Ch. 36- Runaway-Hoshi
One Piece © Oda
Blizzard, Moon, and Joe © Me
The citizens watched helplessly as their Princess began to swim away from Fishman Island as fast as she could, forcing the Noah to follow after her. In doing so, the gigantic ark began to move away from the bubble surrounding the island. The citizens begged and shouted for Shirahoshi as fast as she possibly could, but Decken just laughed mockingly at her.
"Where do you think you're going, Shirahoshi?!" asked Decken. "There's no way out, you know!"
Shirahoshi panted as she kept swimming away. Well, floating away more or less. She wasn't exactly in the water, yet. She was just using a bubble to fly.
"I have to get out into the open sea!" she said. "If I don't, the bubble will burst! The front entrance is much too far away! If the bubble gets damaged too much, it will burst! I must think of a way…oh, wait! I believe the last ones to get out of the palace were Master Luffy's friends…"
The citizens watched as Shirahoshi continued to swim away as far and as fast as she could.
"Isn't there anything we can do to save her?!"
"Dammit, it's not her fault that Decken singled her out!"
"I can't believe she's risking her life for our sake!"
"Not just that, but Hody's making his way to the ship, too!"
Hody seethed as he climbed higher and higher up the chain, holding his trident as he did.
Down below, Sanji is preparing to throw Luffy and Blizzard up to the Noah.
"Remember, Luffy!" Jimbei said. "You have to be careful with Hody! The difference between humans and Fishman is stark within the water!"
"Okay!" Luffy said.
"Gotta be careful not to throw them into the sea," Sanji whispered. "Not too hard and not too soft…Armee de L'air Assault! GUM-FANG SHOOT!"
WHOOSH! BZOOM! Sanji shot Luffy and Blizzard into the air, through the bubble, and onto the Noah's chains!
"WHOA!" Luffy gasped, holding onto Blizzard, whose Haki-imbued claws dug into the steel chains for a better grip.
"You okay, there?" Blizzard asked. "You sound a bit winded!"
"Yeah! I'm good!" Luffy said, panting. "Damn, these chains are HUGE!"
"Let's not worry about the chains!" Blizzard said before he looked down below. "Looks like Sanji threw us just where we wanted him: right in between the layers of the bubble!"
"And I can see Hody!" Luffy said, looking down as well. "He's still way below us!"
"So, we both know who we're fighting, right?" Blizzard asked. "You've got Hody, and I'll take Decken."
"Just be careful not to get hit by any of his axes or anything," Luffy said. "Don't let him throw you at Wimpy-hoshi either!"
"Trust me, I won't," Blizzard reassured.
"H…hey! What's going on, down there?!" Luffy asked.
Down below, it is revealed that the citizens are trying to pull down on one of the Noah's chains in a vain attempt to stop it from following Shirahoshi.
"C'mon! Pull as hard as you can!"
"Even if we can't stop it altogether, we can at least try to slow the ark down while it's chasing the Princess!"
"We've gotta slow it down every inch we can!"
"C'mon! Keep pulling!"
"Don't let it go after her!"
"Keep swimming, Princess Shirahoshi! Just get away!"
"What the hell?!" Blizzard questioned. "What are they doing?!"
"They're trying to stop the ship!" Luffy said.
"My…my people…!" Shirahoshi whispered in surprise as she tried to fight back her tears.
"Are they insane?!" Hody questioned as he raised up his hand. "They know it's never going to work!"
"Hey!" Luffy shouted. "DON'T DO IT!"
"SHARK ARROWS!" Hody shouted before he fired his powerful Water Shots at the citizens, hitting them off the chains and sending them back down to the island!
"AGH!" Blizzard gasped.
"JAHAHAHAHAHA!" Hody laughed. "Serves you right, scum! It's pathetic fools like who drag down the rest of us!"
"Oh, no…!" Shirahoshi whimpered, tearfully at the sight of her people getting harmed.
"That bastard!" Luffy cursed, angrily.
"Don't worry…he'll get what's coming to him!" Blizzard reassured.
Despite this, Shirahoshi continued to escape. That's when she spotted the entrance to Ryugu Palace, which is still opened.
"Ah!" she gasped. "As I thought!"
Without a second thought, she quickly made her way into the passage and out into the open sea, and the Noah continued to follow her.
"Luffy, look!" Blizzard said. "She made it out!"
"Great!" Luffy said, when suddenly, the ark seemed to be gaining speed. "Whoa! Going up!"
"Luffy! We're about to go into the sea, too!" Blizzard cried. "Use that coral Jimbei gave you!"
"Oh, yeah!" Luffy said before he held up the Bubbly Coral that Jimbei gave him. KLIK! BWOOOOMP! Luffy pressed the button on the top of the coral, creating two bubbles, one for him and one for Blizzard, and not a moment too soon, for they soon came out into the open sea.
"Phew! That was close!" Luffy said.
