Nine Minutes
Disclaimer: I can't think of a funny way to state that I don't own One Piece. Excuse me while I go cry…
Previously:
It hit the fan.
Chapter 10: Defying Fate
"I will never forgive you if you come back for me."
The words rang through the air hollowly. They were so final, so harsh, and so un-Luffy-like that the whole crew was stunned silent. All eyes were on the pier, and no one on the Going Merry dared to even breathe.
Vivi was trembling so much her vision was blurry. Beside her, Nami looked like her heart had stopped breathing. Zoro felt his swords twitching for blood, while Usopp was already taking aim with his slingshot, yet they were still too far away from the pier. No one moved, or even made a sound. None of them knew what to do.
And that was when Luffy started screaming in pain. He screamed so loudly that it drowned out Marcus' laughter. Marcus stood over Luffy's body, both hands over the pirate's skull, all the while the air shimmered and Luffy thrashed in agony.
The screams caused the atmosphere to snap. Vivi was already rushing madly towards Luffy, and Robin had to stop her jumping out of the ship. Nami broke down in muffled tears, too shocked to snap. Usopp was strangely quiet, his eyes wide and bulging as he watched Luffy shriek. Sanji and Zoro were both at the front of the ship, shouting desperately for the ship to go faster. The masts were fully unfurled and the wind was strong, but the Going Merry seemed to be moving in slow motion.
The next second, with one tremendous groan of exertion, Luffy crashed downwards onto the wooden pier, and everything collapsed. The splash of water sounded like a tidal wave.
"Luffy!" Vivi shrieked. She would have jumped in after him if Robin hadn't been holding on to her tightly.
Both Sanji and Zoro were moving almost before Luffy broke the surface. There were no words, no orders, and no time for rational thought. Suddenly, they were both leaping off the prow and diving into the dark ocean.
"He'll be alright!" Robin shouted firmly. The older woman was holding Vivi closely; half restraining her and half comforting her. Still, Robin's hands were trembling too. "They'll save him!"
Vivi was stuttering nonsensically. Nami was staring, wide-eyed and shivering. "But…" Nami muttered numbly. "Luffy can't actually swim…"
It had been ten years since Luffy had even practiced swimming. He had been awful at it when he seven, and he was still wasn't any better.
He kicked and he punched, as if the water was some physical enemy. He could move, but his body was still broken and weak. He had no rhythm to his movements, no experience, and so Luffy fell deeper into the ocean.
Strangely, Luffy had never really experienced drowning before, either. Devil fruit users sunk like stones in the water, yet at the same time the water paralysed and numbed their body. For a Devil fruit user, drowning was a horrible experience, yet a weirdly abstract one.
But Luffy was drowning now. He could feel his lungs burn as the water flooded his body. He was thrashing madly as the water surrounded him, and he could feel absolutely every horrible experience.
The ocean was cold and dark. Vaguely, Luffy glimpsed shapes around him, but before long everything became pitch black. His head started to swirl. He could feel the pressure crushing his brain, and sounded like a popping between his eyes. Everything was swirling, his heartbeat was racing, and his lungs kept on shrieking for a breath of air that never came.
Drowning was the most agonising way to die. Luffy had heard someone say that before, but he had never understood it at the time. It made perfect sense now. Drowning was fighting against a foe that you couldn't punch, which sapped your strength and pulled you deeper while your body begged desperately for release.
Luffy's vision blurred. Specks were flickering in front of his eyes. The water was in his lungs, and he couldn't even scream. Luffy was in utter torture as his body turned cold, and the darkness swallowed him.
Luffy opened his eyes wearily. The morning light flickered across his face, slowly rousing him from his sleep. Luffy was still tired and exhausted, but he couldn't keep his eyes closed any longer.
He groaned as he pulled himself up. He was in a small, but comfortable, bed in a large room. Palm trees swayed idly outside of the wide windows, and Luffy could hear seagulls in the distance. The smell of fish wafted in from outside, but the scent was overpowered by a large vase of lavenders sitting by Luffy's bedside table.
Luffy blinked several times. He knew this place well, and often visited it in his dreams. He was back in Foosha Village, and he was seven years old again.
"Ah, you're up!" A cheerful voice called from the bottom of Luffy's bed. It was a voice that sent Luffy's heart racing. "Makino is going to be upset. She was desperate to see you as soon as you woke."
In a flash, the memories returned to him. Luffy knew this scene. His hair was still damp from after he had been pulled out of the ocean and away from the Sea King. Luffy's eyes focused on the man sitting beside him, the emotions swelling through his body.
"Shanks!" Luffy screamed with joy, already squirming out from the covers.
'Red Hair' Shanks was a face that he never forgot. The older pirate had been fixed into Luffy's mind forever. He was tall, with shaggy red hair and rugged stubble. He was well-muscled, with scars across his eye, but his eyes were soft and kind.
Shanks just chuckled as he watched Luffy wriggle out of the sheets. He had a bottle of rum in his hand, and he was leaning idly back in his chair. "Careful, Luffy," Shanks said affectionately. "You've been through quite an ordeal. Don't push yourself."
Gradually, realisation dawned on Luffy and he stopped moving and started to stare in shock. The rest of the memories came back to him; the Lord of the Coast bringing its gaping teeth down, and Shanks grabbing him out of the water…
Luffy gasped at the stump of Shanks' left arm, severed near the shoulder. It had been wrapped heavily up in bandages, but the wound was still raw and the blood was still leaking through.
"Shanks…"Luffy gulped. Part of him had hoped that it all had been a bad dream. "Your arm…!"
Shanks glanced at the stump almost idly. "Oh yeah," he shrugged. "It happens."
The tears blurred Luffy's vision. This was his fault. He was the one who challenged Higuma and the mountain bandits, he was the one who'd been kidnapped. It was his fault that Shanks had lost his arm…
In seconds, Luffy was sobbing madly. Everything was rushing back to him too quickly. The emotions were crippling. The shame, anger and shock overwhelmed him, and crying was the only thing Luffy could do. The tears flowed down his face, and the child was left trembling in his bed.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Shanks said softly, dropping the bottle of rum and pushing over to wrap his arm around Luffy. "It's alright. Everyone is still alive, and that's what's important, right?"
Luffy was crying too loudly. Shanks held the child close, cuddling him affectionately. "You lost your arm!" Luffy squealed through muffled tears.
"Well, I didn't lose it," Shanks reasoned. "I know exactly where it is." His face twisted. "Although I think the Sea King can keep it by now…"
Luffy just cried harder. He was a child that had just woken up from a near death experience. Crying was the only thing that he could do. Shanks arm around his shoulders was tight and reassuring, holding Luffy close to the pirate's chest.
"Come on, it's not that bad," Shanks joked. "Just think of all the money I'm going to save on long-sleeved shirts?"
The child's sobbing stiffened slightly. Shanks grinned brightly.
