Crunch Time: Let the Feast Begin!
The hundreds of contestants were anxiously waiting with utensils at the ready, the arena surrounded by chefs like an army preparing to go to war. The ovens were burning hot and the kettles were bubbling as the aroma of countless flavors filled their air, causing not only the contestants, but the spectators to drool as well.
"Now contestants, here are the rules." The voice said as the group of servers stood ready with the food in their hands.
#1. No giants are allowed to participate. Due to the unfairness in size and appetite, this wouldn't be a contest at all.
#2. There is a one hour time limit. All contestants will eat as many plates of food as they can within the time allotted, which will be accounted for by the referees.
#3. There will be no direct contact between contestants. Whoever initiates contact will be removed from the contest immediately.
#4. In relation to Rule #3. There will be no outside help whatsoever. Those are the rules."
The voice became silent as if to allow the information to be absorbed by everyone.
"Good, our chefs have prepared the finest foods on the island so there will be many kinds to your liking. Now let the challenge, begin!"
The servers sat down their trays and pulled of their silver lids, showing a dazzling arrangement of various dishes in which were quickly assaulted by the contestants as the crowd cheered.
XXXXX
Outside the stadium, sinister plans were being contemplated.
"The prize money is quite a fortune. It's ripe for the taking, we." Said a thin man wearing a black and white horizontal-striped shirt, black lips and eyeliner, a bleach-white face with black lipstick, and a long-thin mustache that extended passed his face, and a red beret tilted on his head.
Epee"Pincussion" LePyuu
Vice-Captain
Bounty: 45,000,000
"Aw, but I wanted to eat too." Said a large, round man. His droopy eyes were half-closed as if he had just woken up, sucking on his finger. With the exception of his dark matted hair, the rest of his body was covered in light blue vertical-striped pajamas with a stocking cap that had a blue pom-pom dangling on one side of his face.
Petite LePyuu
Officer
Bounty: 35,000,000
"Quiet little brother, this is just the opportunity that we've been waiting for, eh big brother, we?" Epee said to another man.
"Eh, whatever." The man said in response. He wore a typical captain's cape and hat that caused his thick curly red hair to fan out passed his shoulders. He appeared to be more normal in comparison to his brothers, except for his clothes, which were a crazy patchwork of pirate and marine flags.
Captain Andre "Patches" LePyuu
Captain of the Raggedy Pirates
Bounty: 80,000,000
"What's the matter? You're the Captain. Make a decision." Epee pushed.
Andy groaned. "Why don't you do it? You know I'm no- good at making strategies." He whined.
"Fine, have it your way. We'll take it while everyone else is distracted by the contest, we."
XXXXX
The crowd cheered as they watched their favorite eaters scarfing down the food before them. Fifteen minutes had already passed and a third of the contestants were already eliminated. Most from being too full and unable to eat any more. A few rare occasions where some ate so much that they passed out and had to be carried off like wounded soldiers from battle.
"Wooohoo! Come on, Kain! You can do it!" Cassidy shouted.
"Kombarei, Luffy! Win that 100 million for me!" Nami shouted.
The two sides continued their screaming as the two were eating at an insane pace, food disappearing as fast as the plates were being put down.
The waiters and waitresses were having a great deal of trouble trying to keep up with the remaining group as were the chefs, who were sweating profusely as they cooked more and more food.
More contestants continued to drop out with every passing minute. The pressure building on some to the point that even a few fights broke out, in which they were immediately forced out of the contest.
As the contest continued, the crowd had begun to calm down, watching as the number of contestants dwindling to less than ten within the first 30 minutes.
"Wow, look at these brave warriors face off against eachother! They must have stomachs of iron to eat enough food to feed a whole family for a week! What courage and tenacity these men possess!" The voice overhead shouted.
Several of the remaining contestants that had made it to this point, although commendable, were slowing their pace from the pain of overeating, even those labeled as 'large humans' couldn't compete against Luffy and Kain, two miniature eating machines. Finally, they had to cut their losses and concede, being no match for those two.
