Ch. 37- King of the Land of the Dead
One Piece © Oda
Blizzard, Aika, Kumi, and Jupiter © Me
The mountaintop landed back in its original position, but then it slid sideways, just a little bit, making the ceiling look slanted. Inside, Nami and her group noticed this, and the children started to panic.
"AAAAAAAH!"
"What's happening?!
"I could've sworn the ceiling just floated a little bit, just now!" Sanji said.
"Oh, no!" cried one of the G-5 soldiers. "Look! The gas is seeping in through the new crack!"
Everyone looked to see that he was right: Shinokuni is now making its way inside the lab through the crack in the walls!
"Oh, no!" Nami cried.
"I'm scared, Lady!" Kombu cried. "What do we do?!"
"Hey, hey! Don't panic!" Sanji shouted. "If we stop now, the gas will get us! Keep running!"
"O-okay, Mr. Curly Brow Man!" said Synd.
Just then, G-5 looked up and saw Zoro and Tashigi, coming their way!
"Cap'n Tashigi! There you are!"
"You're all right! So you beat that bird-woman!?"
"But why are you coming from up ahead?! I thought you were backing us up from the rear!"
"What the-?!" Tashigi questioned. "Is that G-5 going the other way?! I knew it! We were taking the wrong path, after all!"
"Are you saying I got us lost?!" Zoro questioned.
"Zoro!"
Zoro looked up and saw Robin running to him before embracing him.
"Oh, thank the stars you're all right!" Robin said.
"I should say the same about you," Zoro said. "Don't worry about the snow-bitch. I took care of her. But why are you guys going the wrong way?!"
"You're the one who's going the wrong way!" Nami and Sanji shouted, comically.
XXX
In the examination room on the second floor of Building B, the ceiling began to collapse.
"Hey, Chopper!" cried one of the G-5 doctors. "This place isn't gonna hold up much longer!"
"I know!" Chopper answered. "I've done everything I can for Mocha, now! Now let's hurry and get her to Building R!"
"Right, boss!" the G-5 medical team shouted before they began to carry Mocha, whose condition had been stabilized thanks to Chopper.
"Hang in there, Mocha!" Chopper said. "We're getting you outta here!"
Mocha just replied with labored breathing.
"Chopper, what about Aika?!" Kumi questioned. "We haven't found her yet!"
"I know that, Kumi!" Chopper said. "Calm down! If we haven't found her around here, then she might be with Luffy!"
"Well…if she's with him, then I guess this means she's safe!" Kumi said.
XXX
Meanwhile, in the destroyed S.A.D. room…Jupiter is seen gnawing Vergo's dismembered arm like it was a chew toy. The rest of Vergo…had been sliced and diced and hung up on the railing by Law like trophies.
"Oh, damn," Vergo's severed head cursed. "How am I supposed to eat breakfast, tomorrow? You picked a rather vicious way to have your revenge, Law. This is going a bit too far. You've pulled off quite the upset…but you and your dog will regret this. Mark my words."
"…Jupiter. Come," Law commanded, and Jupiter soon walked alongside him while Smoker staggered to his feet.
"Are you listening to me, Law?!" Vergo questioned. "You know absolutely nothing of Joker's past…and that will be your downfall! The world is not such a shallow place that a fresh face like yours with a bit of hype behind him can seize the reins. Tell him, Smoker."
Smoker just scoffed as he lit up his cigars.
"Well?" Vergo asked. "Tell him! Tell him the world is too big for a kid who talks big to-"
"Shut up, Vergo."
SLICE! Law sliced Vergo's face vertically down the middle.
"I don't think you should be worried about me," Law said. "You should be more worried about yourself. This room is going to blow sky-high, soon…and it's time we took our leave."
"Goodbye…Vergo the Pirate," Smoker added as he, Law, and Jupiter walked out, leaving Vergo to his fate.
XXX
On the 1st floor of Building R, Caesar has also noticed what has happened.
"There's only one person who could've done this," Caesar hissed. "What the hell is Vergo doing?!"
"Master! What's going?!" asked one of the guards. "Some of our guys are trapped under the rubble!"
"Master! Help me, please!" cried one of them, trapped underneath a piece of rubble.
"Look at what you've done!" Caesar shouted at Luffy and Blizzard, who stood by Brownbeard's side. "You've ruined my beautiful paradise!"
"Did you see that, Luffy?" Blizzard asked, ignoring Caesar. "The ceiling, it floated a little bit!"
"Yeah, I saw that," Luffy said. "What happened? I hope everybody's okay."
"Luffy…I-I'm scared…!" Aika whimpered. "What's gonna happen to us?"