"And just imagine of the saving in deodorant!" Shanks laughed. "Each can is going to last twice as long."
Luffy's grip on the man softened slightly. Shanks lightly patted Luffy's arm reassuringly.
"Plus," Shanks grinned. "You have no idea how much I hate cleaning my fingernails. Thank god that's cut down by half…"
Almost unwillingly, Luffy giggled. It took five minutes of comforting before Luffy's eyes dried and he was able to speak easily.
"I don't get it," Luffy muttered eventually, his voice low. "You lost your arm. How can you be so calm?"
He squeezed Luffy comfortably. The child felt so at ease next to Shanks. The pirate's expression was soft and kind.
Shanks shrugged. "It's only an arm, Luffy," he said reassuringly. "I try to focus on the important stuff."
Nami's heart had practically stopped beating as Sanji and Zoro dived into the water, swimming quickly through the black water. Each second felt like an hour. The pair of them swam quickly, but it still took them a long time to reach the pier, and even longer to pull Luffy's limp and bloody from the depths.
Robin used her power to pull Luffy onto the ship. He was bleeding so much he left a trail of blood across the sea. Chopper had been injured in the fight, but the doctor was still fretting around in a frenzy as Zoro dropped Luffy on the deck.
Even at a glance, Nami could see the broken bones. His body looked frail and weak, like a piece of meat that had been butchered. Chopper was already working, transforming into his Heavy point to pump the water out of Luffy's lungs.
Nami wanted to help. She wanted to move and she wanted to say something, but her body was working and she couldn't find her voice. Nothing was working.
"He's breathing!" The doctor proclaimed finally, and the tension over the ship shattered.
There was a dull thud as Usopp fainted from relief. Nami released a deep breath she hadn't released she had been holding. The tears were still rolling down Vivi's face, but she was grinning madly.
"We should move him inside," Robin suggested softly. "Get him off the deck."
Chopper nodded, but his face looked nervous. "I need my medicine," he agreed, before gulping. "There are… so many broken bones. His heartbeat is very weak…"
A dozen hands sprouted across the deck from Robin's powers, gently carrying Luffy's limp body into the ship. Vivi held the door open for him, while Chopper was rushing around to gather his supplies. Nami rushed after them, still trembling but colour was returning to her face.
"That idiot…" Nami muttered breathlessly, pacing endlessly. "I swear that if he dies I'm going to kill him myself…"
Sanji looked like he was about to follow the women, but Zoro snapped irritably, "Oi, Curly Brows!" The swordsman ordered. "Go get the rudder! We need to get away from this island."
For half a second, the chef was about to protest, but Sanji wanted to leave badly too. They were both weary and injured from their fights, and the crew was in no state to face another threat.
Sanji rushed to the rudder, while Zoro proceeded to roughly push the masts upwind. He didn't care about sailing, but he knew that they had to leave. The Going Merry lurched as the strong wind hit them, and quickly they were sailing away from Mock Town and out of the bay.
Around them, there were lights from the other ships in the darkness. All of the pirates had fled Mock Town once the fight started, but they were still nearby. Like vultures circling a battlefield. The swordsman felt an animalistic growl from his throat. Suddenly, he was the only one left on deck, and he was keenly aware of the huge bounty pinned on to the ship…
As they passed the cliffs of Mouth Bay, the other pirate ships became closer. They were huge hulks of wood, highlighted by bright lanterns in the gloom of the night. There were dozens of them, all so close that Zoro could hear the wood creaking against the fierce wind. The swordsman tried to hold the masts steady as the Going Merry crept by, but every fighting instinct Zoro had could feel hundreds of eyes on the caravel, sizing it up.
Zoro had no doubt that every single cannon was loaded and being aimed. The Mock Town pirates were like scavengers, and all too eager to descend on an injured prey. It was the first time that Zoro wished they had a bigger ship. Right now, they were all inspecting the Going Merry and its injured crew.
The night was dark and the winds were vicious. It was the type of night when weak men became brutal.
"This is going to get nasty…" Zoro snarled, unsheathing his swords. In front of him, a wall of pirate ships was coming into view, their hulls blocking the way.
Zoro could hear the activity as the rest of the crew huddled around Luffy, but Zoro would not allow anything to disturb his injured captain's treatment.
He was surrounded a hundred to one, but even despite the howling wind, everything was quiet. Sanji was steering the rudder, everyone else was with Luffy. There was no one else on deck, and suddenly Zoro was grateful.
It was a dark night, and the type of night when Zoro became murderous.
A large pirate ship in front of them turned and lowered its cannons; a clear declaration of war. It was a five mast galley, proudly flying a pirate flag that proclaimed the Hokahoka pirates. There had to be a hundred men on board, and dozens of cannons – all taking aiming against an injured and smaller ship…
They don't stand a chance, Zoro thought viciously, unsheathing his blades.
"Come and get it!" The swordsman growled with an evil grin, letting the mast fall straight into the wind, and the Going Merry lurched with sudden acceleration.
Around them, every single pirate ship burst into activity and opened its cannon ports. Zoro had had a very bad day and was not in the mood for mercy. He could hear the exclamations as the Going Merry burst forward with the wind. Every plank of wood groaned in agony. In front of him, the large hull of the Hokahoka pirate ship zoomed into sight, and Zoro's blades were singing for blood.
Vaguely, Zoro recalled a scene back in the Baratie – where he watched the World's Greatest Swordsman cut a galley into pieces with only a single swipe of a sword…
Everything was just about to explode, when suddenly a bright flare burst in the sky, highlighting the scene. At the mouth of the bay, a large battleship squatted against the choppy waves, its dull metal hull shining in the gloom. There was a distinctly bloodthirsty look about the battleship, and at once the makeshift pirate fleet started to panic.
The Marines had arrived.
Back at the pier, Berrit was the only one that managed to grab a hold of the ruins of the docks. The large man was barely able to reach the pier supports, while with his other hand he caught Isaac before he could drown. Still, both men were left dangling half in the ocean, only just keeping their upper bodies out of the water, while Berrit held the ruins of the dock for dear life.
The seawater sucked his strength, and Berrit was left so weak he couldn't even pull himself out of the water. Still, after a few minutes of struggling and constant curses of "Goddamn", Berrit succeeded in heaving Isaac on to what was left of the pier, and with both hands Berrit managed to drag himself up seconds later.
They were both panting heavily. Devil fruit abilities were uniquely vulnerable to the sea, and Berrit was left so sapped that he could hardly breathe. Their strength returned slowly.
After half a minute, Isaac groaned as he pulled himself upwards, still breathing heavily but at least able to move. Gingerly, Isaac danced across the splintered remains of the docks, and used a long plank of wood to recover the third member of their crew.
As a crew filled solely with Devil fruit users, drowning was a big concern. Despite his insanity, Marcus was paranoid enough to take precautions. Kuuigosu was an extremely rare type of wood; often consider to be the most buoyant material on the planet. It was the only material so buoyant that it could counteract act the sinking properties of Devil fruit users.