"Okay!" Blizzard said. "I'm gonna hurry and get to the Noah so I can stop Decken! Meet me there when you get Hody to follow you!"
"Be careful!" Luffy said before the wolf-dog swam towards the ark. Luffy tried to follow him, but the bubble didn't seem to be helping him very much.
"Ah, dammit!" he cursed. "Come on, bubble! You're supposed to help me swim, not slow me down!"
Suddenly, Luffy sensed a presence behind him. He looked back and saw Hody, sinisterly licking his lips.
"In a world dominated by the sea," he began, "a human who can't so much as even breathe underwater can NEVER rule the ocean! You will BEG for your life, inferior species!"
"…Uh-oh," Luffy muttered. "Uh…BLIZZARD! COME BACK!"
It was too late, though. Blizzard is now too far away to hear Luffy.
"Your little doggie's not going to save you, boy," Hody said, snickering.
"Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!" Luffy cursed.
Meanwhile, on the deck of the Noah…
"BAHOHOHOHO~!" Decken cackled as he drew 8 knives. "Shirahoshi~! How does freedom taste, baby?! No more Shell Tower walls to protect you, the way they did for the last 10 years! I wonder…will you bleed to death, first? Or get crushed by this giant ship?! Which is it gonna be, Shirahoshi?!"
Shirahoshi panted as she kept swimming as fast as she could. Even though she knew that Mermaids are the fastest swimmers in the world, she couldn't get too far a distance. She was afraid that if she did, the Noah might stop chasing her and crash into the island.
"I'll give you one last chance, Shirahoshi!" Decken barked. "If you say yes, now, I'll spare you and the entire Fishman Island! JUST SAY YOU'LL MARRY ME!"
"Please forgive me, Master Vander Decken," Shirahoshi began, "but…you're still not my type!"
"HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH?!" Decken screamed…but then he seethed angrily. "…All right…BE THAT WAY!"
ZWIP! ZWIP! ZWIP! ZWIP! He threw four of his knives at Shirahoshi, who gasped and covered her head, but then, KLINK-KLANK! The knives were suddenly deflected back…by a pair of blades!
"What the-?!" Decken questioned.
Shirahoshi looked back to see Ryuboshi, Manboshi, and Hoe.
"We will never recognize any marriage with YOU!" Manboshi barked.
"She is our only sister!" Ryuboshi added. "Won't lay even one finger on her, Decken!"
HOOOOOOOOOOEEE~! Hoe roared.
"Brother Ryuboshi! Brother Manboshi! Hoe!" Shirahoshi cried.
"BAHOOOO!" Decken cried. "My brothers!"
"WE'RE NOT YOUR BROTHERS!" Ryuboshi and Manboshi yelled.
"What awful timing!" Decken said. "Shirahoshi was just about to agree to marry me!"
"WAAAAAH~!" Shirahoshi sobbed. "I'm so glad you're here! Everyone in the plaza was helping me…and they all got hurt!"
"Stop crying Shirahoshi!" Ryuboshi said. "Save your tears for another time!"
"Huh?! You're angry at me?! WAAAAAAAAAAAH~!"
"We're not mad, Shirahoshi!" Manboshi cried, exasperated.
Decken growled at the Princes' interference.
"Damn them!" he cursed.
THOMP! A white paw suddenly slammed down onto the deck, gaining Decken's attention. The Bull Shark Fishman turned to see…Blizzard, snarling viciously and growling at him. Since there was a layer of bubble coating surrounding the deck of the ship, Blizzard no longer needed his bubble suit.
"Huh?" Decken muttered. "Straw Hat's mutt? What are you doing here?!"
Grrrrr…! Blizzard growled…before he lunged at Decken, who gasped before touched the wolf-dog's neck with his left hand!
"Ha! Damn dog!" Decken shouted. "You fell for it!"
He then drew another knife and threw it at Blizzard, who jumped out of the way. However, he didn't see the knife whizzing right back towards him from behind…or did he?
THUNK! Blizzard managed to dodge the knife before he glared at Decken.
"BAHOHOHOHO!" Decken laughed. "Now that I've touched you with my left hand, anything I throw at you will never miss…I think! This ark will be your coffin!"
All I'm hearing from this guy is nothing but a bunch of gibberish! Blizzard thought before he took in a deep breath. Oh, well…looks like it's time to break out the big guns.
BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP! Blizzard's heart suddenly started beating faster. His fur became jagged and large veins bulged out on his legs and neck.
Frenzy…! the wolf-dog thought before he gave Decken a death glare, growling viciously as he did.
"What the hell?" Decken questioned. "What are you doing, now?"
Just then…Blizzard vanished.
"Huh?!" Decken questioned. "W-where'd he-"
THWAM! Blizzard reappeared behind Decken and kicked him in the back with his hind legs, sending him crashing into the wall! Decken groaned before he pulled himself out of the hole that formed before he glared at Blizzard, who glared back at him.
