Ch. 21- Prisoner-Gladiators

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Jupiter, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, Rita, and Carla © Me

"What a spectacle!" Gyatts exclaimed. "A battle royale in the Corrida Coliseum! Four warriors thus far have won their right to challenge the Donquixote Family! The winner of A Block, from the Blackbeard Pirates, the Champion, Jesus Burgess! In B Block, from the Barto Club Pirates, Captain Bartolomeo the Cannibal, and from C Block, that man-and-canine pair, our beloved Lucy and Butch!"

The crowd burst into more cheers at this.

"There's only one winner left to determine! But before we begin D Block, due to the demolition of the arena…"

Everyone looked down at the destroyed arena caused by Luffy and the defeated Don Chinjao.

"…there will be a fifteen-minute delay!"

The crowd groaned at this, anticipating the next round of the tournament.

"Hurry up and fix it, already!"

"Yeah! We wanna see more!"

In the hallway, Luffy and Blizzard are seen walking to the waiting room to rest, ignoring all the injured combatants that they, plus Chinjao and many others, had defeated, being carried by medical staff.

"That was a really risky thing you pulled back there, Luffy," Blizzard said, "using Gear Third like that. We're supposed to be incognito. It's bad enough that we got that Cabbage guy chasing us, plus that crazy old man trying to kill you and Aika. We don't need everyone coming after us."

"I know, but that old man really pissed me off," Luffy rebuked. "I didn't wanna hear his mouth, anymore, so I went a little overboard."

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter, as long as you got the job done," Blizzard added.

"Yeah, I guess," Luffy answered as he scratched his beard. "Dammit, this thing was cool at first, but now it's just itchy. Can I take this off, yet?"

Blizzard noticed an empty corridor.

"Nobody's here to see us," the wolf-dog said. "I think we can take off our disguises for right now."

Soon, the two sat down on a stone bench and pulled off their fake mustaches and beards, sighing in relief.

"That's better," Luffy said.

"Sure is," Blizzard agreed.

GRRRRRWWWWWLL!

"Ugh…" Luffy groaned as he put his hands on his stomach. "I'm starving."

"That fight did take a lot outta us, huh?" asked Blizzard.

"Big Brother! Blizzard!"

The two looked up to see Aika, in her wolf form, and Kumi running up to them.

"You did it!" Aika cheered as she jumped into Luffy's arms. "You won!"

"You guys were awesome!" Kumi added. "I mean, I was passed out for most of the time, but still!"

"Ahahaha!" Luffy laughed. "Just this round, but that means Blizzard and I are going into the finals!"

"Does that mean you'll get Big Brother Ace's Flame-Flame Fruit?" asked Aika.

"Only if we win the finals," Luffy answered, "which we will."

"STRAW HAT! WHITE WOLF!"

Luffy and Blizzard gasped, putting on their fake whiskers before turning to see Cavendish charging towards them.

"Oh, crap!" Blizzard cried as Luffy grabbed Aika and Kumi jumped on his back.

"It's that crazy guy, again!" Kumi cried.

"RUN FOR IT!" Luffy shouted, and that's just what Blizzard did with Cavendish in hot pursuit.

"Get back here!" Cavendish shouted. "You won't escape me, this time! My sword, Durandal, will see to that! Now turn around and face me!"

"Leave me alone, will ya?!" Luffy questioned.

Not too far away, the brown-cloaked figure from before is wandering about the coliseum, when suddenly, he spotted Luffy, Blizzard, Aika, and Kumi running away from Cavendish. The figure gasped before ducking behind the corner, avoiding eye contact with the group. As they ran, the figure spotted Aika, sitting in Luffy's lap.

'Wait…is that…?' he thought. '…No, it can't be…she died…didn't she…?'

Concurrently, Bartolomeo is walking down the hallway, when he spotted the quartet running away from Cavendish.

"Come back here, Straw Hat!" shouted Cavendish. "I'll skewer you!"

"What the-?!" Bartolomeo questioned. "Hey! Get back here, Cavendish!"

"What's that idiot Cavendish up to, now?" asked one of the gladiators, one with a pencil-thin, zigzagged mustache.

"Ah, he's going on about Straw Hat Luffy being in here, again," answered another. "That moron."

"Wait…you mean the Straw Hat?" asked the mustached-one. "The one who failed to save his older brother during the Paramount War, two years ago? Dahaha!"

Bartolomeo's eyes darkened as he glared at the gladiator.

"If not saving him was the only thing that got him famous, I could do the same thing!" the gladiator declared, laughing the whole time.

