Monster Mash
Here it is, chapter ten! Expect plenty of action, and some really surprising twists. Let's just say that Nami will have her time to shine soon.
Chapter 10 ~ The War of the Monsters begins! Wizard Chopper's grand duel!
"The mansion up the hill just exploded!" A voice could be heard in the streets and was quickly followed by concerned murmurs, drawing the attention of a tall green skinned woman and a blonde Oni. Trading glances, they immediately left the tavern, hightailing for the path.
"Hey, you two! It's not safe that way, didn't you hear about the explosion?" A man's voice called after the two, but it was drowned out by the pouring rain, which seemed to fall harder and harder as they trudged down the path.
"I hope the others are alright." Sanji bit his lip in frustration. To think that the old man they had came to trust was a fraud, damn it! The oni-cook ran harder, ignoring the increasingly slippery mud.
#
"In just a few hours, my centuries long plan will finally be complete!" Drake said with grand gesture to the rainy skies, laughing. Luffy frowned, his fists clenched.
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" The rubbery vampire said, drawing back a fist, "GUM GUM, PISTOL!" Luffy threw his fist towards the ghoulish man, only for it to be snatch by a large hand that appeared from around the corner of a large stone wall.
"What?!" Luffy gasped in disbelief, his eyes widening as he recognized the tattoo of half a star on the back of the hand.
"It's.... my body!" Franky shouted with joy, only to quickly realize his body was moving on it's own!
"Looks like we meet again, Straw Hat!" A familiar voice called, and a series of spindly vines snaked from around a corner, dragging the strange form of Ichabod, whose carved grin was cracked in a twisted smile. At the same time, Franky's body emerged, sporting another head like Ichabod's. Vines were latched around the neck, firmly
"What the hell?" Nami said, looking positively mortified by the grotesque sight. Ichabod laughed, with both heads.
"So what do you think? I always thoughts, two heads are better than one!" The pumpkin man and his double laughed. By now, Franky was livid, his head swinging from the Kabuto in complete anger.
"Uncool! Completely, totally unsuper! You sick freak, when I'm through with you!" The cyborg bellowed, his threat seeming quite unthreatening given his current state of being. Sogeking tried to calm the cyborg head, but was unsuccessful.
"Enough of this foolishness! It's time that you learned your place!" Lyle's voice carried over the clamor of the still fuming Franky. With a great leap, the wolf dropped down from the balcony, one of the few remaining structures left of the mansion. Zoro instantly flashed a determined grin as he spotted the wolf.
"About time you showed up, I've been itching for a rematch." The wolfman said, his eyes flashing with pride. Lyle smirked, a row of fangs gleaming.
"I'm flattered, but I highly doubt a pup like you has a chance." He sneered, yet Zoro's determined look didn't falter in the least. But as the swordsman took a step forward, another tremor shook the ground.
"What now?!" As if to answer his question, a wall shot up from the ground, narrowing separating Zoro from Luffy and the others.
"Zoro!" Luffy called, running forward and banging on the wall.
"Ahhhhh!" Chopper screamed in confusion, the force of the trembling ground setting the small reindeer off balance. Walls erupted from the ground, blocking him in along with Sogeking and Franky, as well as Ichabod and Franky's body.
"What's going on?" Nami looked around in confusion as the tremors stopped, noticing only she, Luffy, and Brook were alone. The walls forming a hall of sorts that lead to the alter, where Drake now sat on the steps, grinning.
"I felt like some entertainment until the ritual commences. Now, let's get this party started." The ghoulish man said, strolling down the steps of the alter. At the bottom, two identical lion statue sat perched. Holding out both arms, he placed a hand upon them, his grin widening.
"Live..." And like a body jolting awake from slumber, the statues sprung to life, moving as if they were made of flesh, releasing realistic roars as well.
"Ooh, so cool!" Luffy beamed, his eyes sparkling with wonder at the fantastic sight.
"Whaaa! They're alive?!" Brook screamed, his bottom jaw falling in disbelief (Yohohoho).
"IDIOT! NOW'S NOT THE TIME TO BE GAWKING!" Nami thundered, her angelic composure taking on a more devilish look as she yelled at the boy. The lion statues charged down the hall, bearing down on the two with heavy footfalls that cracked the stone floor.
Heh! Easy." Luffy snorted, throwing back both arms behind him, Nami just barely moving to directly him with a frown of annoyance.