Marcus had a made a point of wearing a thick vest and underclothing made of Kuuigosu fibres, which could allow him to float in water. It wasn't perfect; the ocean still rendered him paralysed, and his buoyancy was risky at best. If he landed in the wrong position and his head fell under the water, he would have drowned, but in this case the Devil fruit hunter got lucky. Marcus' limp body was bobbing barely above the surface of the water as Isaac fished him out of the sea.
They were all gasping weakly before they collapsed onto the dry ground. Marcus was barely moving, and his breathing was very quiet. It took a few minutes before he recovered his strength to move.
In the distance, there were flashes of light and thunderous booms as the Going Merry engaged the pirate fleet, and the Marine battleship joined the chaos. The pirates were panicked and in shambles, firing their cannons with frenzy, while the marines were more disciplined. Their cannon blasts were dull thumps, unyielding and rhythmic.
The pirates were falling like flies beneath the battleship's bombardment. The ships were being splintered into wrecks. Several pirate ships caught fire, highlighting the scene in flickering flames. Hundreds, if not thousands, of scared pirates had fled from Mock Town, and they were swarming around the bay in chaos, charging the battleship and each other.
It looked like hell had erupted on the water. Marcus' eyes glinted hungrily.
"Isaac, Berrit…" Marcus muttered, his voice strangely calm. Isaac felt the shivers creep down his back. It would have been better if Marcus was fuming at the mouth. As soon as he turned eerily calm and composed… that was just a whole other level of crazy. "I want you to go get our ship and meet me at the mouth of the bay. Is that alright?"
Marcus' eyes were unblinking. It had been a long time since Isaac had seen Marcus this crazy. "And what are you going to do?" Isaac gulped.
Without an answer, Marcus was already walking away. Around him, the air was shimmering so furiously that the nearby trees burst into flames.
Luffy stayed in bed for a long time. His face was glum, and he didn't speak much. Shanks sit by the boy's side, drinking his bottle of rum, and together they stayed in a comfortable silence. Shanks wanted to go fetch Makino and the Mayor, but Luffy begged him just to stay. The pirate agreed without protest.
The thoughts and emotions were still swirling wildly around Luffy's head. The bruises of his recent beating from Higuma were still fresh and painful, but that was nothing compared to the shame and guilt that lumped in Luffy's stomach and clogged up his lungs. Every time Luffy closed his eyes, he saw the jaws of the Sea King snapping down…
"Shanks," Luffy spoke finally. "How did you scare away the Lord of the Coast?"
The pirate fiddled with his straw hat uncertainly. "Well," Shanks hesitated. "It's kind of a secret…"
Luffy's eyes widened innocently. "Please!" Luffy begged. "You've got to tell me!"
He paused. "Well, the truth is…" Shanks grinned suddenly, holding up the half-empty bottle of rum. "The secret is rum!"
"Rum?!"
"Yep." He nodded firmly. "The truth is that Sea Kings hate the taste of ale. The secret to scaring them off is to get well and truly drunk!"
The child's mouth dropped believingly. "Wow!"
Shanks smiled widely. "It's all true! That's why all the best pirates drink all day long!"
"I see…" The boy muttered knowingly, before holding out his hand to Shanks expectantly. "Then let me have a drink!"
Shanks deadpanned, hesitating suddenly. "Wait a second… Makino is going to kill me if I actually let you believe that…" He murmured with dread. Somehow, the thought of the skinny barmaid was enough to frighten even one of the most infamous pirates of the age.
He shook his head quickly. "I was only joking, Luffy," Shanks admitted quickly, before adding firmly, "And alcohol is something that only bad men drink and good children should avoid it all costs."
Luffy pouted, sitting cross-legged on his bed. "Then tell me the truth," the boy demanded. "How did you scare off that Sea King?"
Shanks thought about it for a long time, musing to himself. Luffy looked determined to know the truth. "Alright," Shanks admitted. "I actually used … well, I suppose you could call it a mysterious power."
"Oh," Luffy nodded understandingly. "I get it. A mysterious power."
The pirate sighed, before relenting. "It was a force called Haki," Shanks confessed. "And it's not something that should be taken lightly…"
Luffy was bobbing eagerly, but it had been a stressful day and the adrenaline was still causing havoc with his body. Also, Luffy was not known for his good attention span or memory.
It would be a very long time before he remembered this conversation again.
The cannons were like lightning strikes, smashing through everything in a rain of splinters. Around them, ships were being shredded like paper. The winds were strong, fanning the flames until the water was blazing.
It was pure chaos. Men were screaming. Cannons were firing randomly, and the explosions of gunpowder split the night. The pirates were caught in the choppy waves of the bay and the fierce winds of the growing storm. Huge ships collided with each other helplessly in the dark, all the while the Marine battleship unleashed a relentless salvo on everyone.
"Captain!" A panicked pirate screamed as another cannon ball wrapped through the deck. "This is a slaughter here!"
The captain, a grizzled old man with a peg leg, scowled as he watched his men abandon ship. "Stand your ground, you scurvy dogs!" The captain bellowed, pointing at the outline of the Going Merry that was slipping through the chaos. "There's over two hundred million up for grabs here! All we need is one good cannon blast!"
Before anyone could respond, everything turned quiet as a huge killing intent turned stepped onto the deck. None of the pirates had enough time to move. Zoro was walking calmly towards the captain. His black bandanna was on, and all three swords were drawn. His outline was highlighted by the smouldering wreckage of a pirate ship, and his eyes glinted demonically.
"Really?" Zoro murmured with bloodlust. "That's 'all' you need?"
Without a second's hesitation, Zoro charged. His blades spun impossibly fast, cutting through everything in his path. In a flash, he was at the other side of the ship, and the captain was falling to the ground in a shower of blood. Around him, the wooden planks of the galleon spilt and crumbled, before the entire deck snapped into half.
Any pirates still remaining jumped into the water without hesitation. Zoro's blades cut cleanly through the heavy wood, and within seconds ship was snapping to shreds. A heavy boom erupted from below deck as the gunpowder ignited, and Zoro barely had time to leap over the side before the whole ship exploded into flames.
Grunting, Zoro landed on a piece of wreckage, before sprinting across a bridge of flotsam. He leapt across the water, only just managing to grab a hold of the Going Merry before he pulled himself onto deck. Zoro's body was covered in ash, soot and blood, and was panting heavily.
"Marimo!" Sanji snapped irritably, trying desperately to steady the mast in the wind. "Where the hell did you go? We're a bit busy here!"
Zoro frowned but didn't respond. He wiped the blood off his blades on his clothes. Behind him, there was a path of a dozen wrecked ships smouldering in the water.
The Going Merry was practically bouncing up and down over choppy waves. The cannonballs were coming from all directions, but Sanji had taken control of the mast and was heaving to either side. The ship lurched constantly from side to side, dancing between the debris and the explosions.