"It'll be okay, Aika," Luffy reassured, petting Aika on the head. "I promise."
Just then, Caesar pulled out a Mini Transponder Snail and shouted, "Can you hear me, 2nd floor?! Secret Room, come in!"
"Y-yes, Master! What just happened?!"
"Open the air vents, at once!" Caesar shouted. "I want you to flood this room with Shinokuni! It won't kill me! I'm already made of gas!"
"Understood! We'll give you some time to evacuate the other guards before-"
"RIGHT NOW, YOU CLOD!"
"M…Master?"
"I ordered you to do it, right now! Don't waste my time! Shinokuni represents my true power!"
"B-but Master, there are still at least 100 men down with you and-"
"AS IF I CARE! YOU PEOPLE ARE NOTHING MORE THAN GUINEA PIGS TO ME! SOCIETY WON'T SHED A TEAR FOR THE DEATHS OF A FEW HUNDRED LOWLIFES, LIKE YOU!"
Everyone gasped upon hearing this.
'…So, the cat's finally out of the bag,' Blizzard thought before he sighed. 'The poor damn fools.'
XXX
In the 2nd floor, the guards stationed there had also heard Caesar's proclamation. In fact, they are watching right now on the monitors.
"WELL?!" Caesar questioned. "DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME?! I SAID DO IT! I CAN ALWAYS FIND REPLACEMENTS FOR THE LIKES OF YOU!"
The guards just stood, tearful and stunned. They couldn't believe what their beloved "Master" had said. All this time, he never cared for any of them. He just thought of them as his test subjects and nothing more.
Behind them, hiding behind a piece of rubble, Usopp had just watched what was happening as well, and needless to say, he was surprised.
"Yow…!" Usopp whispered. "Man, the tension in here is so thick, you could cut it with a knife! Maybe they've finally picked up on Caesar's true colors, like Brownbeard, and thanks to that, they've forgotten about me for the moment…and I can see Zoro, Nami, and the others on the monitors! Looks like they're being chased by the gas, too. Dammit. I wonder if the doors can be controlled from this room."
XXX
Back on the 1st floor, Caesar noticed the stunned, teary-eyed faces of the guards around him.
"What's your problem?" Caesar asked. "What are you fools crying for?!"
"Huh…?" one of the guards murmured. "I…err…what?"
"See? I knew it!" Aika shouted. "He's a really terrible man!"
XXX
Back up on the 2nd floor…one of the guards suddenly started to laugh, although halfheartedly.
"I get it, now!" he said. "It's all an act! Master's just trying to deceive the enemy, that's all!"
Soon, the other guards started agreeing with him.
"Huh? O-oh! Yeah! Of course!"
"It's the same with the gas! It's all just a plan!"
"He wouldn't really kill his own men, right?!"
"How could we doubt the Master?! We'd be hurting his feelings!"
(A/N: Like Blizzard said…you poor damn fools.)
Soon, one of them pressed a button, and the air vents on the 1st floor opened…allowing Shinokuni to flow inside!
XXX
"There you are, Master! The vents are open!"
"Shulolololo…" Caesar chortled…and then he began to cackle, madly. "SHULOLOLOLOLOLO!"
"AAAH!" one of the guards with him screamed. "They're letting the gas inside!"
"That's right, you scum!" Caesar said. "Your job is to follow my orders, not use your heads! Now come and be my strength…SHINOKUNI~! SHULOLOLOLOLOLOLO!"
Soon…Caesar began to absorb the gas…and then, he grew at least over 20 feet tall, his body entirely made of the killer gas. A large, purple crown appeared on his head, and the kanji for "Land of the Dead" appeared on his chest.
"What the…?!" Blizzard questioned.
Momonosuke stammered in absolute terror while a terrified Aika clutched at Luffy's pant-leg with tears of fright flowing down her cheeks.
"SHULOLOLOLOLOLO!" Caesar cackled before he let out a small burp. "Whew…that's the stuff. Anyway, Straw Hat, this is my true power…THE POWER OF SCIENCE! Thanks to the public demonstration, 2 countries- peaceful ones, mind you- have already leapt at the chance to use my Shinokuni! When mankind truly seeks to defend itself, it desires the means to kill its enemies! In the end, THEY ALL NEED ME! I will fill the world with weapons and begin my reign as King of the Land of the Dead! SHULOLOLOLOLO! BEHOLD!"
Without warning, Caesar reached down his humongous hands at some guards, who gasped and tried to run for their lives…but in the end, it was hopeless.
"MASTER, NO!" one of them cried. "PLEASE, STO-"
Before he could finish…he, as well as the rest of his comrades…were frozen in ash by Caesar's powers.
