Chapter 25: Fickle Luck
Sniffing the air, I let my tongue hang out as I drooled over the intoxicating smell of roasted dinosaur meat. "That…smells delicious." I mumbled through a bit of drool, my stomach roaring at me.
"Yabababa! It truly is!" Brogy laughed, carefully bring a barrel of ale to his mouth, emptying its contents. As he exhaled, the giant turned towards my still nakama within his cave-home, "Are they okay? They've been asleep for a while now." He asked curiously, rubbing his beard.
Snapping out of my food daze, I replied, "Them? They're probably still scared of you eating them and are playing dead." I replied, finishing with a guffaw as both of their eyes darted to me, filled with hate.
"Yabababababa! What strange little humans! Why would I want some tiny morsels like them?" He bellowed in laughter, I answered with only a shrug as he continued his merriment. Our conversation turned to matters about how were pirates and had sailed here from East Blue…which abruptly ended when I noticed the sniper and navigator missing from their 'hiding' spot.
"Oh for the love of…" I griped, smacking my hand to my forehead. "My nakama seem to have bolted…" I admitted as I rose from my seat upon the remains of what seemed to be an Apatosaurus.
"Oh…I will help you in finding them…with such tiny legs they can't have gotten far. Yababababa!" He roared as he once again put his hand to the ground, me hopping and riding on his shoulder, we went off to locate where Nami and Usopp had gone to.
"So this is what Lily feels like…" I thought, a bit nauseous from the constant moving and stomping, "Ugh…note to self…walk smoother when Lily's riding…" Turning my head, I noticed a bizarre happenstance, a T-rex chasing a Sabertooth Tiger…which was chasing my two missing comrades, and pulling on Brogy's beard, I pointed him into the right direction. With a massive thud, Brogy landed in front of them all, brandishing his prized weapon, thusly scaring off the two hapless predators, leaving only Nami and Usopp…tearfully bemoaning their fate as Brogy leaned down to them.
Hopping off, I went up to them. "Damnit, guys! What the hell is the matter with you? Brogy's a cool guy!" I reprimanded them, "He's offering us a meal and you two pull a vanishing act!"
"We…don't wanna be eaten." Usopp spoke up, meeting Brogy's gaze.
"HE'S. NOT. GOING. TO. EAT. YOU." I explained slowly, my right hand's pointer and thumb rubbing my eyes.
Several minutes later, after finally convincing them into the giant's hand, we were now back at Brogy's camp, a massive lump of meat sitting in front of us…and I was the only one eating.
"You guys…?" I asked, ripping off another chunk of the succulent flesh.
"We're…not hungry…" They replied simultaneously, heads lowered.
"But…this dinosaur meat...is so good!" Brogy said, voice booming.
"So…eat it, ya babies!" I commanded, shoving the meal before us into Usopp's face.
Before he had the chance to spit it out, his eyes lit up and began chewing happily, turning to our solemn navigator, he chatted as if he was never scared in the first place, "Oi, Nami! This is really good, it tastes kinda like chicken! Cept better!"
"Well, looks like one of you is finally being a bit social." I jeered a bit, biting into another juicy tidbit. "Oh yeah, Brogy…" I began, catching the giant's attention, "I forgot to ask before, how long does the Log Pose need to set for us to be out of your hair?"
"Hrmm…About a year." He replied nonchalantly.
"A…year?" We all replied in synch.
"So…that's why Robin said no one leaves Little Garden…" I now remembered.
*KKAABRRROOOMM*
The massive sound of one of the many volcanoes dotting the island erupting soon jarred us all from our seats, minus Brogy who simply stared beyond us…soon tossing what remained of his lunch into the fire.
"Sorry about this," He stated suddenly, rising from his seat, "I must be going."
"Eh? Go?" Nami asked.
"Yeah…the center volcano's eruption…it signals for us to resume our 100-year long battle."
"Battle? What battle? What for?" Usopp sputtered.
"The reason?" Brogy lifted his head as he strapped on his shield and bore his axe, "I FORGOT! YABABABABABA!" He bellowed as he walked through the vegetation, soon picked up as he pace, storming through the dense jungle with massive strides towards fellow charging giant, a beard about the length of his body and a massive longsword in his hand. The moment they made contact, a ripple of force echoed throughout the air, sweeping the trees and blustering past us, forcing us to avert our gaze. It was as if we felt their very lust for battle and love of their sacred honor ring throughout the air…poetic I know.