Sanji looked dead on his feet, yet he was still fighting relentlessly against the wind. Usopp was up in the crow's nest, hanging on for dear life while screaming warnings downwards.
"How's Luffy?" Zoro muttered grimly, his eyes focused on the chaos around him, and the ships colliding with each other in all directions.
Sanji grunted. "Still unconscious. He has too many broken bones… it looks bad…."
The scowl on Zoro's face darkened. They were in the centre of the pandemonium now, and rapidly approaching the battleship at the mouth of the bay. The Marines were positioned upwind of the warzone, and any pirates that tried to charge them had to sail through constant bombardment.
The wrecks of huge ships were like leviathans lying dead in the water. The flames were devouring their wooden hulls, forming a treacherous path away from the island. It was a kill-zone.
"Hey!" Usopp screamed loudly from above, staring at the battleship with keen eyes. "That's Smoker's ship!"
"The shitty captain is really going all out this time," Sanji growled, just as he heaved the mast across the deck to the other side. The wind hit the sail like a sledgehammer, and the Going Merry lurched dangerously to the side, just as another cannonball bounced off the water next to them.
"We need Nami," Zoro murmured. Only their navigator was skilled enough to lead them through this. Sanji nodded in agreement, all flirtation forgotten as he manned steered the ship. Staggering across the rocking wood, Zoro dived below deck.
In the meeting room, Luffy had been placed over the table and bandaged up. Chopper was frantically working to keep the captain alive, while around him Nami and Vivi were frantically trying to help. Robin was the most composed out of all them, but even her eyes were flickering uncertainly. Carue had been frantically running around the room in panic, before Vivi threw the large deck into the hull to get him out of the way.
"Nami!" Zoro shouted loudly. The whole ship was rocking dangerously, and he had to hold on to the door frame just to stand upright. "We need you outside!"
The navigator's eyes were red from tears, and she stood close to Luffy's side, holding his hand tightly. Nami looked unwilling to move.
"Go," Robin said firmly, but not unkindly, staring at the girl with dark eyes. "There's nothing you can do here. I'll stay with Luffy."
The archaeologist was invaluable in the room. She was using her powers constantly, sprouting up hands to hold Luffy steady while Chopper worked. Robin held the doctor's medicine, wrapped up bandages and even stitched up wounds all at the same time. She was even holding the table in place through hands sprouting from the floor, and stopping furniture from rolling across the room.
Still, Nami hesitated. "You're needed outside," Robin pressed, her voice steady and reassuring. On the table, Robin was holding Luffy's other hand. "You have to go."
Nami relented, letting go off Luffy's hand unwillingly. "Keep him safe," Nami begged desperately, staring at Robin pleadingly.
"I will," Robin muttered, just as Nami darted out of the room. Zoro slammed the door behind her.
Gently, she turned to Vivi, who was standing hesitantly in the corner, biting her lip. "You should go too," Robin advised. "They need everyone out there."
"But–" Vivi protested weakly.
"Go where you're needed," Robin pushed softly, placing a reassuring hand on Vivi's shoulder. "Go where you can do some good."
The princess sighed. A day ago, Vivi would have bristled defensively if Robin acted so close to her, but there was an unspoken truce. Vivi thought back to Mock Town, where Robin had saved her life from Marcus…
"I'll go," Vivi agreed, casting a final lingering glance at Luffy's injured body. Robin smiled comfortingly as she left the room.
Instantly, they were alone. Chopper was in full doctor mood, and not wasting any concentration on anything other than his patient. Robin could hear the battle outside, but strangely it felt like it was another world away.
Robin leant over the table and sighed as she stared at Luffy's wounds. They looked like more injuries and broken bones than any human could survive, but Luffy had been fighting right until the end. There was a knot in Robin's stomach that she wasn't entirely comfortable with.
Now that the over girls were gone, Robin leant over and gently caressed Luffy's shoulder, feeling the lean muscles and rough skin. Chopper was too distracted to notice the strangely intimate gesture.
A cannonball flashed through the air, but Zoro was faster. In a second, Zoro was leaping from the figurehead, his swords spinning as they cut effortlessly through the metal. Two halves of the cannonball span in to the water, one of them leaving a sizable chunk in the side of the ship.
Still, the battleship's cannons were already reloading.
"I can't keep doing this!" Zoro shouted urgently. Already, the Going Merry was worse for wear. They had taken shrapnel and debris mostly, but a good cannon strike might cripple the ship.
"Pull the sails starboard!" Nami ordered loudly, critically inspecting the wind and the burning debris. Between the smoke and the darkness, visibility was very poor. That was probably one of the reasons they hadn't already been hit.
Behind them, there were very few whole ships left. Everything was in pieces and in flames.
Sanji complied without hesitation. "We can skid across the current close to the cliffs!" Nami declared finally. "With the wind behind us we'll be gone before they can turn around, and we'll run across the island and down south until we get away."
"Nami! You are so amazing!" Sanji swooned, still wrestling with the flapping mast. A normal human could never have held the mast steady in such a strong wind, and even Sanji was struggling.
The navigator didn't respond. Her eyes focused upwards to the sky, staring at the dark cloud that was hovering over the island. Her heart was pounding uneasily. What's up with that cloud? She thought darkly. This wind came out of nowhere, and I've never seen a storm like this…
The Going Merry was picking up speed as it accelerated towards the mouth of the bay. Zoro was just about to feel hopeful, when suddenly Usopp screamed from the crow's nest. "Guys!" The sharpshooter squealed. "We have a problem!"
From the nearby cliffs, the sound of laughter echoed in the dark. A figure was standing at the edge of the water, staring out at the sea, all the while the air around him smouldered bright red. Vivi recognised that laughter first, but she couldn't even duck before the first shockwave hit them.
The air pulsed and exploded with pure pressure. The blast hit the Going Merry at the rear port side, shredding through wood in a cloud of splinters.
"I told you, beautiful!" Marcus cackled maniacally. "I told you that I wouldn't let you get away!"
Marcus thrust his hands forward again. The impact collided through the hull of the Going Merry, splitting through wood effortlessly. The whole ship shuddered dangerously. Every plank of wood groaned in agony, and the Going Merry slowly fall deeper into the water.
"No…" Vivi whispered breathlessly. "How is he still alive?"
Around her, Usopp was barely hanging onto the crow's nest. The Going Merry was thrashing furiously in the water, despite all of Sanji's attempts to keep the sail steady.
"We've lost the rudder…" Nami realised with dread, her voice quiet. The back of the ship had been pulverised by Marcus' first attack, snapping the rudder away. You couldn't steer a rudderless ship. They were at the mercy of wind, and drifting dangerously close to the cliffs.
Behind, the Marine battleship was already turning at catching up. Vivi could practically hear the sound of all those cannons being reloaded.
