. Before he turned back, she mouthed a small ‘sorry’ to Zoro who looked at her in confusion. The familiar smoothness of cards came into her hands as she began to shuffle the deck effortlessly, the cards practically levitated in her hands as she shuffled them back and forth. “Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the East Blue Lotus’-”
“Get on with it.” Kimika cleared her throat awkwardly, “Sorry, force of habit. Now- as I was saying, you need to aim with your wrist and elbows. Like really use that force.” She began to pick out a card and flexed her hand and let the card fly. It cut through the air and landed with a satisfying thunk on the board. Zoro winced as a neatly sliced line on his arm began to bleed. Kimika grimaced mentally, out of the corner of her eye, she could see Nami pick furiously at her lock. “See, I actually cut him, unlike you.” She shrugged cockily.
Cabaji snorted. “You just barely sliced him.” He pointed out.
“That was a warm up, obviously.” She replied flexing her hand in rapid fire succession. The cards hit the board hitting exactly where she wanted them to. The ropes binding Zoro splintered and split under his weight. Zoro jumped off the board looking sick. She turned around and looked at Cabaji who looked at her in betrayal, she looked back at him and smiled sweetly.
“Sorry about this man, nothing personal.” She said before punching him square in the head with full force. The sound of his nose cracking was horrible. She threw another punch at the disoriented man as he fell to the ground. Grinning in victory, she tied up his hands in rope she had found discarded on the floor. “That’s it for today’s show ladies and gentlemen, this has been Circe of the East Blue Lotus Company.” She bowed deeply, smiling.
“Let’s get out.” Zoro said, picking up his swords then eyeing at the cut on his arm.
Kimika let out an awkward laugh, “Sorry about the hand- Had to make it believable.”
“Don’t be sorry.” Nami said, “It distracted him long enough for us to escape. Better a cut than dead.”
Zoro nodded in agreement. “Let’s get our captain. You have a plan right? That’s your thing right?” He looked at Nami.
“I say we beat the hell out of every clown we see.” Nami answered.
“I was a clown once.” Kimika mused, picking up a whip and some throwing stars off the floor, “Back in my early days.”
Zoro rolled his eyes, “You have quite the personality don’t you.”
“Entertainers need to have personality, we’d be awfully boring otherwise. Boring people don’t earn a living as entertainers, they end up destitute on the streets.”
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Beating up clowns was very satisfying. There was something so cathartic of hearing the splat splat of their shoes running towards you before you absolutely swabbed the deck with their squeaky asses. Kimika laughed as the clown fell over the pile of bodies she’d been stacking up. He groaned miserably as he landed atop his crewmates. Kimika giggled as a chorus of pained groans followed, “I take it back, you guys are entertaining, real bonafide clowns.” She threw up a thumbs up as she walked through the tents. The whip she had found was shaping up to be a real asset.
An acrobat ran up to her knife in hand, Kimika sighed before grabbing his arm and spinning him into an impromptu waltz. She spun him round, tightening her grip on his knife holding hand before twisting it behind his back. The acrobat groaned as she squeezed harder, the knife clattered to the ground and she spun him around continuing her weird waltz stepping on his feet forcefully as she stepped side to side before landing her final blow on his reproductive parts. The man fell to the floor clutching his broken eggs and howling in pain. “You’re a terrible dancer,” Kimika commented, extending her whip towards another freak on a unicycle, “I mean- really, I was practically doing all the work.” The freak on the unicycle flew off as the whip made hard contact with his wheels and crashed into the clown Zoro had been busy dispatching.
“Hey!” Zoro sent her a look of disdain, “Your clown nearly crashed into me.”
“My clown stopped your clown.” Kimika argued. The two clowns groaned in pain.
“Less talk more walk,” Nami said, stabbing particularly viciously into the lion tamer's gut with her staff. He gave a moan before passing out.
“We’re at the main tent,” Kimika said, opening the flap and walking into the main ring. Just in time too. Luffy had been floating in a water tank. Kimika let out a gasp of worry before she sent a throwing star towards the tank. It pressed into the glass where hairline fractures appeared before clattering to the ground. For a second nothing happened then, the glass tank shattered and water spilled into the ring.
“WHERE ARE MY FREAKS?!” Buggy yelled as the trio stepped into the ring. Luffy coughed up water as he attempted to stand up. He coughed and coughed until he- “EWW!” Kimika scrunched her nose, “Did you seriously have that thing stuck down your throat?!”
She ran towards the abandoned map container on the floor as Luffy crawled towards his hat. Just in time too- Buggy had been inching closer to the map. She picked up the damp container. She breathed in- it was slimy.
“It’s just water, it’s the water, water-” She repeated like a mantra. “Give me the map you bi-” Buggy was cut off by Kimika whacking him around the head with the metal container.
She held the steel pipe like a cricket bat as she prepared to swing at his head again. “This is for harassing my troupe, kidnapping me and forcing me to watch the worst circus I’ve been in years. 10 out of 10 would not recommend it.” She yelled hitting him hard with the pipe again, “0 stars- the clowns weren’t funny and the acrobats couldn’t even land a decent forward roll-”
“Are you seriously upset at their lack of talent right now?” Nami asked, “Why are they all talent-based insults?”
“Because-” Kimika swung the pole at the clown’s body, “His. Troupe. Freaking. Suck. They’re. An. Insult. To. Circuses. Everywhere.”