"Incredible, now there are only two remaining! Despite all of the food eaten from these two, which counts…" The voice paused as some paper rustled in the background.
"OVER FIVE HUNDRED PLATES APIECE! That's not physically possible! They've both shattered the previous record by more than 200 dishes!" He proclaimed. "And neither seemed to have slowed for even a moment! Are they even human?"
Even though there were only two, the cooks and servers didn't get a break as more food was placed before them and vanished into those bottomless pits they called 'mouths'.
The whole time, Kain and Luffy were sitting directly across from the other, both were too busy eating to even notice.
"More meat!" Luffy and Kain shouted simultaneously, which caused the two to finally recognize the other, the only time they've taken a break since the contest began.
Sparks flashed between their gazes as their fighting auras seemed to rise at the challenge before diving right back in.
"Whoa, it looks like this competition has more than money riding on this! Now this competition will really start heating up!" Shouted the voice as the two dove back into their plates.
"Come on Luffy!" Usopp shouted through a paper megaphone, trying to rally his Captain.
Cassidy reacted to the shout as she turned to see a tiny animal enjoying a large pink cotton candy.
Her eyes sparkled as she gasped in a girlie fashion.
His little hooves, his pants, and the large pink hat with a big white X in front.
"It's… it's just so cute."
XXXXX
"Amazing, where do they put it all?" The voice said in amazement as the two men seemed to eat without taking a breath. "Well, according to the referees, they both have been running neck-and-neck throughout this entire competition. If this continues, we might have our first draw in the history of this competition."
As if on cue, Luffy snatched a plate of spaghetti from Kain and gobbled it in the blink of an eye as his fork stabbed the table.
"Oh, it looks like Luffy has taken the offensive by stealing Kain's food right out from under him and has taken the lead. As this does not break any of the rules, it will be allowed."
Kain really got mad as he pulled his fork out.
"Oh, yeah. Well two can play that game." Kain grabbed a plate of Rib-eye steaks from Luffy just as his teeth slammed down on air.
"Huh?" Luffy looked to see Kain spitting out the rings on his plate, who gave him a sneer.
Luffy grunted in an irritated fashion.
"Gomu-Gomu noooo!" Luffy reached back his arm.
"Luffy, don't!" His group shouted in panic.
"PISTOL!"
Kain was shocked as a fist shot passed the left side of his face, stretching to the next table.
A waiter, who had a pile of plates on his cart from cleaning another table, let out a cry of surprise as an arm grabbed an unfinished plate.
Kain turned his head as the plate snapped back and Luffy dumped the remains into his mouth.
"He's a Devil Fruit user!" The crowd shouted in surprise.
Kain only seemed to be more irritated. "Get me more food! NOW!" He commanded, in which every server instantly obeyed.
Plates of food piled high across the entire length of the table.
Kain let out what seemed to be a kiah before a hundred Kains popped into existence across the entire table.
"He's a Devil Fruit user too!" The crowd shouted again.
"Sugei!" Luffy shouted as his eyes sparkled, in which Chopper's did as well.
"Hyaku Feeding Frenzy!" Kain shouted before the entire mob started eating at once, tearing through the food like piranha.
"Now this is a big upset! One of the competitors just created an entire army of himself. As this does not violate the rules, it is allowed." Said the voice. "I just hope the referees can keep count." He said as the dozens of men were frantically tapping their clickers.
"You sure are tough. Yosh! Ikuzo!" Luffy pulled back his arms.
"Gomu-Gomu nooo…. Gatling!" Luffy's fists were blurs to the eye as he started to grab everything within reach and putting them in his mouth.
The crowd was on their feet at the amazing battle before them as the two gave eating a whole new meaning.
"Damn, this guy won't quit. I never met a guy who could eat this much. He's good." Kain thought as he continued to eat.
