Authors Notes
Hi everyone. Sorry that I didn´t update in the weekend, since i had to buy a couple of gifts and go to my cousin´s birthday, so i made an extra long chapter. Enjoy.
A few minutes earlier, Sanji was dodging the small black balls that Golem flicked with his thumb. Every time a ball hit the wall, a raging flame would explode and engulfing the area. Sanji leap forward with the intension to kick his opponent in the chest. While yelling Poitrine he closed in on Golem. Just before he hit, Golem disappeared and reappeared just an inch away, then jumped back. He threw several black balls at Sanji, who couldn't get away in time. Golem just stood there looking, while Sanji was engulfed by the flames.
After a while the flames was still going strong. Golem turned around and began walking away, until he heard the sound someone walking. Inside the fire, was Sanji walking casually through it.
Golem "Why aren´t you burning?"
"Bitch please, the inferno of my heart burns brighter than these petty flames." said Sanji with a smirk on his face. He began to spin and as if absorbing them, the flames gathered around his right leg. He stopped and raised his burning leg.
"Diable Jambe!"
He jumped and used Sky Walk to gain a footing midair and leaped at full speed towards Golem.
"Bien Cuit: Grill Shot!"
Just before he hit, Golem used his Accelerare to disappear. At impact the kick destroyed a big area of the floor, then melting it into lava for a short while. The fire of Sanji´s leg died down and he looked around to see Golem standing in a corner of the room, looking at him with dark eyes.
Sanji "What?"
Golem "When this is done, I´m going to take those legs of yours."
Sanji "Just try shithead."
Golem just kept glaring. He then lifted his left arm and pointed it at Sanji. Suddenly several needles jumped out of his skin.
Sanji "Shit!"
Golem "Venenum Telis*!"
The needles went flying at a high speed, embedding them self in the stone walls and floor. When the attack had ended Golem looked up. In the air was Sanji, using his Sky Walk to stay afloat. He had tried to dodge the attack, but was unsuccessful, with two needles lodged in his shoulder and shin.
"What is this, poison? If y-you think that wo-ould work, I´m sorry to-to disappoint you." said an easily weaken Sanji.
"No, it´s just meant to…" said Golem before he disappeared from sight.
Sanji then felt something holding his left wrist in a vice grip. He looked to see Golem, ready to let his axe fall.
"…slow you down."
Sanji "SHIT!"
"STELLA SECARER*!" yelled Golem.
His axe fell, taking Sanji´s arm in the processed. The cut then flew and hit the floor, leaving a deep rift across it.
Sanji fell to the floor and crashed against it. He then began to crawl to towards a corner, while trying to get a hold of his left arm. When he had seated himself in the corner, Golem appeared in front of him. He looked down on him and said "Did you know that I used to be an executioner in life? I stood at the block my whole life until it was my turn to lay my head on it. I don't remember why, but I remember that my head laid where thousand before had laid and I remember the cheering of the crowed, like it was the happiest day of their life, before the axe fell and everything went black."
Flashback. 1500 years back.
It was a couple of hours after the execution. A pile of corpses lay outside a city's walls, just rotting away in the sun. At the bottom sat a corpse with its head in its lap. Suddenly a child appeared and ran up to the corpse. He stood still awhile before turning around asking someone something. Two shadows stood behind him, one a giant of a man, the other average in height. A third shadow appeared between them, average in height, but taller than the second. He took a look at the corpse and then began smiling a big smile. He then said something to the two others. The second shadow then took up the corpse on his back and its head under his arm, while the big one began digging into the pile, searching for body parts.
A couple of days later Golem awakened inside a room he´d never been in. he looked around and saw a man sitting on a chair next to him. "Slept well?" asked the man. Golem didn´t know what to answer. He looked down and said "I´m alive?"
"Of course you are." said the man, "I brought you back."
"But why?" asked Golem.
"Because I believe you can do a difference in this land. I know who you are, John Smith." Golem looked down at the mention of his name. "What´s wrong?" asked the man.
"That was John of the Ten Thousands Heads* name. I-I just can't live with it anymore!" cried Golem.
"Hmm, then I'll give you one." said the man.
"What!" said Golem.
"Carnifex Golem shall be your name, one to represent your past and one to represent your present, now rest up you have a long day ahead of you." said the man before he left the room. Golem laid there a while before saying "Carnifex Golem? Hmm, I like it." before falling asleep.
End of Flashback.
Golem stood a while, he then he raised his axe high above his head and said the words "Extremum Exsecutionis" and let the axe fall. Meanwhile Sanji was in panic and thoughts of what had happen went through his head at top speed. "My arm! Why did this happen? I´ll never cook again like this! Why did I do this again?!" asked he to himself. In Sanji´s mind a darkness rose before him, towering above him, leaving him in its shadow. In its hand it had something that looked like a giant scythe. The darkness raised its weapon high into the air and then let it fall. The only thoughts that went through his head were "I'm going to die!" until "Nami-san. Robin-chan. I'm sorry."
The moment that thought ended, a light shined more powerful than the sun, fading the darkness into oblivion. Inside the light two familiar shadows appeared and descended towards Sanji, who´s eyes widen in realization.
Back in the chamber, Golem axe was about to reach its target, when Sanji kicked it away. Golem shocked by this, didn't dodge Sanji´s second kick to his stomach, sending him flying. Sanji then rolled up to his back and then used his hand to jump up on his feets.
