"Deity," Luffy got his fists ready as Bona approached, "take care of the vines!"

"You can't," Lil gritted her teeth, "you don't know how to communicate with the jungle nearly as well as I do!"

"You brought me here to be your ruler," Deity had now fully turned into his Erlking form, "meaning that you knew I would have the power to control this jungle."

"Only what we need you to control!"

"If I don't stop these vines, all of my friends will be hurt! I would call this the perfect time to show you my power!"

"GAH," Usopp grabbed Doctor Jomei and jumped out of the way as a vine broke through the branches at their feet, "hurry up with that whole power and control thing, Deity…WHOA, YOU'RE HUGE, DUDE!"

"Enough," Deity held his sickly hand out towards the vines as they began to creep through the branches and grab at their legs, "I am in control!"

Lil clapped her hands together. "No, I am!"

"You will listen to me!"

"No, me!"

…I…I know what to do, Deity shared a glance with Luffy, who gave him the thumbs up, in order to make us all happy!

"…I won't stay," he snapped his claws, bringing the vines to a halt, "not when I have so much power. If you will stop at nothing to drag me to your village…I'll just have to destroy it."

"Deity, no!" Usopp tossed Jomei onto his back and shot out burst after burst of flames. "What are you saying?!"

"I won't rule the weak," he continued as Luffy wrapped his arms around the enraged Bona, "nor will I be used by them."

"My people aren't weak!" Lil shot her arms up as the vines shook. "We have survived for generations amidst the horrors of Shokusei Island! You were going to protect us so that we may finally live in peace! Is that so much to ask?!"

"…Yes. I should hope you make it back before me, Lil…or your people will suffer."

She glared daggers into him for a moment, before flying off through the trees, farther North until she was out of their sight. Deity gave Usopp a sigh. "Think she bought it?"

"Man, and I thought I was the king of lies!"

"You monster," Bona clearly hadn't heard his comment as he ripped Luffy off and tossed him aside, "how dare you….raaaaaah!" He charged, and Deity only had seconds to react.

"Uh…stop him!"

WHAM!

Everyone winced as the vines swatted Bona down like a fly, knocking him out cold. Luffy gave him a few pokes before shrugging. "I'm pretty sure he's alive. Sorta."

"Luffy!"

"What? I said sorta, didn't I?"

"Finally," Sanji ran up beside their captain as Robin soon joined them, "we got back – and it looks like we missed one heck of a brawl."

"Not really," Usopp let Jomei down, "Deity had it all under control."

"GUYS!"

The group turned to find a larger tarantula approaching, Nami and Chopper waving from its back. "We're here, guys!"

"NAMI-SWAN!" Sanji's eyes and cheeks went a flustered pink as he waved over-enthusiastically. "I'm so glad you're safe!"

And Chopper too, right?

"The tarantula apologized to us for all the trouble," Chopper explained as Luffy waved the creature off, "and said that we were to be brought to the large beast. He meant Deity's Erlking form, of course!"

"Glad to see you're well, Doctor Jomei," Nami sighed, "I was so worried after seeing that vine crash through your boathouse!"

"I'm as chipper as always, dear," he rubbed his forehead, "though I do wish there was a cool breeze every so often up here. Nothing but heat and fog and vines."

"I sense a plan brewing, Deity," Robin gazed down at Bona, "any idea how we're going to get out of here alive?"

"I do," he shrunk back down to his human form, "I only hope we'll be able to find some way of transportation once we're done."

He began to explain his plan to everyone, and as he finished up they all shared a hearty nod of the head. "Sound about right?"

"Sounds good to me," Usopp grinned, "but it'll be up to our captain to give the consent."

Deity turned to Luffy, who slowly let a smile creep onto his face. "I like it. You'll make a great king someday, Deity."

"Heh, I guess. Alright, guys, let's go!"

"WAAAAHHHHHH," Franky broke down into tears that stained his bright red Hawaiian shirt, as Brooke politely offered him a hanky from the pocket of his blue shirt and black denims, "I can't believe that there was an entire civilization all these years that's never once met a real cyborg! Oh, the humanity of it all!"

"Please do come down, Franky," Brooke wiped his own non-existent tear away, "though I can see the sadness you bear."

"Both of you shut up," Zoro took another swig from his mug, his shirt gone and dark green pants stained by the grass, "and take a drink, will you?"

The small village the trio had stumbled upon in the midst of the large jungle was far more welcoming than they could have imagined. Every member of the fairy-winged people wore leaves for clothes and lived in small huts made of broken branches and dried sap. As Zoro competed against the men in round after round of drinks, Brooke took to trying his hand at blowing grass whistles without his lips as Franky showed off his abilities, gaining awe from the people.

"I do hope the others are safe," Brooke dropped a piece of grass as a small child fairy curiously poked their finger into his eyes socket, "this place has been nothing but trouble for my sword."

Murmurs rung through the crowds. Zoro looked up to see a young woman flying back down in front of them. "Who's this? Another member of the village?"

She stepped forward and pointed at them. "You intruders are nothing but trouble. I should have never brought you here!"

"You brought us here? Why go to all the trouble?"

"I thought…we thought…forget it," she stamped her foot down, "you're to leave the village this instant, or I'll have the lot of you…beheaded!"

Got any guesses as to what Deity's plan is for getting them off the island? The story is beginning to wrap up, which feels so strange. After waiting a year to write more about Deity, for it to be coming to an end makes it seem as though it's gone by so fast. My summer course is getting thicker, though, so I hope to finish it up nice and clean before exam time.

Until the next chapter!