"You sure can eat a lot. This is a lot of fun." Luffy mumbled through bites.
Kain couldn't help but agree with the man; Of course he wouldn't say that out loud.
"Only five minutes remaining and this fight isn't even close to being over! How will the remaining moments turn out for these two?" Asked the voice.
The servers and cooks were all starting to collapse from the fatigue, reaching their physical limits and the end of their supplies to sate the two monstrous appetites.
"Oh no, it looks like this will end before the time limit does, what will…" The voice was suddenly cut off, but the crowd didn't notice as the energy only intensified as the crowd watched the plates quickly dwindling to the last few remaining dishes until it finally came down to one.
"It's mine!" Both reached for it on either side and pulled, causing it to fly into the air.
Everyone gasped as they watched the plate of food fly into the air as if in slow motion.
"I got it!" Luffy stepped up on the table and stretched his arm back.
"Oh no you don't!" Kain raised his arms and slammed them onto the table, smashing it in half.
"Whoaaaaa!" Luffy flailed his arms wildly before he collapsed.
"I'll take that." Kain formed two copies as he jumped into their cupped hands and was launched skyward.
"Why you!" Luffy pulled back his fist and launched it.
Kain had finally reached the meal as it reached its peak.
"Come to Papa!" Kain reached out to the grab the plate, just as Luffy's hand grabbed it as well.
"Huh?..."
The arm retracted, causing Kain to fall right along the arm's path, screaming all the way down.
Luffy got a curious look on his face, before he realized what was about to happen.
"Look out!" Kain shouted before he crashed, kicking up a large dustcloud.
Everyone went silent as they waited for whatever the settling dust would reveal. It seemed to many as if hours had passed for these brief moments of waiting and not knowing.
Groaning could be heard as the two were finally revealed.
Both Kain and Luffy were in a small crater made by Kain's impact, their eyes swirling around in a daze. The plate of food was completely obliterated, leaving its remains scattered all over the ground.
Both recovered enough to sit up and see the last plate, ruined.
"My food!" Luffy shouted.
"My money!" Kain shouted.
Both growled as they glared at the other.
"Look what you did! Now, I'm gonna kick your ass!"
XXXXX
"Please, please, spare me! Don't hurt me!" A chubby little man begged on his knees as he stared at the point of a thin rapier.
"I wasn't expecting such a loud man to be so puny, but as the announcer for this little event, you wouldn't know where the 100 million berri prize would be, we?" Epee asked, his little brother lifting up everything in the room in a lumbering fashion, picking up heavy objects with ease as he looked for the money, even under the large rug in the center of the room.
"Oh, the money. That's what you're looking for? But I don't have it." The man answered.
"Oh?" The announcer was pinned against the wall, spread-eagled, by some invisible force.
Epee returned the sword to the man's face.
"And where might you be keeping it? Hurry, If I don't like your answer, I'll kill you."
The little man gulped as he eyed the point that hovered between them. "The money is presented by the Mayor of the town at his mansion. Only he would have it, but it's under heavy guard at all times." The man explained.
"That's all I needed to hear. Petite, we're leaving, we…" Epee turned to see his brother had fallen asleep while holding a sofa over his head.
"Ah! Wake up! This is not the time for a nap, we!" Epee shouted as he jumped and smacked his brother across the head.
"Huh? Oh." Petite dropped the sofa as he scratched where he was hit as if it were an itch.
"Come on. Big Brother is waiting for us, we."
"Okay." Petite replied as they left.
"Hey, wait! You can't leave me here!" The man pulled, but he couldn't break free. "HELP!"
XXXXX
"Do you think Luffy is taking this a bit too far?" Sanji asked as the eating contest had become a bout.
"Well he usually does, more often than not." Nami commented, looking a bit annoyed.
"Hey, Captain. Kain looks like he's having some trouble down there. Do you think we should help him?" Jesse asked.
Victor was still in his relaxed pose, although he was watching the fight.