They continued fighting despite their onlookers, and it was a strange buzzing feeling overtook me…as if…as if I was nagging myself to remind me of something…looking around the camp, I saw only the meat, my two nakama, and the barrels of ale we had brought along…
"Wait a tic…" I said to no one as I walked to the containers of beer, scrutinizing their every detail before my brain clicked. "Ah crap! One explodes!" I remembered, then came the problem of how to find it…I can't just pry open each barrel and dump it out. Tapping my foot upon the ground, an idea came to me, and running around, found a suitable sizing stick and opening the first barrel, I planted the stick and began stirring the beer like a witch to a cauldron. Pulling out my stirrer, I put my ear into the barrel to listen…no sounds besides the swashing of alcohol. Second one, same. The third one, however, once I stirred it, sounds similar to pachinko balls tink-tink-tinking against the wood alerted me to their presence.
Hefting the barrel, I checked my position, Usopp and Nami still had their eyes upon the prize fight between the two mammoth warriors. "Blitzkrieg!" Barrel in hand, I bolted away from the scene and dumped out the entirety of its contests, the smell of beer wafting in the wind, along with dozens of small, green spheres…Mister 5's booger bombs.
"Effing…sick." I stuck out my tongue as I imagined poor Dorry ingesting Mr. 5's nose gold. "That guy's got problems…" I said to no one, chucking the empty barrel away and strutted back to the camp. When I returned, I found Brogy had reappeared as well, tying a new shaft for his axe together.
"Yababababa! I was wondering where you went off to, little one!" He roared.
"Yo, Khurt! Brogy here was telling us about his home, Elbaf!" Usopp practically chirped, "Think we might be able to go there someday?"
"Who knows?" I shrugged, taking a seat beside Nami. "Perhaps we'll get to see some giant women!" I laughed, imagining the sight.
"You're….into that?" Nami asked, a little grossed out.
"What kinda man isn't into jublies the size of buses?" I roared in laughter, Brogy joining in although I don't think he quite got the humor.
"Oh yeah, Khurt…didn't we bring five barrels of beer? I know Brogy drank one, and he gave two to the other giant when he first came back…and we have one left…" Nami began.
"I…uhh…drank it?"
*KKAABRRROOOMM*
The volcano began blowing its gasket again, and as Brogy laughed and excused himself, me breathing a sigh of relief as the distraction proved effective. Usopp began a massive speech (if I didn't know better I would have thought he had prepared it just for this moment) about how we wished he could be like the giants, a brave man of the sea.
"Enough of this…let's go back to the ship." Nami stated bluntly, interrupting Usopp halfway through.
"Why?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"This jungle is making me humid…and my hair will get frizzy."
"Of course…it's your hair." I face-palmed yet again as Nami dragged Usopp off into the jungle, me walking right behind.
Of course it did not take them long to get into trouble.
"EEYYAAH! DINOSAUR!" They both screamed, yelling their heads off and dashing away from the massive carnivorous stegosaurus that had appeared.
"Morons! Don't run away from me when I'm helping you!" I said, having KO'd the dino with a few Lightning Fists. Looking around and holding a hand to my ear, I attempted to locate my wayward friends, their screams echoing into the distance…until Nami shrieked nearby.
"Nami? Where are you?" I shouted, leaping into the trees and hopping from branch to branch, attempting to spy the navigator. The sun had dipped a little when I had ceased my search. "Great…they must've already been captured by the BW guys." I sighed, huffing my way back where I had come. Another while passed as I returned to that same spot. "Double great…I'm lost."
I trekked through that humid jungle as long as I could, seeing neither hide nor hair of any of my crew. "Just…my freakin' luck…" I panted, "I lose sight of them for one damned second and they both vanish…"
"Need some help, Boss?" Lilynette giggled as she perched upon my head, leaning over my forehead and looking into my eyes.
"Help? I don't need any extra energy…" I said, continuing my search.
"I DO have other uses besides a damned backup battery!" She huffed, rapping my head with her umbrella. Rolling my eyes, she continued her rant. "Spirit Guides have a multitude of abilities, you know? For example, this!" She raised her arms up, and her body resembling a cross, her umbrella now strapped to her back, it wasn't long before she opened her mouth wide. "Spirit Pulse!" A small green circle appeared around her, staying only a split second before expanding and acting like a ripple, spread out before, running through the jungle and was unhindered by the growth.
"Woah…what was that, Lily?" I asked, still staring where her pulse had disappeared into the verdant green.
