All Lil's blood went to her ears, her head. Smoke filled the village from the impact. She slowly turned, fists clenched so hard her fingers dug into her palms.

"…No more."

The vines dispersed, and there stood Deity, feet before here, looming over her small figure. The cyclops walled them in. "You have no idea what I've been through. You had no right to bring us here and harm my friends."

"Your friends ran on you! You're such a monster even they don't want anything more to do with you!"

"Good. Fewer bodies means less of a mess. Besides," his dark eyes were colder than ice, "nothing here can possibly protect you."

"…I can."

The cyclops snorted. "You, Lil?" Deity clipped his claws against each other. "You brought me here to protect you. You caused so much trouble. What can you do?"

Take the bait, Lil. You know what you have to do.

Lil loosened her hands. She took a deep breathe. The cyclops leaned in, waiting for her answer.

"…GET AWAY FROM MY VILLAGE!"

Deity couldn't count the few seconds it took for the cyclops to fall, vines wrapped around their legs and throats. Lil flew up to Deity's face until their noses nearly touched. "I'm not afraid of you."

"Those cyclops will return. You need me."

"No. I don't need you."

"Prove it."

Lil growled and, grabbing the front of Deity's black robe, pinned him to the ground. The cyclops moaned and began to rise until she stood on his chest and surveyed them. "You stand, and you will fall again, you hear me?!"

The cyclops took a moment to overcome their shock before reluctantly bowing. "You see," she pointed to them, turning to Deity, "they will listen to…are you smiling?"

He couldn't help it. As the cyclops backed away, still covered in vines, he sat up and smirked. "If you don't need me to protect you, why do you need to fear the jungle?"

"Your voice…it's soft…I, I," Lil's head spun as the villagers came out of their huts, including the old man that she thought had been hit by the hand, "you did this…you did all of this."

"My, my," the elder whistled as the people took in the sight of the defeated cyclops, "they're not so big and scary now, are they?"

Lil stumbled off Deity, who rose and with a wave of his hand dissipated the fog around them. There sat the Sunny, cleaned of its vines and branches and patched up by Franky, who along with the rest of the crew waved from the banisters. "What? How? When?"

"I have to admit, I didn't know if it would work," Sanji lit another cigarette, "but it looks like the peaceful…well, almost peaceful tactic went all according to plan."

"P-Plan?"

"Say, now that they're tied up," Luffy licked his lips, "can we eat the cyclops?"

"No, you idiot!" Nami smacked him. "Deity could only get them to cooperate if we promised not to harm them."

"Oh, right…hey, we can get one to join the crew!"

"Idiot!"

"OW-OW!"

As if on cue the cyclops ran off, murmuring to each other as they frantically made as much distance between them and the village as possible. Children began coming up to Deity and grabbing at the bottom of his robe. "Are you gonna eat us?"

"Nah, I'm full."

"Whoa," Lil fell to her knees, "I don't believe this…you tricked me!"

"I had to, or you would have never stopped bugging me – and you would have never found a way to prove yourself to the jungle. Look," he pointed to the branches, where the scarred tarantulas were fleeing, "no one wants to touch you guys anymore."

"…Because of the vines."

"Because you stood up to them. You showed them who's in charge, right?"

"…Yeah," she fluttered to her feet, grinning, "I don't need some stupid Erlking anyway!"

"S-Stupid?"

From out of the trees stepped a tall figure, causing Lil's ears to perk up. "Bona!"

"I'm fine," he reassured the village as she zipped over and hugged him around the neck, "just a bruise or two."

Luffy cupped his hands over his mouth. "Sorry about that, big guy!"

"I'm done playing around, Bona," Lil pumped him on the chest, "from now one, I'll be the one to rule the jungle-er, we will be the ones to rule the jungle. All of us."

"Good," Deity sighed as Bona nodded in agreement, "looks like I'm off the hook."

And then he fainted for the second time that day.

Jupiter Island was a mess, People were rioting the castle, yelling and screaming of anarchy and chaos. Marine ships were docked in the bay as men tried helplessly to calm the people. The citizens were taking sides, fighting one another.

"The Navy is our ally!"

"They've betrayed us! They nearly killed our beloved Prince!"

Behind the castle doors stood his parents, clinging to one another as they gazed outside the window of the training area, his phoenix sword still hanging. There are three Marine officers behind them muttering to themselves.

"What will you have done to Officer Tsuki," his father asked of the men, "for his crime?"

"Look at our son," his mother wailing, "Who we thought to be dead! If those pirate you've been hunting hadn't brought him back, we would have never been reunited!"

Deity is in the room, but he can't speak or nod or even see his physical form. The officers glance at him. "The Straw Hats are a danger to the people," the taller one replied, "and your son was an accomplice in their escape."

And then they began to argue. One of the officers reached for his mother's arm to calm her, but his father didn't take it well. He ridiculed the Marines. They accused Jupiter Island and its royal lineage of crimes punishable by death. The other royal families would be called in. One of them whispered to the other not to mention anything to the royal family of Alabasta.

He wanted to speak, to calm them down. He would leave and never return, but don't hurt his family. Don't bring his island to ruin.

One of the officers looked him dead in the eyes.

The violence would not end.

He'd killed them all.

Did you ever faint after helping a friend out and immediately have a vision of your home becoming a field of strife and anarchy? No? Well good, cuz we all need our beauty sleep. And what, no big fight to finish it off? I've taken a more peaceful approach. Deity has always been more of the diplomatic kind of ruler, with moments of power that have come from his new Devil Fruit powers. I never wanted him to be too violent, it's not his style. Having bad dreams that lead to life-changing decisions? That's more his style.

Until the next chapter!