…Unlike two years ago, Blizzard thought, my Frenzy Mode is more refined. This time…I may still attack like a savage beast…but at least now I know who I'm fighting!
GRRAAAAAAAAAAWWWRR! He roared before lunging at Decken with Haki-imbued fangs.
YOU'RE GOING DOWN! he shouted in thought.
Meanwhile, Shirahoshi is swimming away with Ryuboshi, Manboshi, and Hoe leading her.
"Quickly, Shirahoshi! Follow us!" Manboshi said.
"All right!" said Shirahoshi.
"Be careful!" said Ryuboshi. "Father said that Noah is a precious ship that must not be damaged-fa-so-la! We must return it the ocean floor before it crashes into anything!"
Not long after he said this, though, the Noah suddenly hit the side of a seamount!
"Watch out!" Manboshi cried as he, Shirahoshi, Ryuboshi, and Hoe dodged. "Dammit! That's not good! We have to be more careful! Don't swim next to any seamounts, slopes, or trenches!"
"Then where CAN we go, Brother Manboshi?!" asked Shirahoshi.
"Up! That's the only we can go!" Manboshi answered. "There are too many obstacles on the seafloor!"
Meanwhile, Hody is seen glaring after someone…but where was Luffy?
"Humph!" Hody scoffed. "You won't get away from ME, Straw Hat."
It is revealed that Luffy is now sitting safely on Fukaboshi's back. The eldest Prince had come to save him at the last second.
"Gee, thanks, dude!" Luffy said. "You totally saved my bacon! How are you feeling? You okay?"
"Now is not the time…for me to give in to the pain!" Fukaboshi panted.
Hody's grin grew as he pulled out a large blade and put it over his dorsal fin.
"Shark Slicer!" he shouted before he sped towards Luffy and Fukaboshi!
"Whoa!" Luffy cried. "Hey, look out! Here he comes!"
BUOOSH! Fukaboshi barely managed to dodge Hody, who ended up going right passed him!
"YIKES!" Luffy yelped.
SLIIICE! The strength of Hody's Shark Slicer was so powerful, it cut off the peak of a seamount, as well as sliced off the head of a giant fish!
"Holy CRAP!" Luffy cried. "Did you see that?! He would've cut sliced us up like ham if you didn't move outta the way quick enough!"
"Dammit!" Fukaboshi cursed. "That was too close!"
"Hey, listen!" Luffy said. "I need you get me onto the ship deck, okay?! It'll be easier for me to fight, there! I just wanna kick Hody's ass! My dog's already on the ship, fighting with that guy who throws that axes! When we left that tower with Wimpy-hoshi, we promised her we'd protect her!"
Upon hearing that, Fukaboshi remember the last promise he made to Otohime about he and his brothers becoming strong warriors like Neptune and protecting Shirahoshi no matter what happened.
"We have also made a promise of our own!" Fukaboshi exclaimed. "I cannot stand to think that just one simple pill would leave us unable to stand up to common thugs like Hody and his men! Forgive us, Straw Hat. We doubted your word."
"Forget about it," Luffy said. "What's done is done. Just take me to that ship's deck, okay?"
"In that case, Straw Hat, I suggest you hurry."
Luffy and Fukaboshi glanced at Hody, who smirked at them.
"Unlike me, Decken has not taken an Energy Steroid," Hody said. "He's practically a sardine compared to me."
"What are you talking about?!" Luffy questioned.
"Hypothetically speaking," Hody said, "what were to happen if your little pet somehow ended up…killing Decken? What would happen then?"
"Huh?" Luffy asked. "I still don't get it!"
Fukaboshi seemed a bit confused as well…but then he gasped.
"Oh, no!" he cried. "Straw Hat! We must stop your canine!"
"W-what? Why?!" Luffy asked. "Blizzard can handle that axe-throwing guy!"
"No! You don't understand! The reason why Noah is following Shirahoshi is because of Decken's powers!"
"Yeah, so?!"
"If your dog happened to knock out or kill Decken…then the ark will fall on the island!"
Luffy's eyes went wide in horror before he looked at Noah, which is still looming over the island but still following Shirahoshi.
"…Oh, no…!" he whispered.
On the ark's deck, it is revealed Blizzard and Decken are still going at it, one-on-one. The white wolf-dog charged at the Bull Shark Fishman, who managed to sidestep out of the way.
"BAHOHOHOHOHO!" Decken laughed. "Missed me!"
WHIZZ! Decken then threw another knife at Blizzard, who dodged it twice; the first when it came it and the second time when it came back from behind.
I've had just about enough of you! Blizzard thought before he lunged at Decken again!
CHOMP! The wolf-dog bit down…on Decken's right shoulder, causing him to gasp in horror and in pain.
It appeared that Blizzard had landed the first major wound. However…only time will tell if Decken will be able to remain conscious. If he didn't…the whole of Fishman Island would be doomed.
TO BE CONTINUED…
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