"GUM GUM BAZOOKA!" And with that both arms snapped forward, palms out flat. They collided, shattering them into tiny pieces of stone. The raven haired teen grinned, satisfied with his victory over the statues.
"You're gonna have to do better than that!" He boasted to Drake, who remained calm. In fact, the grin on his changed into a smirk. And Luffy barely noticed the shadow that was hovering over his him and Nami.
"What the?" Looking up, the straw hat wearing teen just barely caught sight of the stone gargoyle nosediving, a spear held in it's claws.
#
"Whoa? An earthquake?" Sanji said, he and Robin struggling to stand straight as the ground shook beneath their feet. They were just outside the broken shell that was the mansion near the garden, portions of which now lying scattered across the clearing.
"I'm not sure, but whatever it is, it's probably not good." Robin replied, more assuring in her comment, her newfound nature powers telling her that this was no ordinary tremor. But before she could say another word, a tentacle burst from large reflecting pool and snatched her by the waist.
"Oh!" The green nymph gasped.
"Robin!" Sanji turned to strike at the tentacle, but was backlashed by it and sent flying down the decrepit hall of the mansion.
"Sanji!" Robin called back in alarm, struggling against the slimy appendage that held her in a vice grip.
"Yeyeyeyeyeyeyeye! I think you should be more concerned about your own well being, little pixie." Gil said, emerging from the pool atop the head of a strange squid like creature. Robing continued to struggle, but realized that she wouldn't be able to break the creature's grip by merely thrashing around. Looking around, she quickly analyzed the pool and garden. A bed of roses and trees were spread on an 'island' around a fountain in the center. Closing her eyes, Robin concentrated
"Be one with nature... be one with the plants... be one..." Robin thought, her mind drifting. It was like her own devil fruit power, only willing itself through existing matter. The roses and trees quickly sprouted up, their roots breaking free of the soft soil.
"What's this?" Gil said in surprise, then narrowly avoided a lashing from a rose that shot by him like a dart. Robin was smiling, her clever grin ever present on her beautiful face as she drifted softly to the ground, aided by a stair of roots. The tentacle was being crushed by a series of branches, leaving the squid shrieking in agony.
"Looks like the tables have turned...." Robin said, crossing her arms.
#
"I was hoping the master would let have it out with that rubbery man. But you two will do just fine for some fun!" Ichabod spoke, using both of his head to address the reindeer wizard and Sniper.
"You won't be having much fun when I'm wringing your neck you sorry excuse for a squash!" Franky yelled, swinging on the kabuto. The Ichabod head on his body laughed mockingly.
"I'd love to you see you do that without hands." It said, wiggling the cyborg's fingers in mockery. Franky fumed even more.
"You bastard, I'll get you, I swear I'll kick your ass!" He yelled, trying to fling himself forward, to no avail. Scuffing, Ichabod then jammed a spindly hand into the ground, upon which multiple vines sprung forth in rows. Chopper and Sogeking dodged to the side, avoiding the thorny vines.
"Time to take this asshole down for good!" Chopper said, producing a Rumble ball and swallowing it. Immediately his eyes became more focused, and his face displayed a more calm and determined look.
"Sogeking, try and help Franky get his body back from the double, I'll deal with the original." The wizard said, his tone becoming serious. With that, he quickly whipped out the spell book, his eyes scanning it's pages. Raising a single hoof, Chopper summoned a ball of fire that soared by Ichabod at blinding speeds. Sogeking meanwhile charged at Franky's body, the second Ichabod, swinging the Kabuto.
"Whoa! I'm still on here, long nose!" Franky yelled as the sniper's staff like weapon struck at the cyborg's body, but was blocked by one of the arms.
"This isn't gonna be easy." Sogeking thought out loud.
"Not if you keep swinging me like a ping pong!" Franky yelled, dangling off the string.
"Ha!" Chopper fired another fire ball, but it was also dodged by Ichabod, who retaliated by extending 4 of his 'fingers' and using them like whips to strike at the small wizard. Throwing up both hands, Chopper summoned a shield, deflecting the pelting vines like fingers. Pulling out a vial filled with a noxious green fluid, Chopper tossed it at the pumpkin man, where it splashed at his feet.
"Agggghhh!" The pumpkin headed man cried in pain, the fluid burning his feet like a fiery acid.
"Damn you! You've certainly learned to handle your new body well. But I've got a surprise for you; I haven't even begun to use my full potential!" Ichabod then raised both hands to the sky, as if pleading to the heavens. Suddenly the ground beneath him broke and a mass of tangles vines and thorns surrounding him.