"…What the fuck did you say, you prick?" asked Bartolomeo in a venomous tone.

XXX

"AGH! S-STOP! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! LEMME GO! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?! I'M ROYALTY FROM THE KINGDOM OF BIGGSCHOTS!"

It is revealed that Bartolomeo is using his powers to crush the smart-mouthed gladiator.

"Who the fuck did you think you were laughing at, huh?!" asked Bartolomeo as he released his barrier and then grabbed the man's tongue, pulling it out of his mouth. "You listen to me and listen good, you bastard! The great Straw Hat Luffy-senpai…is the man who's gonna be leading this era, soon! He's the future Pirate King! I saw that for myself, two years ago, in Loguetown in the East Blue! On that very execution stand of legend that claimed the life of the previous Pirate King, Gold Roger, and I saw Luffy cry out in his hour of darkness."

Flashback; 2 years ago

Luffy lied on the execution platform in Loguetown, just as Buggy was ready to kill him.

"I'M GONNA BE KING OF THE PIRATES!" Luffy roared, and in the crowd…is Bartolomeo, whose jaw dropped to his chest.

Flashback end

"And in that instant," Bartolomeo started, tears dripping from his eyes, "the heavens cast down a bolt of lightning…and freed him from his plight! I had witnessed a miracle! Ever since that day, I followed the Straw Hats' exploits! Alabasta, Enies Lobby, Impel Down, and finally, the Paramount War! It was all so unbelievable! I was a small-time kingpin ruling a humble criminal underworld with no more than a mere 150 towns under my thumb, but after I learned about Luffy-senpai, I finally made up my mind to hit the high seas!"

He then drew out a knife, just as a small crowd had gathered, and held it against the gladiator's tongue.

"So go on," the super rookie hissed. "Go on and repeat yourself. Tell us exactly what a badass you are, that you can even look down on Luffy-senpai like you just did! JUST WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU CAPABLE OF, YOU SON OF A BITCH?!"

SLICE!

"AAAAAAAAAAGGH!"

"AH! B-Bartolomeo just cut off that guy's tongue!"

"What?! Why?!"

"I-I dunno! Someone do something!"

"I…I don't wanna! I'm scared! You do it!"

"Who, me?! No way!"

Meanwhile, Luffy, Blizzard, Aika, and Kumi are still running away from Cavendish.

"I said get back here!" Cavendish shouted as he raised his sword.

"Dammit, I've had enough!" Luffy barked as he turned around, and then, WHAK! He caught the blade of Durandal in between his palms!

"Let go of my sword, damn you!" Cavendish cursed.

"Jeez, can't you at least let me rest for a while before I fight you?!" Luffy asked. "I'm tired and I'm hungry!"

"Yeah! Leave us alone, already!" Aika added.

"Never!" Cavendish shouted. "Not until I take back what's mine!"

"Hey!" called one of the gladiators. "Someone break those two up!"

"You kidding?!" asked another. "It's too dangerous to get close to them!"

Nearby, Bartolomeo is watching from behind a stone pillar with tears in his eyes and a blush on his cheeks.

'No kidding, he's so hard to approach…!' he thought. 'I swear, my nerves are killing me, over here! Look at that scar under his eye…it's really him! Man, he's so awesome! And what's more, the great Blizzard-senpai is here, too! It's so much…I can't see through these tears! Damn that Cavendish! I wish I could kill him and protect my hero!"

"H…hey, you…C-C-Cavity…!" Bartolomeo stammered. "Ah, man…I'm in such awe at seeing Luffy-senpai and Blizzard-senpai, I can't control my voice! Crap!"

"Hey, you! Straw Hat!"

Luffy gasped as he turned to see Sai, Boo, and a soaking wet Chinjao.

"Oh, now what?!" Luffy asked.

"Not this guy, again!" Blizzard cried.

"Why is everything bothering us, today?!" Aika asked.

"I wish I knew!" Kumi answered.

"Listen up!" Sai shouted. "Our Gramps has got something he wants to say to you!"

"Urgh…!" Chinjao groaned.

"Hang in there, Grandpa," Boo told him.

"Oh, now what does he want?!" Luffy asked. "Can't you see I'm busy?! You can try and kill me later!"

"No…!" Chinjao said, hoarsely. "It's…not that…!"

'It's…amazing…!' he thought. 'Even my hatred for Garp has disappeared…all I want now…is to express my gratitude!"

"Please," Chinjao spoke. "Allow me…this word of thanks!"

"Huh?" Aika muttered.

"Word of thanks?" Kumi repeated.