"So that's Luffy, huh?" Victor reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it to reveal an old wanted poster with Luffy's face on it.
"Yep, that's him. 'Strawhat Luffy'." Victor crushed the paper and tossed it away. He put his piece of straw inside his clothes and jumped into the arena with an impressive display of strength before he walked over to his crewmate.
"Hey Kain. I'll take over from here." He said, placing a hand on the man's shoulder.
"Huh? Are you sure?" Kain said curiously, his anger subsiding.
"I have some business with him. Would you mind?" Victor asked.
"No, not at all. He's all yours." Kain put his hand behind his head and walked back towards the group.
"Does anybody understand what is going on?" Usopp asked, scratching his head, to which everybody shook their heads.
Sanji looked at the new person who replaced the replicating man, and then it suddenly hit him.
"Oi! IT'S THAT OKAMA FROM YESTERDAY!" He shouted as he pointed.
Kain didn't even make it back when he heard this and collapsed to the ground as he rolled around with laughter.
Victor clearly heard that as his face twisted in anger.
"HEY! I'M NOT A DAMN CROSSDRESSER, YOU PERVERT!" He shouted back.
"Don't insult the Captain like that. He can't help the way he looks." Jesse said in his captain's defense.
Victor just face-palmed.
"Thanks a lot! Now you just ruined my entrance!" Victor shouted at Jesse.
"Don't worry, Victor! I got your back!" Jesse said, not even acknowledging what Victor just said.
"I think you take your job as 1st mate a little too seriously sometimes, Jesse." Kain said, walking back up to his crew as he finally got over his laughing fit.
Robin stifled a small laugh. "It looks like we've run into a few interesting people."
Victor regained his composure as he returned his gaze back to Luffy.
"Now on to the business at hand." Victor slid into a stance, aiming his fists towards Luffy. "I'm curious to find out just how strong the man who beat Arlong really is?"
"ARLONG?" Most of the Mugiwara crew exclaimed.
"Huh?" Said Luffy.
Victor dashed with lightning speed and stopped right in Luffy's face, his right fist pulled back to his side.
"Fishman Karate! 1000 Brick Seiken!"
The blow caused Luffy's back to bulge before his body was sent through into the wall, cracking it in a spiderweb fashion.
"Luffy!" Nami, Chopper, and Usopp shouted as they looked down over the wall, seeing Luffy embedded into it.
Sanji immediately got into battle position, in which Jesse and Kain did as well.
Luffy struggled a little bit before he broke the wall as he pulled himself free.
"Hey! What's the big idea?" Luffy demanded, starting to get pissed.
Victor returned his fist to his side. "Just a test. That punch is strong enough to kill a normal man. I would have doubts if a blow of that level would kill you so easily."
Suddenly, gasps of surprise began to spread amongst the group.
"Those are Pirates!" People began to shout.
"Huh?" Both crews looked around.
A man pointed his finger towards the stadium floor.
"That's Mugiwara no Luffy! The man with a 100 million berri bounty!"
"And that's Victor the 'Crimson Demon'! A bounty worth 60 million!" Stated another.
"Eeeek! We're all in danger!" A woman shrieked as she noticed the crews.
"Run for it!" And the mass of people fled at once, making the stadium vacant in seconds.
Zoro finally opened one of his eyes. Apparently, he fell asleep during the contest. "Uh… What just happened?"
"It looks like we got into more trouble." Usopp answered.
Luffy grabbed a shoulder as he rolled it to limber himself.
"So you're a fishman, eh. Oimo shiroui." Luffy said with a grin as he cracked his knuckles.
"Indeed I am. I heard that you defeated Arlong single-handedly. I must admit, I am impressed." Victor stated.
"So are you looking for payback?" Luffy asked.
"I only know of Arlong from my father's stories, so no." Victor clenched his fists even tighter as his eyes gleamed for battle. "However, I would be a fool to not take this opportunity to face you in combat. But enough talk. Now fight me!"