"Now I'll show you the true power of the pumpkin king!" Ichabod said with a laughed, the vines snaking around his body, doubling it's size. Soon Chopper found himself staring up at a larger, more monstrous looking Ichabod.
"Looks like I'll have to up the ante as well!" He said, quickly swallowing another Rumble ball. Ichabod swung a massive, clump like fist, but struck nothing but bare ground as the tiny reindeer narrowly dodged the strike, rolling along the floor to safety. As he came to a stop, Chopper immediately threw both hooves up and projected a stream of fire that scorched at the pumpkin man.
"AGGGGGHHHH! You despicable little racoon!" Ichabod screamed, livid.
"I'm a reindeer, jackass!" Chopper said, jumping up into the air, tracing a pattern with the tips of his hooves. A translucent pentagram appeared, and from it spewed a blistering wind that chipped away at the monstrous Ichabod, who cried out in pain.
"Agggh!" The clone Ichabod shouted in pain, Franky's body stumbling back in pain.
"Now, sniper, aim for the head!" Franky yelled, teeth clenched onto the strings that held him.
"Right!" And with that the 'Sniper King' thrusted the kabuto towards the pumpkin, piercing it directly between the eyes.
"Now get off my body!" Franky yelled, using the momentum from the thrust to head-butt Ichabod's second head off his body, his own spinning around on the neck. The second Ichabod head shattered on the ground with a splat.
"Whoa... super dizzy..." The cyborg said, his head on backwards as the world spun.
"Take this!" The original Ichabod held up his left arm, which splintered into a hundreds of wriggling vines that whipped around Chopper. The tiny reindeer was unable to erect a barrier in time and found himself pummeled by the whipping vines, which lashed at his small body. Finally after the onslaught ended, a battered, bleeding Chopper barely stood.
"I was afraid it might come to this... and to be honest, I've had my theories about what could happen..." He started, drawing a curious look from the pumpkin man.
"And just what are you going on about?" Ichabod asked with a smirk, seeing the obvious fatigue in the reindeer.
"Wizards are only but one class of spell casters. There's also Mages, Enchanters, Summoners. But there's one that tops them all, Sages. I wonder..." Chopper thought aloud, holding a third Rumble ball, "If I can tap into that kind of power..." He said, then gulped down the yellow candy like medicine. Suddenly the tiny reindeer froze, his hair standing on end.
"What's going on?" Ichabod said, looking around, the sky becoming dimmer, despite the clouds not growing any darker. Chopper meanwhile held his head down, casting a shadow over his face. Then a pulsing wave of power surged from his body, which began to glow with a faint, grey light. The light became brighter, then blinding, enveloping Chopper's small form.
"Little bro?" Franky called, twisting his head back into the proper orientation as he and Sogeking both watched, fearing that the monster reindeer was soon to appear. The light faded, revealing not the monster point, but something different entirely. Tall as the jumping point form, shaggy like the monster, with twisted antlers, shaped into a runic like shape, topped by a crumbled grey hat. The cloak was now a deep black, with sparkling white dots that gave it the look of the starry night sky. A long, wispy beard was slowly stroked by a slender hand.
"Chopper?" Sogeking ventured, staring in disbelief, he and Franky both in awe of the more, wizened, refined wizard they saw. No, it more like philosophical, sagely.
"Sage point." A deep, enlightened voice croaked from the bearded reindeer, his eyes opening to reveal stark white orbs, that glowed with an ethereal light. Ichabod felt a strange sense of foreboding, but ignored it.
"Hmph! Like becoming some kind of super wizard is going to help you. I'll still crush you and your friends, then the master's plan will finally come to fruition!" Ichabod boasted, throwing both arm back, which split into the same lashing vines like before, poised to strike Chopper and his friends. But just as they were to strike, Ichabod found himself unable to move them, much even his own body.
"Huh?! What's going on?" He said, struggling around on the spot, his entire form feeling like it was frozen.
"Immobilize." Chopper said, not even lifting a finger, only staring at the now increasingly quivering Ichabod, who was beginning to realize his predicament.
"Shrivel!" And with that, Ichabod let out a pained yelp as his vines began to wither, becoming dried and brittle in mere seconds. Even his own head started to turn an off shade of brown, wrinkling up.