The sound of laughter was deafening. Marcus slowly started to walk across the cliffs, an aura of flames surrounding him.
"I told you…" Marcus muttered quietly. His eyes were shining with bloodlust. "I will never let you go."
"Whoa!" Luffy squealed excitedly. The seven year old was practically jumping up and down on the bed. "That sounds so cool! Can I use Hacky?"
"It's Haki," Shanks sighed, leaning back on his chair. "And… well, it's a bit complicated."
The boy pouted. He didn't like complicated things. "Aww… what do you mean?"
The pirate spent a long time choosing his words. "Well, you see, there's no real requirement to use Haki," he said eventually. "Anybody could use it, but very few people actually do."
"So you can teach me then?" Luffy proclaimed brightly.
Shanks shook his head. "No, it's not something that could be taught. I might be able to help you refine it, but everyone has to discover it on their own."
"Then teach me!" He demanded, not really listening. "I bet I can do it straight away!"
"Luffy…" Shanks muttered exasperatedly. "Don't worry about Haki. It'll come to you when it needs to come. As a matter of fact, there's only one condition that you've got to fulfil to use Haki."
"What?"
Shanks smiled gently. "You've simply got to know what's important."
Luffy's face scrunched up. "But I know what's important!"
"Really? Do you?"
"Yep!" Luffy nodded firmly. "Meat is important. Breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, supper, tea and desert are extra important. Also, I really like fish from…"
Shanks just laughed, looking at Luffy curiously. "You'll learn eventually," he promised.
The boy crossed his arms moodily. "Hmph! This Hicky sounds lame."
"I told you it wasn't simple."
There was a moment's silence, but Luffy was curious. "What is Hickory anyways?"
"You're getting it more wrong every time…" Shanks sighed, wondering why he even bothered. Truth be told, the older pirate was more than a bit curious about Luffy's potential for Haki, but the child just wasn't ready for the ability yet. "Haki is a very mystical force. Lots of people have different definitions for it."
"Like what?"
Shanks scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Some call it the physical manifestation of pure willpower – the ability to enforce strength of character on to the world. Others consider it a divine gift, only given to a select few. Others believe that everyone is born with Haki and use it regularly, but not many are capable of actively applying it."
Luffy's head tilted to the side. "I don't get it."
The pirate just smiled, his eyes glazing over. "The best definition I ever heard," Shanks mused. "was something that my old captain told me a very long time ago…"
"What?" Luffy demanded finally, after a few seconds.
There was a thoughtful, faraway look on Shank's face, as the pirate remembered something that happened a long time ago. "Haki…" Shanks muttered curiously. "…is the ability to defy fate itself."
"Move!" Zoro bellowed loudly. The cannonballs were streaming by them. The Going Merry was still out of range, but the battleship was gaining on them. Between the bombardment and Marcus' assault, the small caravel was quickly taking severe damage.
Sanji and Nami were left trying to desperately steer the ship using the mast alone. They had barely succeeded in avoiding crashing into the coast. The wind was behind them, and pushing the ship away from Jaya island. In calmer conditions, they might have had a chance, but now the Going Merry was at the whim the weather.
Zoro and Vivi stood guard at the rear of the ship trying to stop the salvo of cannonballs. Another metal ball exploded towards, bouncing over the surface of the water, only to collide with a wall of sand swarming around the ship.
The swordsman could only stare at the unexpected strength. Vivi was panting heavily, but showing no hesitation and more and more control over her abilities.
"I will not be useless," Vivi growled under her breath. Her eyes were focused on the cliffs, where the outline of Marcus was disappearing into the night. The princess' hands were trembling, just as she threw up another blade of sand to deflect a cannonball.
Usopp was somewhere below deck, trying to patch up the holes in the ship. The Going Merry would be lucky to survive this in one piece. Vivi's powers were the only thing stopping the cannons, but she couldn't keep it up indefinitely. Zoro never stood a chance of stopping the bombardment once the battleship got closer, and the Going Merry was lagging too badly in the water to outrun them.
Sooner or later, the Marines would catch up, and Zoro wasn't sure how much fight they had left in them.
The swordsman really wished that Luffy was here.
Marcus was growling for blood as Berrit and Isaac pulled the ship up to the coast. Their boat was a small skipper, slender and lean with a large mast. Berrit manned the sail while Isaac steered, and the skipper cut through the water smoothly.
As the ship pulled near, Marcus dropped onto the boat. Everyone was quiet.
"After them," Marcus ordered finally.
Isaac cleared his throat nervously. "Are you sure that's wise? The Marines have them now, we don't want to get in their way…"
Marcus didn't say a word. Berrit was watching quietly too. Isaac hesitated, but continued, "I'm sure we can pick up the Sand Sand fruit later. Let's not do anything too risky."
The slender man pointed below the deck of the skipper, where rows of reinforced boxes stood neatly in a thin corridor. "We already have twelve Devil fruits with us right now…" Isaac reasoned. "That's over a billion Beli on the black-market. It'd be nice if we had the Sand Sand fruit too, but it's not worth the chance."
There were a few seconds of silence. Finally, Marcus cleared his throat. "After them."
"But –"
"I need to kill something," Marcus said finally, his voice calm. The blood was still dripping down his body. "It's either you or them."
Isaac gulped. Around Marcus, the air was glowing a dull red. It had been years since he'd seen Marcus this bloodthirsty.
Without another word, Isaac twisted the steering wheel while Berrit unfurled the sails.
On the battleship, Tashigi was frowning as she watched the battle through binoculars. Around her, the ship was in frenzy as the cannons were reloaded and fired relentless. The booms were so loud that everyone had to wear earmuffs.
"They're sailing low in the water!" Tashigi reported eventually, forced to shout loudly over the chaos. "We're going to catch up shortly. We need to prepare the boarding party!"
At the helm, Captain Smoker never seemed to hear her. The captain was staring fixedly on the Going Merry, barely moving. Next to him, Hina stood with her arms crossed, inspecting the crew critically.
"Captain!" Tashigi shouted louder. "We need to prepare the boarding party!"
Still, Smoker didn't react. He was concentrating hard, with dark lines across his forehead. Grumbling, Tashigi dropped the binoculars and ran to the captains' side.
"Smoker, it's getting close now. We should prepare for capturing them," Tashigi said finally, dropping her voice as she approached.
"Do nothing of the sort," Smoker ordered woodenly, not even looking at her. "Proceed with the bombardment."
Tashigi frowned. "But sir! They're practically dead in the water already! We need to bring the pirates into custody."
There was a short silence. Hina was staring at Smoker curiously, but didn't say anything. "We will not be taking them into custody," Smoker replied eventually. "The bombardment will not stop."
The understanding hit Tashigi like a ton of bricks. The lieutenant's mouth dropped open. "You mean to kill them?" She stammered. "But we can't…"
"They're pirates. We can and we will." Still, Smoker didn't even look at her.
