Alvida stood with her hands on her hips under the blazing sun. Her wide-brimmed white hat shielded her from the light, while the fiery red floral ornament drooped down to her shoulders.
Whenever they arrived at a new island, she was always the first to set foot ashore. This time was no different—mostly because her appearance made it easy to win over the locals.
Crocodile could put on the air of a gentleman with a smile, so he was the second choice. Hachi was a fish-man, Buggy was a clown with a big red nose—both far too conspicuous. Law and Mikita were newcomers. None of them were as well-suited as Alvida.
Following the coastline, she spotted several ships moored side by side in a trumpet-shaped bay, pirate flags fluttering overhead. That meant a pirate crew—or perhaps several—had gathered here.
But as she ventured deeper inland, all she saw were grasslands and woods. No towns. So why had so many pirates landed here?
Before long, she discovered a bustling fairground. People thronged about; stalls and tents were scattered everywhere, and even balloons bobbed in the air. It was as though a carnival had sprung up.
Alvida didn't rush in. Instead, she pulled out a spyglass and observed. She noticed most people wore strange black eyemasks that left space only for the eyes—like masquerade masks worn by nobles at a ball.
Others were unmasked, but those individuals were surrounded by the mask-wearers.
Alvida slipped closer. When no one was looking, she struck down a masked man, dragged him into the bushes, stripped off his mask, and put it on herself. Then, feigning nonchalance, she melted into the crowd.
The nearer she got, the more clearly she could hear the shouts.
"We won! Another victory!"
"Take them! They belong to the Foxy Pirates now!"
"Anyone who joins 'Davy Jones's Pirate Game'—there's no turning back!"
Hearing her captain's name chanted so fervently piqued Alvida's curiosity.
She bought a stick of cotton candy from a masked vendor, tearing it apart with her fingers as she scouted for a good vantage point.
Pushing through the crowd, she finally saw the scene at the center.
A dozen bedraggled men stood there. Unlike the others, they weren't wearing masks. They hung their heads, listless, enduring the mockery of the onlookers.
Until one of them snapped and shouted:
"You cheated! We were about to win, and then someone came and sabotaged us!"
The crowd fell silent for a few seconds—then erupted into uproarious laughter.
"Wha… why are you laughing?!" The man's face flushed red. "You only won 'the Pirate Game' through shameless trickery!"
"Fufufufu…" A tall, broad-chested man with a bare torso stifled a laugh. "Tell me—among pirates, winning through shameless trickery… isn't that perfectly normal?"
"Oh, don't be so uptight." A long-haired woman with blue locks stepped forward, twirling a cheerleader's baton between her fingers. "The rules of 'Davy Jones's Pirate Game' are only three. Everything else is allowed."
"Brother Hamburg!"
"Sister Porche!"
The towering man—Hamburg—and the long-haired woman—Porche—waved to the crowd like celebrities greeting fans.
Then, in practiced synchronicity, they stepped aside. Out waddled a short, pot-bellied man with forked hair and a bulbous red nose.
The crowd roared in unison.
"Captain Foxy!"
"Banzai! Long live our captain!"
"Win, win, win—we always win!"
Foxy let out his bizarre "Fufufufufu" laugh. Hands on hips, suspenders stretched taut over his belly, he basked in the waves of cheers, nodding magnanimously.
Finally, he pressed his hands down to quiet them.
"Repeat it for this foolish captain once more!" Foxy cried. "What are the three sacred rules of 'Davy Jones's Pirate Game'?"
"Rule One!" Hamburg bellowed, flexing his massive arms. "Anything lost in the game must be won back through the game!"
"Rule Two!" Porche tossed her baton high, catching it with a flourish. "Any crewmate chosen by the victors must immediately swear allegiance to the enemy captain!"
"Rule Three!" Foxy cackled his "Fufufufufu." "Once a flag is taken from the losers, it is never raised again!"
He stepped toward the defeated captain and produced a black eyemask.
"All of us have sworn before the Deep-Sea Lord, Davy Jones himself. In the Pirate Game, should anyone break these three rules, they will be locked away in his chest at the bottom of the sea—forever."
Foxy's eyes gleamed as he stared the beaten captain down. "So? Are you planning to break the rules?"
The man looked around. His crew was surrounded by Foxy's pirates. Escape was impossible. His face went ashen, and at last, he collapsed to his knees.
Grinning triumphantly, Foxy strapped the mask over his face. Then he picked out a few of the man's subordinates by name, absorbing them into the Foxy Pirates, while the rest were driven away.
"Today!" Foxy climbed onto a raised platform, arms spread wide. "Today is another day of victory! The Foxy Pirates shall feast and revel on this island! Everyone eat and drink your fill!"
The pirates cheered, hauling out the plundered food and drink from nearby villages, ready to start a grand banquet.
"Wait!"
A voice rang out as Alvida stepped forward from the crowd.
Even masked, her beauty was dazzling. Many eyes turned to her at once.
"Who are you?" Porche snapped, her tone sharp with jealousy. She felt threatened by Alvida's porcelain-like features. "I don't recall seeing you in the crew. Even among newcomers—you're a stranger."
Alvida ignored the question and asked her own:
"You're playing 'Davy Jones's Pirate Game'?"
"What if we are?" Porche crossed her arms defensively. "Answer me—who are you?"
"Who I am doesn't matter." Alvida flicked her long, black waves over her shoulder, instantly enthralling a knot of nearby pirates. "But since you invoke the name of Davy Jones, I cannot stand idle. Do you not know? Captain Davy Jones has awakened from the depths and sailed from the East Blue into the Grand Line?"
Porche opened her mouth, but Foxy raised a hand to silence her.
He grinned and strolled up to Alvida.
"Fufufufu. I've seen that wanted poster. Just some cheap impostor! A fish-man, not some so-called 'Deep-Sea Reaper.'"
"Then how do you explain him and his crew breaking through the Navy's blockade at Reverse Mountain? Could a mere impostor achieve that?"
"You don't understand." Foxy wagged a finger. "That was nothing but exaggerated reporting from the World Economic News. They probably never even clashed with the Navy—or if they did, it was just some rank-and-file marines. Vice Admiral Garp's name was tacked on only to spice up the story."
He spun the tale smoothly, and his men nodded along, convinced.
"And what of Alabasta?" Alvida shot back with a sneer. "Captain Davy Jones defeated a Warlord of the Sea—does that sound like a fraud to you?"
"Alabasta…?" Foxy blinked in confusion.
The surrounding pirates exchanged blank looks.
Only then did Alvida realize—the "Arabasta Incident," Crocodile's downfall—either the World Government and Navy had suppressed the truth, or the news simply hadn't spread here yet.
She was about to explain, but the words died on her lips as a wickedly amusing thought struck her. A sly smile crept across her face.
"Why are you laughing?" Foxy frowned.
This woman babbled nonsense, then suddenly burst out laughing. Was she mad? He had half-considered recruiting her into his crew, but now he wasn't so sure.
"You claim to play 'Davy Jones's Pirate Game'?" Alvida smiled dazzlingly at Foxy and his men. "Then come with me. I think our captain would find your little game… very entertaining."
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