GONK! Chinjao threw his head down in a bow of gratitude, but in doing so, he had forgotten about his pointed head, and therefore, he ended up splitting the ground that Luffy, Blizzard, and Cavendish stood on!

"AAAAAAAHHH!" they all screamed.

"Hang on, girls!" Luffy cried as he held Aika and Kumi close to him. "Blizzard, let's get outta here!"

"You don't gotta tell me twice!" Blizzard replied as he dashed away, using the debris made from Chinjao's Drill Head to gain a further distance!"

"Hey!" Sai shouted. "Get back here!"

"Just a moment…Straw Hat…!" Chinjao called, weakly.

"Whoa!" Bartolomeo exclaimed. "They ran right by me! Uh…w-wait…!"

"Don't you dare run away from me, Straw Hat!" Cavendish shouted as he chased the four Straw Hats. "Get back here!"

"W-w-w-what do I do?" asked Bartolomeo. "I know I wanna talk to them…but I don't know how to break the ice!"

Chinjao just watched as Luffy and Blizzard ran.

'As thanks…for returning the shape of my head,' he thought, 'I wish to place my grandson's Happosui Army…under your command, Straw Hat!'

With Luffy, Blizzard, Aika, and Kumi, they are still running away.

"Did we lose them?!" Luffy asked.

"I think so," Blizzard answered.

"Jeez, can't a guy catch a break, around here?!" Luffy asked.

"Big Brother, I think the old man was trying to think you for something," Aika spoke up.

"Thank me? For what?!" Luffy asked. "Looked more like he was trying to kill me! And he would've done the same to you!"

"Hey!"

The four looked up to see Rebecca wave them over.

"Over here! Follow me!" she called.

"It's Rebecca!" Blizzard exclaimed.

"Becky!" Luffy added before they followed after her. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just preparing for my battle in D Block," Rebecca said. "Seems like you made quite a few enemies, Lucy."

"Tell me about it," Luffy grumbled. "A guy can't get a moment's rest around here!"

"STRAW HAT!"

"…See what I mean?" Luffy asked as he looked back and saw Cavendish..

"Not that Cabbage guy, again!" complained Blizzard.

"Why can't he leave us alone?!" Aika asked.

"I'll deal with him," answered Rebecca as she suddenly rushed towards the Pirate Prince, who gasped upon seeing her.

"Are you going to get in my way, as well?!" Cavendish questioned as he raised his sword, but then, out of nowhere, Rebecca grabbed his wrist and threw him over her shoulder, sending him right against the floor in seconds. Then, she did a back-flip, pinning the stunned man against the ground.

"Holy crap…!" Luffy whispered. "She's good!"

Then, a smirk formed on Rebecca's lips as she leaned closer towards Cavendish's face, and then…smooch! She captured her lips with his own, stunning him even further.

Luffy and Blizzard promptly covered up Aika and Kumi's eyes.

"Hey! We can't see!" Aika complained.

"You don't need to see!" Luffy answered.

After about 15 seconds, Rebecca pulled away, a string of saliva between hers and Cavendish's mouth before she got up and walked away while the Pirate Prince lied there, his cheeks flushed pink.

"Uh…why did you-" Luffy started, but then Rebecca grabbed his wrist and dragged him away.

"Don't worry about it," Rebecca answered. "Come."

Deciding not to press, Luffy, Blizzard, Aika, and Kumi followed after her.

"That was a pretty cool thing you did, back there, Becky!" Luffy spoke up. "Where'd you learn to do something like that?"

"…Someone taught it to me…a long time ago," answered Rebecca. For some reason, though, Blizzard picked up a bit of…sadness in her voice.

"That was really cool!" Aika added. "I bet you win a lot of fights, that way!"

"Well, I get by not just with my looks," Rebecca said. "A woman can be quite powerful, as well, no?"

"Don't I know it?" Luffy asked, thinking of a certain orange-haired beauty.

As they walked down the corridor, Luffy and Blizzard picked up the sound of a familiar voice…another one that they did not take pleasure in hearing, only this one was much worse.

"Zehahahaha! Don't you think that goes for Shiryu, too?"

The group stopped to see Burgess, holding a Mini Transponder Snail that looked rather familiar.

"Yeah, but I can't bring myself to trust Aokiji's word on this," Burgess answered before he noticed Luffy. "Oh, just a sec, Captain…it's Straw Hat."

"Hmmm?" the voice on the Mini Transponder Snail hummed…revealing itself to look just like Blackbeard in appearance. "Is that you…Straw Hat?"