Tashigi could only stare. "But they don't deserve–"
"They're pirates, lieutenant! I will not risk them getting away again." Smoker muttered, his hands clenching into fists. "You have your orders."
"No!" Tashigi protested, raising her voice in response. Around her, a few sailors stopped to stare at the confrontation, but Hina chased the spectators away. "We can't kill them! Capture them, give them a trial, put them in jail, but we can't just execute them!"
"You have your orders!" Smoker repeated through gritted teeth. He didn't even glance towards her. Tashigi felt the outrage rising in her.
"Is this about the court-martial?" Tashigi demanded. "Since when have you cared what the superiors think? How can you justify choosing your career over… over… justice!"
A vein in Smoker's forehead bulged. The cannons were booming loudly, and the pirate ship was coming closer and closer. A cannonball landed firmly in the starboard side, and Tashigi could hear the wood collapsing even from here.
"Answer me, damn it!" Tashigi screamed, losing all composure. The blood was rushing to her face, but she couldn't just watch the pirates die like this. "Who gives a damn about a court-martial, we–"
"It's not a court-martial!" Smoker snapped finally, turning to face Tashigi. "It's a not court-martial. You're being charged by a military tribunal. Charged with treason."
Tashigi skin turned numb. Strangely, the cannons around her became quieter. "…what?"
"For your actions in Alabasta, you've been charged with pirate sympathy, and Admiral Akainu wants to make an example," Smoker spat the words foully. "He's pushing for the death penalty."
"But… but…" Tashigi's face paled. "That's…"
"What?" Smoker demanded, pushing up against her coldly. "Unfair?"
Tashigi couldn't respond. Smoker's voice was quiet. "Perhaps it is," the captain conceded finally, his eyes flickering. "And perhaps these pirates don't deserve death either. But there's no choice right now. The only thing that's going to save your head is if you prove there's no sympathy here."
Tashigi was breathing heavily. A flicker of compassion passed across Smoker's face. "Perhaps they don't deserve to die like this," he admitted. "But it's you or them. And I will always choose the live of my subordinate over the lives of some pirates."
Smoker was walking away coldly, leaving a shell-shocked Tashigi standing with her mouth open. "You have your orders," Smoker said decisively. "The bombardment will not stop until they're all dead in the water."
In the hold of the battleship, a prisoner was screaming loudly. The prisoner had been chained to the wall and gagged repeatedly, but he was still somehow managing to dance and revolve in circles despite the manacles.
"Stop joking around!" Bentham squealed, the tears pouring down his face. "What's going on out there?!"
The battleship was pulling up alongside the Going Merry. Suddenly, they were facing the salvo from the entire starboard side of the ship.
Nothing could stop the cannons. They couldn't outrun them, and they couldn't avoid it. The steel spheres burst through the Going Merry like it was made of paper, throwing up clouds of debris.
Within seconds, the Going Merry was riddled with holes, and the crew could only run for cover.
A cannon strike nearly took the head off the Merry's figurehead.
"Don't you dare hurt her!" Usopp screamed helplessly, just before another cannonball burst through the centre mast. Usopp was left screaming as the mass fell towards the water, still trapped in the crow's nest.
The mast slammed across the deck with a dull thud, splitting the wooden planks into pieces before leaning over the edge. At once, the wind was gone and Merry dragged backwards in the water, forcing everyone to hold on for cover. The ship start to tit dangerous from the mast dragging to the side, all the while the battleship continued to blow holes through the hull.
Sanji cursed before rushing to save Usopp. Zoro was forced to clutch on to the ship for cover, all the while the splinters tore into his flesh. Zoro could feel the wood creaking as it slowly fell apart under the bombardment, splitting like wet paper.
The ocean was rapidly rising up to swallow the ship, while the wooden planks split into pieces and the whole ship was being shredded into flotsam.
Grunting, Zoro pushed himself upwards. His swords flashed as they split a cannonball into two, but there were dozens more that he couldn't stop. The huge bulk of the battleship loomed over them, all the cannons pointing down.
In the distance, Zoro glimpsed a glow as a small skipper chopped through the waves quickly towards them. The swordsman recognised the man standing at the front of the ship instantly. He wondered vaguely if there would be anything left by the time they arrived.
There was a sudden quiet as the cannons were all reloaded. The silence was deafening, and Zoro knew that the ship wouldn't hold up against another salvo. It was barely being held together as it was.
Next to him, Nami and Vivi huddled together, taking cover from the shrapnel. Already, the water was creeping up half of the deck. The sky was so dark it was hard to see anything.
"We've got bring the oars out!" Nami gasped breathlessly. Her hands were trembling. "We've got to get away!"
Gradually, the ship started to accelerate backwards. Zoro was left nearly speechless as he stared out into the water around him.
The sound of rushing water became louder. The wreck of the Going Merry was slowly twisting around, caught in a sudden and furious current. Zoro could only stare out into the ocean.
A maelstrom was forming in the dark water.
"I don't think oars are going to help…" Zoro gulped, tightening his grip on to the wood. He heard Usopp start to scream, but that was the last thing he recognised before everything started to accelerate faster and faster.
The ocean blurred with speed, washing over the entire ship. Within seconds, the maelstrom expanded like a gaping beast, and roared as swallowed everything. Tonnes of water gushed around. The ship battered around like a leaf in a storm.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Zoro screamed loudly, watching the ocean transform into a giant sinkhole. The Marine battleship was getting further and further away, but they were heavy enough to keep control against the current. Still, Zoro could see the cannons being loaded again.
Nami and Vivi were clutching each other, trying desperately to stay a hold in the chaos. Zoro couldn't even see Sanji. The swordsman didn't dare let go to check on Luffy and the others.
With a thunderous groan, the Going Merry started to tilt even further. The ship was being twisted around in the current wildly. Finally, physics couldn't be denied and the whole ship started to capsize.
Zoro had to dive for cover. The ship landed on its side with a huge tidal wave, and suddenly Zoro was left holding the railing above the foaming water.
He briefly glimpsed Nami holding tightly to Vivi, while clutching at a hole on the deck. Sanji only just managed to pull Usopp onto the figurehead; all the while the broken mast was dragged off the ship and swallowed by the gaping hole in the middle of the ocean.
Everything was spinning so quickly. Zoro could barely move. There were large booms and explosions of water as the Marines opened fire again, barely missing the ship. One more impact and they were done for…
Suddenly, a huge roar caused the water to shake. The swordsman's mouth dropped open as he saw a gigantic wall of scales erupt from the ocean.
"OH, YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" Zoro bellowed, watching the enormous Sea King thrash against the maelstrom.
It was a monster five times the size of a galleon. It was so large it caused a tidal wave with every whip of its serpentine body. Its scales were bright green and glistening. It was a monster of pure muscle, yet even the huge Sea King was struggling to escape the furious maelstrom.