XXXXX
"Well, it looks like the Captain has his reasons for fighting that guy. Not to mention that he is a Captain with a 100 million berries on his head, which means that his crewmembers also must have some high bounties as well." Jesse returned his attention back to the group. "I'm sure that we'll get a nice reward for capturing these guys."
Nami, Usopp, and Chopper shrieked in unison as Sanji and Zoro were prepared for battle.
"It never seems to end, does it?" Sanji asked as he lit his cigarette, taking a drag before blowing out the smoke.
"Well at least things won't be so boring. My swords have been rather hungry lately." Zoro pushed the hilt of one of his swords with his thumb, exposing its blade.
"I like that idea as well. I needed to find a way to burn off all of those calories, anyway." Said Kain, slamming his fist into his palm.
"Well it looks like things are gonna take a turn for the worst. I say it's time for us to get out of here." Usopp suggested.
"Right behind you, Usopp." Nami said as she carried Chopper with them and the three quickly vacated the stadium in a cloud of dust.
"Well, I'll just let you boys have your fun. Don't get killed, now." Robin said as she walked away.
"I think I'll take their lead as I have no reason to fight them. Catch you later, fellas." Cassidy waved as she left.
"Hmph, well this evens things up, I guess." Kain said as he scratched the back of his head with a grin.
"So how about we take Victor's lead and get things started." Jesse reached for his hip and pulled back the hammer.
XXXXX
"Oi, Nami, do you think Luffy and the others will be alright?" Chopper asked.
"I'm sure they'll be fine, but we'd only get in the way if we stuck around. Besides, I'm more curious about what happened with the announcer." She explained.
"The announcer?" Said the little reindeer.
"What are you getting at, Nami?" Usopp asked.
"Right before Luffy and that other guy got into their fight over the last plate. The announcer was suddenly cut off and was never heard again. Even after the contest ended." She explained. "We're going to check it out."
"Eh!" The two exclaimed in surprise.
"Lets go." She said as went to investigate as Usopp bent down to Chopper's ear.
"I think she's looking for a chance to steal that 100 million." He whispered, to which Chopper nodded in agreement.
"Are you guys coming or not!" Nami shouted.
"We-we-we're coming!" Usopp said as they quickly ran after her.
XXXXX
The three brothers stood before the Mayor's mansion, which was a luxurious building that could easily be labeled as the finest building on the entire island with its high stone walls and large steel gates along with many armed guards to protect the establishment. This high amount of security was a direct correlation to the contest as the 100 million berri prize was being held in that building.
"So this is the place, we? It was far easier to find that I expected, we." Epee said with a sinister grin on his face.
"So is this where they keep all of the money?" Petite asked.
"That's what the little piglet said. So how do you think we should take the money, big brother, we?" Epee asked.
Andre appeared to in deep thought for a moment as his brothers waited for an answer. "I dunno, what do you think?"
Epee facefaulted to the ground.
"Make up your mind! You're the Captain, we!" Epee shouted, to which the man just shrugged.
"Come on Epee. I don't like thinking." Andre whined.
Epee just groaned.
"Fine. We'll just storm the place and take it all. The boys are already on their way to trash the town." He said as he brandished his thin sword in the blink of an eye.
"Lets get rich!"
XXXXX
A/N
Quite a twist this turned out to be. An eating contest becomes a brawl and the sudden inclusion of another pirate group that is also after the money. A lot can happen.
As you might have guessed, the three brothers are based with a French theme.
Andre is French for Andrew, which can be shortened to Andy as he is based on Raggedy Andy, given his clothes and curly red hair.
Epee is French for sword and is based on some stereotypes of a French mime. Kind of ironic as he does most of the talking for the three. Also his name and color scheme are a pun with Pepee LePyuu.
Petite is French for tiny or thin which doesn't describe him at all. He's based on a human version of a Snorlax.