"…Big Brother?" Aika asked, nervously. "Who is that?"

"…Remember that pirate I told you about, Aika?" Luffy asked. "The one who captured Ace and turned him into the Marines?"

Aika and Kumi both gasped.

"You mean…that's…?!" she whispered.

"Yeah," Luffy said. "Blackbeard."

"That's right," answered Blackbeard. "Been a while, huh? I hear you and White Wolf in the tournament…Lucy. Sorry to say this, but the Flame-Flame Fruit is going to Burgess! I'm so excited…it's almost like I'm having my very Ace on my crew! Since the original turned me down, of course! Zehahahaha!"

"…You're never getting your hands on Ace's power!" Luffy declared. "I'll make sure of that!"

"You know, Straw Hat," Blackbeard began, "I've been wondering…how did it feel, knowing your brother died because of you?"

Luffy's eyes went wide as vein appeared on his forehead.

"You wasted all that effort," Burgess spoke, "just for him to die on you…pretty pathetic, don't you think? WEEHAHAHAHAHAHAHAW~!"

"FUCK YOU!" Luffy roared as he tried to rush at him, but Blizzard pinned him against the wall before he could do so.

"Luffy, calm down!" the wolf-dog shouted.

"LET GO OF ME!" Luffy shouted. "JUST ONE PUNCH! NOBODY WILL KNOW!"

"COOL IT!" Blizzard barked. "Now look…that jackass is gonna be in the finals like us, right?! You can get him there!"

Aika and Kumi whimpered, frightened by Luffy's rage as they hid behind Rebecca.

"…This isn't over," Luffy hissed at Burgess. "You hear me?! It's NOT over!"

With that, they left while Burgess smirked at Luffy.

"We'll see about that, Straw Hat," he said.

XXX

"Lucy…do you know that pirate?" Rebecca asked, walking alongside Luffy.

"Yeah, I know him," Luffy answered. "Butch and I are gonna make sure he doesn't win, no matter what!"

Blizzard growled viciously in agreement.

"Well, I wish you both luck, then," said Rebecca.

"Aika, what's wrong?" Kumi asked, noticing how quiet her best friend had been since encountering Burgess. "You okay?"

"…Big Brother…was really scary," Aika replied. "I don't like seeing him get mad like that."

Upon hearing that, Luffy suddenly felt guilty about getting enraged in front of his sister, but before he could say something, his stomach started rumbling, again.

"Ugh…" he groaned as he put his hand to his belly, but then he seemed to spot something. "Ooh!"

"Huh?" Rebecca asked as she saw Luffy standing in front of tables, which held a bunch of lunchboxes.

"Mmm! These are good!" the hungry pirate-in-disguise exclaimed as he ate out of some.

"Hey!" cried the old woman selling them. "What do you think you're doing, young man?! They aren't free samples! You want one, you buy one!"

"Hey!" Blizzard called. "What are you doing, now?!"

"Oh! Lucy!" Rebecca cried as she ran over to him. "I'm so sorry, ma'am! Which one do you want, Lucy? I'll get Butch, Aika, and Kumi one, too!"

"What?!" Luffy asked. "You're gonna buy?! Thank you!"

"Is this boy a friend of yours, Rebecca?" asked the elderly woman.

"You could say that," Rebecca answered.

A moment later, Rebecca sighed as she held up her now empty wallet.

"Thanks for lunch, Becky!" Luffy said as he started eating. "I was starving!"

"Yummy food!" Aika exclaimed, eating a pork cutlet in the shape of a teddy bear's face.

"But you didn't have to empty out your wallet because of us," Blizzard added.

"Is there a way for us to repay you?" Kumi asked.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Rebecca assured. "I can always make more money, here in the coliseum!"

"If you say so," Blizzard said.

"Umm…where are we, anyway?" Aika asked, looking around and seeing all the strange cells. "This place kinda makes me nervous."

"Oh, this is the lodgings area for the coliseum gladiators," Rebecca answered, taking off her helmet and revealing her pink hair. "Most people call it the cells, though. The guest fighters don't come down here, so you don't have to worry about anyone bothering you here."

"I see," Luffy said. "Thanks, Becky!"

"Don't mention it," replied the woman gladiator. "By the way, you and Butch were incredible! I never saw a man and dog work in tandem like that. It's almost like you two shared the same mind!"

"Ah, shucks," Blizzard answered. "Lu…cy and I just have that kind of bond. Right, Lucy?"

"Huh?" Luffy asked, shoveling food in his mouth. "Oh, yeah…what you said. Man, this stuff is good!"