"Spirit Pulse is a technique that allows us to find spirit signatures within a wide radius!" The pixie began beaming with pride, "Cool, ain't it?"
"Only if you found someone." I replied with a light chuckle.
"Thatta way, Boss!" She pointed to the east. "About two hundred yards!"
"Right! Hi-ho Blitzkrieg, away!" I flashed away, my spritely companion hanging on for dear life.
It was only a few seconds before Lily spoke up again, "There! The signature is coming from in there!"
"Signature? Not…signatures?" I questioned, covering my face yet again.
"Yep! What is that, some kinda kid's teahouse?" Lily cocked her head as she asked.
We were now standing in front of a white perfect cube, about the size of a small office and looked as though someone had painted it all over and not bothered to spread what they painted around, leaving drippings and waves in its making. I already knew who made it and what it was…Mr. 3's little hideaway in the jungle…where…
"Where Sanji intercepts a call from the croc!" I tapped my fist into an open palm from remembering. Walking towards the waxy building, I opened it and there I found our cook looking over a device similar to the one Miss All-Sunday had attempted to get us to use.
"Yo mate." I said, ducking through the doorway. "Having a nice little tea party?" Looking around, I found not only all the necessities of a tea social, but also the two animal agents who had drawn us back on Whiskey Peak…who were either dead or unconscious.
"Ah, Khurt." Sanji replied smoothly, handling the Eternal pose with care. "Just had a very interesting conversation with Mr. 0…and got a hold of a Pose that'll take us right to Arabasta." Holding his prize for me to see, I inspected before Lily cleared her throat and made a three sign in the air. "Do you think this'll make Vivi-chwan fall in love with me?" He swooned.
"Right, enough of that." I said, thwapping him over the head with the newspaper upon the 'table'. "Come on, there's fightin' to do, the others are in trouble!"
"Nami-san and Vivi-chan! I will rescue you, my dar-…" Sanji began, hopping over the table…only to freeze in mid-air as the color washed away.
Growling I began looking around feverishly, cursing all the while. "Always at the worst time!...Where is that bastard?"
As quickly as it had appeared, the grey retreated, the colors of the world returning, Sanji resuming his movement. "-ling princesses! Your white knight is coming!"
"Hold up, Sanji! There's something wrong!" I grabbed by the shoulder just as he exited, when all the sudden the jungle around us began rumbling. "It's coming!" I snapped in my head, scanning every which where for the sign of the demon. My only answer being a mysterious echo from within the deeps of the trees…it almost sounding like…chanting?
"Oi…What is that?" Sanji asked a bit nervously, lighting his cigarette and joining my search.
Slowly and steadily, the chanting got louder and louder, becoming clearer as the Reaver got closer, the echo of the jungle providing camouflage for its direction. "Eeeyha HOI! Eeeyha HOI!" Over and over it yelled, bellowing as it approached.
"Look out!" I shouted at Sanji, the two of us barely dodging a massive weapon swung in to crush us both, the teahouse shattering like glass before it. Tumbling safely, I gazed at what nearly crushed me and the cook, it resembled a ping pong paddle, only its end was much larger and triangular, and its wooden edges were lined with rows of massive serrated teeth of some enormous carnivore. The toothed-club was lifted effortlessly from fissure, by a green-skinned arm, laden with blue/red/purple warpaint. It was then the tree line divided to make way for its bearer, and stepping into the small clearing with vicious intent, was a twenty-foot lanky, creature resembling a man…a tribal warrior man even. His green skin was entirely adorned by paint, a small loincloth served his only clothing. In his other arm he hoisted a diamond-shaped wooden shield, embroidered by the same pattern found upon his body. The thing that stood out was the mask that covered his face, a jagged mouth reminiscent of the Heartless we had encountered in Loguetown, only this one was open, as though constantly yelling its battle cry (which it was), eyes of fire burned within its triangular eye sockets, four massive feathered appendages wafting in the breeze around the top of its head. Its blazing eyes darted from me to Sanji as it processed who should first taste the power of its teeth-laden club, and then leaning down , my eyes meeting his and returning its hateful gaze.
"Odolwa." I remarked coldly as it roared at me before rearing back up and began its chanting
"EEYAH HOI, EEYYAH HOI, EEYAH HOI!"
End of Chapter
AN: I know technically Odolwa uses a long sword…but I felt it didn't fit him like the Maori Shark Tooth Club did…looks like Khurt is in for a good fight, good thing he has a tag-team partner in this round!