He then leaped after Golem, who had landed on his feet and as soon as Sanji reach Golem, he disappeared from sight. Golem looked around a bit, before he felt something hitting his ribcage hard.
"Côtelette!"
Sanji had gotten behind him and while doing a one hand stand, he kicked him as hard as he could, sending Golem flying. Midair Golem looked up only to see Sanji rolling furiously in the air, readying another kick.
"Concassé!"
Sanji hit him in the stomach and sent him in a collision course with the floor. When Golem crashed the whole room shock and a powerful shockwave filled the room, setting the remaining fires out. Sanji landed a few feet away from the crash site. He then took his shirt and used it as an emergency bandage to cover up his missing arm.
Inside the crash site, something got up and swung its arm to remove the dust around it. It was Golem standing there.
They both stood there awhile before Golem asked "How? You were on the brink of dead and now you are fighting like you were stronger than before. How?"
Sanji just stood there a while, before removing his cigarette and throwing it away, he then said the words "I remember."
"What?!" said Golem.
Sanji "I remember what I fight for now. It's to see their smiles again and to hear them laugh."
"Who?" asked Golem.
"Nami-san and Robin-chan. They came to me with those smiles and reminded me of my reason. I don't fight to give my life to them, but to always be there for them. It doesn't matter if I lose an arm or two, as long as I can fight and be of service to them I will give it my all and live a happy life, but hey I want to live it." said Sanji with a smile.
"So you believe that your reason is enough to defeat me? Very well, let's see if your reason is enough to take me down." said Golem before leaping at Sanji.
Sanji just closed his eyes and thought to himself "Ok Sanji, remember those two years and make the fires of your heart transcend the flames of Hell!" he then made a face like a devil of rage and leapt at Golem.
"Hell Memories!"
A flurry of fiery kicks went flying against Golem like heavy rain. Hundreds no thousands of kicks kept going, hitting him everywhere, arms, legs, stomach and chest, setting him ablaze. Suddenly a boot to the face sent Golem´s head flying high into the air and another kick sent the body flying towards a wall where it crashed and ended seating itself on the floor. A little while later it´s head landed into its lap and the flames died down. Sanji stood there awhile before turning and walking away.
"Now, where are they?" said Sanji.
? "The one in the middle."
"Who said that?!"
Sanji looked back to see the headless Golem just waving at him. Sanji screamed "HOW THE HELL ARE YOU ALIVE!" before getting ready to fight.
"Don't worry about it. I lost the fight so I´ll stay down. The coffin in the middle, that's where your friend is hidden." said an exhausted Golem.
Sanji walked up to the one in the middle, but before he opened it, he began to fantasize about how Nami or Robin would "reward" him for saving them, so much that he began to do his noodle dance and getting a nosebleed. He then opened it gently to get ready to receive a hug from the lovely lady he thought would be there. When he fully opened it, something jumped out with a boing.
"Boing?" said a confused Sanji.
The noses, which jumped out, owner, was crying with happiness.
Usopp "Sanji! I´m so happy to see you. They forced me into this coffin. It took 10.000 men and two behemoths, but only after, wait what happen to your arm. Where´s Chopper. CHO…"
Thud.
"…"
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING, CLOSING THE CASKET AGAIN YOU ASS!" yelled an angry Usopp.
Sanji just had his knees on the floor and hit it with his hand, while sobbing "It´s not fair, it´s just not fair."
Chopper "SANJI!"
Suddenly Chopper ran up to Sanji and began to examine the missing arm, then told Brook to find the arm.
"Where did you guys come from?" asked Sanji.
"From over there." said Franky while pointing in the direction of a hole in the wall. "We found it while looking for a kitchen and saw you inside."
"Good, then get Usopp out. His inside that one." said Sanji, while pointing at the casket.
Brook then returned with Sanji´s arm and Chopper looked it over.
"Well?" said Sanji.
"It's a clean cut and I can put it back, but I need the right equipment." said Chopper, who looked like he had lost all hope.
Suddenly a hidden door opened and freaked out everyone a bit.
"There is an infirmary at the end." said Golem, who pushed a stone next to him.
Franky pointed his Weapons Left at Golem before asking "Why should we trust you? You're the enemy!"
"Yeah, you put me inside that horrible coffin!" said Usopp, with his Black Kabuto at the ready.
"Hey, all I know is that it be a shame for the victor to die of blood loss. Your blood type should be there." said Golem, while looking into the air.
Sanji looked at Golem, before getting up and walking towards the doorway.
"Sanji-san?" said Brook.
"Listen, if I'm going to see those smiles again, I have to take this chance. No matter the cost." said Sanji
The others were a bit puzzled about what he said, but they understood what he meant and followed him.
After they were out of sight, Golem got up and took his axe in his right hand and his head under his left arm and began to walk towards the hole Franky´s group appeared from. The Swarm began to appear in the thousands and crawled towards Golem, who raised his axe above him and said "Well then, let's give them some time." where he then began to slash the members of the Swarm to shreds.
Authors Notes
Ok before anyone ask, Golem and the other guardians have their own sense of honor, so if they are defeated but not killed, they believe that they owe the victor their life.
The * section.
Venenum Telis means "poison darts" in latin
Stella Secarer means "star cut" in latin
The "Ten Thousands Heads" just refer to that Golem took many lives as John Smith.