"SHULOLOLOLOLOLO!" Caesar laughed. "SHU-SHULOLOLOLOLOLO~!"
Then, he turned to Luffy and company with an almost insane smile.
"You're next, Straw Hat," he hissed, "and your little dog, too! And that especially goes for you, Aika!"
Aika whimpered in horror before she let out a frightened sob…but then, she felt a gentle hand stroking her jet black hair, causing her to look up at Luffy, who gave her a reassuring smile.
"L…Luffy?" Aika asked.
"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed.
Aika seemed confused at first…but then she smiled back at him.
"Shishishi!" she giggled, and Blizzard smiled at the two while Momonosuke just blinked.
"W…what is so humorous?" the little dragon asked.
Then, Luffy glared at Caesar…before he turned and ran back in the direction he came from!
"Huh?" Aika asked. "Wait! Luffy, where are you going?!"
"Stay there!" Luffy shouted.
XXX
Back on the 2nd floor, the other guards watched as Caesar began to lay waste to his own followers!
"AAAAAAAAAAAH!"
"What is the Master doing?! Why's he killing them?!"
Soon, one of them started to break down in tears.
"Then…it really is true!" he sobbed. "We really are nothing more than guinea pigs to him!"
(A/N: FINALLY, you get it!)
XXX
"SHULOLOLOLOLOLO!" Caesar laughed. "Even I have to admit this has surpassed all my expectations! The speed with which it affects the nerves is simply a work of art!"
At that moment, he noticed Luffy running out of the room.
"Hey!" he called. "Where are you going, Straw Hat?! SHULOLOLOLO! Have you finally lost your will to fight?! What a pathetic excuse for a man you are! But once you pass through that hallway, Building B will already be full of the gas! You're all doomed! THERE'S NOWHERE ELSE LEFT FOR YOU TO RUN ON THE ENTIRE ISLAND! SHULOLOLOLOLOLOLO!"
"Luffy! Come back!" Aika cried. "Blizzard, what's he doing?! Why's Luffy abandoning us?!"
"Abandoning?" Blizzard repeated. "Oh, Aika…you ought to know better than that."
"Huh?" Aika asked.
"Luffy's not abandoning us," Blizzard said…before he smirked. "He's just getting a good distance in before he makes the final blow."
"W…wha…?" Aika muttered, confused.
XXX
Concurrently, back on the 2nd floor…
"Excuse me!" Usopp exclaimed, having come out of his hiding place. "I hate to bother you people in your time of grief, but I'd like to have access to those controls, if you don't mind! I need to protect my friends from that gas!"
At that moment, the guards turned to him.
"Oh, yeah!" said one. "We forgot about this guy! He's with Straw Hat!"
"So, you saw what happened on the monitors, right?" asked another. "So what?! I admit, we've all been betrayed, but look at yourself! You're in the same situation as Caesar! Your captain's abandoned you!"
Usopp knitted his brow in anger at that.
"What did you bastards just say?" he asked. "You dare to drag my captain's name through the mud?! Sure, I admit it, he was the type to betray the ones he cared about, things would be a lot easier!"
XXX
Luffy ran down the hallway before he braked to a halt and then turned back around to Building R. Then, he put his thumbs in his mouth and bit on them before blowing them up to giant size…before he ran right back at Caesar!
XXX
"We might wanna tuck our tails between our legs and run," Usopp said, "but no matter what, Luffy never, EVER fails to believe in our strength as a team until it breaks our own backs!"
He then pointed his Black Kabuto at the guards, who all gasps.
"Which means," the sniper went on, "we step up and meet his expectations for as long our lives hold out! You just watch, because Caesar's the kind of man that Luffy hates, most of all! HE WILL NEVER FORGIVE CAESAR!"
XXX
Caesar gasped in horror…when he saw Luffy come back at him with large, Haki-imbued hands!
"W…what the hell?!" Caesar questioned.
"I never…WANNA SEE YOUR FACE, AGAIN!" Luffy shouted.
"DO IT, LUFFY!" Blizzard roared.
"YOU CAN DO IT~!" Aika cheered.
At that moment, Caesar finally understood: Luffy…wasn't fighting seriously up until now!
"GUM-GUUUUUUUUUUM…"
"W…wait! Straw Hat!" Caesar cried. "I know! WHY DON'T YOU COME WORK FOR ME, INSTEAD?!"
"GRIZZLY MAGNUM~!"
POW! Luffy hurled both hands into Caesar…and sent him crashing right through a wall!
TO BE CONTINUED…
MONKEY D. LUFFY FOR THE FREAKING WIN, BABY!
Also, I still can't believe I'm getting this done so fast! 2-3 chapters a day, now?! WOW!
Review, please!