The sound of the water, the roaring and the cannons drown out everything. The only thing that Zoro could hear was his own furiously beating heart as the Sea King turned, reared his head and launched itself at the Going Merry with a gaping mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth.
"There's no way that we're this unlucky…" Zoro mumbled to himself, just before a tidal wave of sea water and fangs swallowed everything.
"ZEHAHAHAHA!" The sound of furious laughter echoed across Jaya Island. Marshal D. Teach sat on a hill overlooking the ocean, munching cherry pie while enjoying the show in front of him.
At this distance, the maelstrom was a black spot off the coast of Jaya. The Sea King was a flash of green in the darkness. Still, the screaming and the sounds of battle were clearly audible.
After a couple of minutes, there were heavy footsteps as the helmsman, Jesus Burgess, stomped down next to the captain. Blackbeard didn't either react.
"Captain," Burgess greeted finally, staring out at the battle off the coast. The huge man was a bulk of pure muscle, and frowning slightly. "Enjoying yourself?"
Teach grin stretched from ear to ear. "Best show I've seen in years!" He exclaimed, motioning across the destruction over the island. In the bay, the ruins of dozens of pirate ships were still burning brightly.
Burgess laughed too, watching the battle in the maelstrom calmly. "You know," the helmsman muttered finally. "I still say we should have captured them when we had the chance."
"Trust me…" Blackbeard replied with a smirk, just as another roar from the Sea King caused the island to shake. "They're way more trouble than it's worth."
Off the coast of the island, even at this distance, things looked hopeless for the pirates. They were facing a battleship, a sea monster, and a psychopath, all the while trapped in a maelstrom and being pulled to pieces.
"But they're going to die!" Burgess protested eventually.
Blackbeard shook his head, sending crumbs off cherry pie spilling out of his mouth. "Nah…" The captain muttered confidently. "Some people don't die as easily as that…"
The cannons had a punched a wall in the meeting room wall, and it was rapidly filling with water. As the ship capsized, Robin was left hanging off the walls, trying desperately to keep Luffy safe.
Chopper had been hit hard by a large chunk of shrapnel. The doctor was hanging under Robin's arm, unconscious and bleeding from the head.
Luffy's limp body was covered in bandages and completely unresponsive. Robin had several arms wrapped around his chest, pinning him to the wall, but it was getting harder and harder to the hold on.
The gushing water was filling the room as the Going Merry sunk deeper and deeper. She was pushed up against the corner of the room, but there was nowhere else to run.
Strangely, Robin felt weirdly calm. Somehow, she knew that she shouldn't be surprised. No matter where she went, and no matter who took her in, catastrophe would always follow. It had been that way ever since she was eight. She was a fool to think that this would be different.
She only wished she had a bit more time…
Robin was perfectly calm as she stared at Luffy's beaten face for a few seconds. She thought about it for a while, but it really wasn't much of a decision. They were all about to die, after all.
"Oh, screw it," Robin sighed, before darting forward and pressing her lips firmly against Luffy's.
"Do you want to hear a story?" Shanks muttered absentmindedly. "It's about the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger?"
"The Pirate King?" Luffy was instantly eager, sitting up in his bed and bobbing slightly.
Shanks still had a faraway gaze over his eyes. "You know, lots of people think of him as a mighty conqueror, but he wasn't," the pirate mused, staring at the stump of his arm. "Truth be told, Roger was actually pretty weak."
"What?!" Luffy shouted with shock. The seven year old was flaying wildly and scrunching up his face. "But he was awesome! He sailed around the world! He was the Pirate King!"
Shanks nodded. "Yep, all true." Shanks took a deep gulp of rum. "But Roger was born with a deliberating illness. His body was very frail. By all rights, he shouldn't have survived past childhood. He needed constant medical attention to stay alive, but his body kept on falling apart."
A faint smile played over the pirate's lips. "You see, Roger was fated to die young, sick and in bed," Shanks muttered. "But, fortunately, Roger was never one for following the rules."
Luffy was quiet as he listened with confusion. Outside, dusk was falling over Foosha village. "Roger once said that 'fate' is like a spoiled child," Shanks mused. "Fate is cruel, mean and prone to throwing tantrums when it doesn't get its own way. Only a fool would indulgence fate by obsessing over what is 'lucky' or 'destined'…"
Shanks took a deep breath. "That is the strength that Roger had. That is the power that Haki truly is…" He explained softly. "It is the ability to achieve what is unachievable, and to hit what is untouchable. It is the power to break the rules and defy fate itself."
Slowly, Shanks pulled himself up in his chair. "Roger said that the concept of fate was nothing more than a sick joke," Shanks muttered. "…I suppose that's why he died laughing…"
"I don't understand." Luffy scratched his head with confusion.
Shanks just grinned. "You will," the pirate promised.
Around them, things became dark as night fell quickly over the village. A sympathetic expression fell over Shanks face. "I'm sorry, Luffy, but it's too late now," Shanks said softly. "It's time to go."
Luffy shook his head determinedly. "No!" The child protested. "I don't want you to leave!"
His smile widened. "I'm not going anywhere," Shanks replied. "But it's time for you to go now. Your friends need you."
"What…?" Luffy muttered with confusion, but then he could instantly hear the roar of the ocean. Something soft pressed up against his lips…
Realisation struck. "Oh." Luffy exclaimed dumbly. It wasn't a child's voice anymore.
Luffy glanced downwards. Suddenly, his limbs were long and muscled, and his chest was broad and chiselled. He was wearing a red vest and blue shorts, but they were tattered and almost ruined. There was a large scar over his heart. He was back in a seventeen year olds body.
Shanks looked at him comfortingly. Outside, a hurricane was rapidly tearing apart his dream world.
Luffy took a deep breath and stared at his role model. Already, he could feel himself falling back into reality. "I'm really sorry about your hat," Luffy confessed guiltily.
Shanks only laughed, his eyes twinkling. "Luffy…" The pirate replied softly. "That hat has always been the least important thing I gave you."
Luffy never remembered waking up. All he knew was that suddenly he was conscious, covered in bandages, and being held in Robin's arms as the water flooded the cabin.
Robin was standing above him as he opened his eyes. Her face was blushing.
"Luffy!" She gasped. "You're awake…!"
He nodded absentmindedly, already standing up. The Going Merry was in shambles. The water was dragging the ship down. A Sea King was threatening to pulverize the ship. The cannon blasts were pounding all around him. Luffy body screamed in pain as he moved, but he could barely feel it.
"Careful!" Robin exclaimed worriedly. "Your body–"
"I don't care," Luffy shrugged, already walking for the door. "They're only broken bones."
Luffy pulled himself to the door, smashing through the debris that blocked the way. Everything felt so surreal, like he was still dreaming. The storm was raging furiously, but Luffy barely noticed it. The Going Merry was in tatters, but Luffy just walked by. The only thing he could hear was the screams of his friends, and Luffy knew what was important.