"Hey, Becky," Aika said. "I noticed you didn't get yourself a lunchbox. Aren't you hungry?"

Rebecca gasped silently upon hearing those words.

"Mommy…I'm hungry…!"

"I…I never get hungry," Rebecca answered. "I appreciate your kindness, though, Aika."

"Oh, so I guess you're kinda like those samurai, huh?" Luffy asked, but then, out of nowhere, a pair of arms, wrapped up in bandages, grabbed him from behind and pulled him against the cell. "WHOA! WHAT THE-?!"

"LUFFY!" Blizzard and Kumi cried.

"BIG BROTHER!" Aika shouted.

"Rebecca! What are you waiting for?!" asked a shadowy figure from inside the cell. "Kill him! Hurry! Isn't that why you brought him down here?!"

"What?!" Aika questioned before she looked at Rebecca…who drew her sword. "B…Becky…?!"

"Becky, what are you doing?!" Luffy asked.

"…Forgive me," Rebecca answered. "I really do like you."

But before she could thrust her sword through Luffy's skull, CHOMP! Blizzard bit down on the arm of the man who was holding Luffy, causing him to yowl in pain as he let go. Then, while still eating his lunchbox, Luffy jumped, dodging the thrust of Rebecca's sword, and then forcefully pinned her down by her wrists.

"AGH!" Rebecca cried.

Luffy just stared at her, eating a pork cutlet.

"Unh…!" Rebecca groaned as she looked away from him. "Dammit all…!"

Two men, also wrapped up in bandages, gasped in shock.

"I don't believe it! He pinned down Rebecca!"

"This is the first time I've seen her lose in a battle of speed!"

"Big Brother!" Aika called. "Let Becky go! Please?"

Luffy looked at Aika…before he stepped away from the defeated Rebecca, who gasped in surprise.

"You…you're letting me go?!" she asked.

"Well, you did feed us," Luffy answered. "I couldn't hurt you if I wanted to."

"That's your answer?" Blizzard asked in disbelief.

"But…I tried to kill you!" Rebecca argued.

"Yeah, but I'm not dead, am I?" Luffy asked. "Besides, you didn't look you were trying to kill me, anyway."

"Rebecca…why did you raise your sword against Luffy?" Blizzard asked, concerned. "Also…I can't help but feel like you've got some sort of sadness locked up in your heart…so what's going on with you?"

Before Rebecca could answer, one of the men in the cells groaned as he held his arm, the one Blizzard bit.

"Damn…well, when a guy beats you that bad and then shows you mercy, it makes it pretty clear who's the superior fighter, Rebecca."

"It's too bad, though. This would've been a good opportunity to take out one more potential rival for the prize."

At that moment, the four Straw Hats gasped upon seeing the men inside the cells. All of them were heavily bandaged to the point that they looked like mummies…and some of them seemed to be missing their limbs!

"Mummies?" Luffy asked.

"Guess again, you idiot!" Blizzard barked.

"We're all…prisoner-gladiators, kid," said one of them. "So is Rebecca, even though she doesn't look it. We fight and fight…until the day we're all killed for all to see in the ring! And it's all because we looked at the Doflamingo Family the wrong way!"

"That's…that's awful…!" Aika whispered.

"I'll say it is!" Kumi agreed. "Look at them! A lot of them look half-dead!"

"His royal highness says we'll be free," said one of the prisoners, "if we win a thousand battles."

"But even the greatest of warriors will lose before his hundredth battle to the death!" added one with a scar on his chest. "Everyone who tried to escape…well, they were shot to death. There's no escape for us."

"But that was before 10 years ago!" spoke up a third prisoner. "Before Doflamingo took over this country, these arena battles didn't last to the death. The light and darkness of his kingdom are polar extremes."

"…It doesn't matter."

Everyone looked to see Rebecca, who stood up on her feet…but Blizzard noticed that her voice seemed to be breaking.

"It doesn't matter…what it takes," said. "I'm going to win the tournament…and use the Flame-Flame Fruit to kill Doflamingo!"

"But why?" Blizzard asked.

"…The Thunder Soldier…" Rebecca whispered. "He told me…that he was leading an army against Doflamingo, today, in order to save us, once and for all! He wants to give up his life…to bring this country to its knees…so I must do it before he can!"

"…Becky…" Aika whispered, sadly.

"I'm tired of being protected all the time!" Rebecca shouted, her eyes welling up with tears. "This time…it is I who will protect him!"

TO BE CONTINUED…

Man, this was a long one!

Review, please!