“Calm down circus freak,” Zoro said, putting a hand on her shoulder, “You might end up killing him.” Buggy groaned as he writhed in pain before standing back up and wiping the blood off his face. Kimika may have gone overboard.
She passed the map to Zoro and put a distance between them. “He did it” She pointed at Zoro who opened his mouth in surprise.
“I beat up the clown?” He pointed to himself, eyebrow raised in question. Kimika nodded gravely, “Yep. Yep you beat up the clown.”
Buggy gave an annoyed laugh, “You want a piece of me?” He taunted Zoro.
He actually believed her? Wow. He was one stupid clown. And this meant a lot considering how against the stupid clown stereotype she was. She knew some very clever clowns who had years of academic knowledge under their belts. Zoro tossed the map to Nami before swinging his swords at Buggy who- who’s body parts were flying?
“That’s freaky,” Kimika gagged looking away. “Surprise! Shitheads.” Buggy smiled. His body parts began to swirl around them like a large freaky tornado.
“I’m somewhat upset.” Kimika said, “Out of everything, this is the most anticlimactic thing he could do.” Buggy laughed as he pushed back the three of them with his weird powers. Kimika groaned as she was tossed back into a pile of props. A bowling pin prodded her back painfully that was gonna leave a bruise tomorrow, definitely. Kimika shuffled as if to get out of the pile of props. “-gonna rip apart your sad excuse for a crew.”
Kimika leaned back into the pile of props. She had a feeling Buggy was also referring to her in this scenario. Even if she wasn’t, Kimika wasn’t risking it. Pulling out a juggling ball that had wedged itself between herself and a hard place, Kimika put up an enthusiastic thumbs up. “Mess him up Lulu!” Luffy pulled back his arm and tossed a punch at Buggy. A cylindrical part of his midsection went flying before shooting back like a yo-yo. Kimika sighed. Luffy might need help. She looked around for the whip in the mess, Zoro and Nami had begun to rise and began running frantically. She found her whip just in time, Buggy had begun to disassemble.
Kimika tossed the makeshift lasso and tugged. “Score!!” She yelled holding up her trophy, “I got his arm. Yo- he’s kinda built. Look at these muscles.”
“Less talk, more grab!!” Nami yelled, pushing a crate towards her. She nodded before stuffing the arm into the box and locking it. More and more body parts began to swirl around them, as they began a frantic game of grabbing the body parts.
“I got his leg! Just this half, I don’t know where the other half is-” The other half of his legs came flying toward her. She felt a cylindrical object press up on her face, there was split second before she let out a shriek of terror. “His dick just hit me in the face!!! What the hell man?!” She stuffed his legs into two separate boxes before shuddering. She wasn’t about to forget that feeling anytime soon. It would haunt her dreams for the next part of a decade.
The sight of the small de-bodied Buggy made her laugh. The sight might have been enough to just about detraumatise her, just about.
“What have you done to me?” He shrieked.
“Cut you down to size.” Luffy said as Buggy hurled more insults at them.
“Buggy,” Kimika said, squatting to his eye level, as if talking to a child she spoke softly, “You do realise how sad you look right now, right? Kidnapping a group of kids is one thing, being beaten by said kids is another. Words cannot express how embarrassed I am for you.”
“Spare me your excuses, you’re a bunch of pathetic snot-nosed brats.” Kimika shook her head disapprovingly, “Have some shame man- you’re like fifty.”
“I’m 37!!” Kimika winced, “Oof, my condolences. You might want to invest in some skincare sir.”
Buggy made a rude gesture at her as he tried to bite her legs.
“You done antagonising the pint-sized clown?” Zoro asked, arms folded. Unimpressed as ever.
Kimika stood back up and shrugged, “I was offering advice. So unappreciative. How about we free some prisoners? They might appreciate my humour more.”
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“I don’t need your money ma’am,” Kimika said waving her hand, “Please, if anything you should spend it on rebuilding your town.” The lady shook her head gratefully putting away her coin pouch, “Your crew is nothing like the Buggy pirates, thank you so much for freeing us.”
“Oh- I’m not a pirate- I just happened to be here at the same time as them-” Kimika replied smiling at the townsfolk, “I’m glad none of you are too injured.”
“Yes, thanks to you all,” A man said.
“It really wasn’t a problem,” Luffy said, “We just happened to be here.”
Kimika turned to Luffy’s crew, “So… I guess this is where we split up.”
“What do you mean?” Luffy asked, cocking his head, “You’re one of us now.”
“I- that’s a nice sentiment Lulu but I’m not a pirate- I’m a performer, a magician.”
“That’s exactly what we need, every great pirate needs entertainment out on the sea.” Luffy said, “Come on Circe, it’ll be great.” Kimika hesitated, she had told her troupe not to come after her if she went missing so it was unlikely they would be back especially since they were enroute to the West Blue before she had been taken. “Oh but I- My stuff- I don’t have anything with me-”
“Why are you hesitating?” Nami asked, “You didn’t have any hesitation bashing a clown’s head.”
“Yes but he was a threat to us all-”
“You took a dick slap to the face for us,” Zoro countered, “That’s not something anyone would do for a stranger and as much as I hate to admit it, there’s an us now and you’re part of it.”
Kimika laughed, “I suppose there is an us now. Ohhh. Fine. I’ll come with you, I have nothing else to do right now anyway but just to the next island over. Let’s do this!”