Outside, the salty water splashed against his face. Everything was spinning. Luffy looked upwards just to see a giant sea monster rearing his head and roaring thunderously. Its pupils were as thin as slits; the monster was crazed into a frenzy by the maelstrom and the weather. The beast focused on the Going Merry, before lunching downwards with a mouthful of sharp teeth…
Suddenly, Luffy was seven years old again, watching the Sea King chomp down towards him…
But this time, he wasn't defenceless.
Slowly, Luffy opened his mouth and quietly spoke a single word…
"Run."
It was barely more than a whisper, yet somehow it still managed to drown out every other sound. Everything pulsed with pure power emitted from Luffy, and the world froze.
The Sea King's eyes rolled and its huge body crashed limply into the water with a large tidal wave.
Every cannon on the battleship fell silent.
Birds all over Jaya fell out of the sky.
All eyes were instantly focused on Luffy, standing motionless, covered in bandages, on the deck as the maelstrom raged. He had never looked so threatening.
"How did you…?" Nami gasped breathlessly, wide-eyed.
On the battleship, the cigars from Smoker's mouth dropped to the ground. Around him, his sailors collapsed to the ground limply.
"What the…?" Smoker grunted in surprise. He had felt that power before. He just had never expected to feel it here.
"What's happening?" Tashigi exclaimed loudly, watching everyone else fall unconscious. Tashigi, Smoker and Hina were the only ones still standing. The cannons fell silent as there was no one left to fire them.
"This is impossible…" Smoker growled, wide-eyed, staring at the source of the power. The Going Merry was rocking over the maelstrom, quickly spinning towards the centre.
Already, without the sailors to keep the course, the battleship was drifting upwind and getting caught in the maelstrom current. Smoker glimpsed another ship, a small skipper, bounding over the waves and heading straight for the centre. All three boats were going to collide in the centre.
Around them, the water was starting to bubble.
"Wake the men up quickly!" Smoker ordered loudly, recovering from his shock. "Get the sails under control and start up the cannon again! We've got to destroy them before–"
Whatever else he was about to say was cut off by a tremendous boom from beneath the ocean. He barely managed to glimpse downwards before suddenly the whole ocean was rising upwards to meet them.
The knock-up stream had arrived.
A few hours later, in the remains of Mock Town…
The sun was rising slowly, and the entire island was in a state of shock. Mock Town had been practically wiped off the map, every ship had been wrecked, and the bay had been turned into a warzone. The charred, skeletal remains of huge galleons were gently washing up onto the beaches. Pirates and citizens alike cautiously crawled out of the forests, either after washing up on the coast or after taking shelter for the night.
In this distance, a huge dark cloud was creeping away across the horizon.
A man was standing on the ruined pier, stammering as he pointed up at the cloud. "They flew into the sky!" The shell-shocked man stuttered, his expensive clothing in tatters. "I saw them! They flew up into the sky!"
Already, several pirates were noticing that their Log poses were pointing upwards. The rumours spread like wildfire.
'Big Knife' Sarkies pulled himself up out of the ruins. Last night had been a blur. He still was trying and failing to make sense of it. Slowly, Sarkies stumbled through the ruins of Mock Town and headed east.
Over a small hill, brightly coloured cottages by the ocean came into view. The Tropical Hotel appeared to be the only part of the town that had survived unscathed.
"Sarkies!" An eager voice called out to him happily. The first mate turned to see Lily and a handful of Bellamy Pirates rushing over to him. "Thank god you're alright!"
There were very few Bellamy Pirates left. Most of the 'New Age' of piracy had fled as soon as the things got hard.
"Lily!" Sarkies gasped. Lily looked terrible. She had lost her sunglasses, and her fancy clothing was ruined. Her blond hair was dirty and terrible. Sarkies looked just as bad, but he hadn't time to notice. "What happened? Did you talk to the boss yet?"
She shook her head nervously. "Not yet," she stammered. "But it's Bellamy… he's…"
She pointed to a limp body that the others were carrying gingerly. Sarkies' mouth dropped open. "Bellamy's alive?"
Lily nodded. "Barely," she admitted worriedly. "He must have turned it into a spring before it snapped. He's not in good shape, though. He can barely breathe and it doesn't look nice…"
Sarkies gulped. "We've got to tell the boss," the first mate decided finally. "He's not going to let anyone get away with hurting us…"
The sound of laughter drifted over the group. "What exactly will I do?" A smug voice asked, just as a figure trotted out of the Tropical Hotel.
Doflamingo grinned as he stared at the pirates outside of his door. He was a huge man wearing bright pink with purple shades. The Warlord's blond hair was a mess, and he was yawning slightly. It looked like he had just woken up, but he was already laughing.
"Boss!" Sarkies shouted with relief. "You've got to help us! Bellamy's hurt and –"
Suddenly, Sarkies realised that he couldn't move his body. The rest of the crew were all standing unnaturally stiff as well. Doflamingo was fiddling his fingers idly.
"Oh? Bellamy's hurt?" Doflamingo yawned. "That's a shame. I wanted to hurt him myself."
Sarkies' eyes filled with fear. His hands were moving by themselves, and slowly his fingers started to wrap around his own throat. The Bellamy Pirates could only gasp as they were forced to strangle themselves to death.
Doflamingo casually kicked Bellamy's limp body, while the pirates fell to the ground one by one. "I should never have given trash like you permission to use my flag," Doflamingo mused. "I've been looking for a reason to get rid of you."
The body of Sarkies' dropped to the ground, like a puppet with its strings cut. Doflamingo simply laughed. Slowly, Doflamingo turned to stare at the horizon, where the millennium cumulonimbus was still visible, casting a dark shadow over the ocean.
"Still…" Doflamingo wondered, scratching his chin. "Hmm… I wonder…?"
Slowly, strings started to rise from Doflamingo's body. They spun upwards, rising into the sky and latching onto the clouds. Doflamingo gradually started to ascend up off the ground. Within seconds, Doflamingo was flying straight upwards, as if levitating.
"Young master!" A young woman exclaimed, rushing out of the hotel. She was wearing a skimpy maid outfit and smoking a cigarette. "Where are you going?"
"I've been working too hard!" Doflamingo laughed loudly, already flying up into the clouds. "I deserve a holiday! And I want to go to Sky Island!"
Author Notes:
Everything is set for the Skypiea Arc. God, I'm looking forward to that one.
List of people who ended up in the sky:
- All of the Straw Hat Pirates.
- The Marines; Smoker, Tashigi, Hina, Fullbody and Jango. Also, Mr 2 Bon Clay is riding along in their prison.
- The Devil fruit hunters; Berrit, Isaac and Dan 'The Demonic' Marcus.
- Also, Doflamingo is coming along in the rear…
Sky Island just got a lot more crowded. I'm sure Enel is going to be pleased…
Also, I've been looking for a Beta reader for this story for a while now, and so I've now resorted to shameless begging. If anyone's interested being a Beta, then please let me know.