"Nooo!" The pumpkin man cried out, falling back, the mass of vines braking like autumn leaves, leaving nothing but a shriveled, pathetic figure. And just like, a flash of light flickered and Chopper immediately shrunk back to normal, collapsing to the floor from exhaustion.
"Hell yea..." He muttered, before passing out.
#
"Luffy, are you alright?" Nami asked, Luffy standing over her as he continued to shield her from the gargoyle, which stood several feet away, spear pointed at the two. Blood was dripping down his left shoulder, where a deep gash ran, tearing the fabric of his suit.
"Yea... I'm fine..." He said, not once tearing his eyes from the stone creature, the gash slowly knitting back together. Suddenly a crashing sound drew their attention and they turned to see Sanji landing a little ways down the hall.
"Sanji!" Brook called, helping the oni up.
"Where's Robin?" Nami asked, quickly noticing the archeologist's absence.
"I think that mutant guppy has her." The blonde said, grinding his teeth in frustration. He then looked ahead, spotting the gargoyle and Drake ahead.
"I guess there's no need to tell you guys the truth about that bastard then." He mumbled, walking up to meet with Nami and Luffy. Just then, a war cry sounded and several ghouls, demons, and other monsters dropped seemingly from out of nowhere, including more gargoyles and lion statues.
"Ah... out of the frying pan..." The oni grumbled, rubbing his forehead. Luffy assumed a fighting stance, fists ready. Nami brought out the climi-tact, while Brook and Sanji also showed their readiness.
"Go!" Drake said, making a crushing gesture with his hands.
#
"Give it up, runt. You don't have what it takes to fight a real beast!" Lyle said, gripping Zoro by the throat and holding him off the ground. A low crunch could be heard, the hand slowly crushing the wolfman's windpipe. Yet despite the painful choke-hold, Zoro grinned.
"Hphm... a swordsman's pride is all he needs to tame unruly beasts." His yellow eyes flashing, the grin spreading, "But if you insist on fighting like an animal, I guess I'll have to oblige!" And with that, Zoro released a deep growl, his body pulsing. Instantly his features shifted and warped, becoming more wolflike than before, ears and snout growing longer, claws sharpening. Lyle felt his grip loosen as the lupine swordsman fully transformed, a grin of his own appearing.
"Ah, I see you've finally tamed the beast inside of you. Fine, come, little runt! We will see who truly deserves to be called a beast!" Lyle said, smashing beside Zoro, who dodged the strike with lightning speed.
#
"They just keep coming!" Brook said, striking down another ghoul, while Sanji sent another four flying into the air, to shortly after land in heaps on the ground.
"Seriously, don't they ever give up?" The oni asked aloud, more irritated than tired.
"Not until we kick that guy's ass!" Luffy said, swatting several monsters into the wall, where they were knocked unconscious by the boy's whip like arm. Glaring down the hall towards Drake, the raven haired vampire could feel the mocking smirk from all across the strange ruins. Just then a screech sounded.
"What the?" Luffy never turned in time, and felt a searing pain as another gargoyle impaled him through the back, the weapon breaking through his chest, showering blood across the floor.
"LUFFY!" Nami, Sanji, and Brook called in alarm. Luffy slumped forward, then snapped both arms back to grabbed the stone monster by the head.
"HA!" The vampiric pirate yelled, crushing the gargoyle's head into dust as he tossed it over his shoulder, part of the spear braking along with it. The gargoyle collided with a pack of lions, shattering them all into broken rock and dust.
"Luffy?" Nami jogged up to her captain, who was slouched, blood dripping from him in thick globs.
"I'm alright...." He whispered, yanking the spear head from his chest with a sickening sound, then twisted his left arm behind to remove the rest of the broken weapon. Standing up woozily, the wounds healed, but slower than before.
"Luffy..." Nami murmured, a strange feeling overcoming her. Luffy half turned, his eyes flashing a brief red.
"Don't worry about me..." He started, the red slowly overtaking the usual black pupils.
"Everything is alright...." A cold, reserved tone spoke.
TO BE CONTINUED
Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter; "Showdown! Beast Zoro and Fairy Robin's epic struggles! The madness claims a pure soul!"
Hehehehe, I'm not gonna too surprised if everyone's pawing at me to start on chapter 11 the moment they finish this. But I can assure you all, it'll be out very soon. If I don't get too distracted (sweat-drops) which I usually do, I hope to get this story wrapped up by the end of the month. Anyway, as always, please read and review!