Ch. 54- Battle


One Piece © Oda

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


The chaos continued to run rampant around Dressrosa as people fell prey to the Birdcage.

On top of the palace…Doflamingo was talking to someone he thought he would never have to talk to again.

"…I was trying indulge in some old memories," said Doflamingo. "So why are you here…Bellamy?"

Bellamy panted as he stood before his idol.

"Have you killed Straw Hat, yet?" asked Doflamingo.

"Answer the question!" Bellamy shouted. "Why did you send Dellinger to kill me?! Was that really on your orders?! Why, Doflamingo…have you already lost all faith in me?!"

(A/N: He never had faith in you from the start, dumb-ass!)

"Hehehe…" Doflamingo snickered. "Do I have to spell it out for you, Bellamy? You and I never had the same goals…while you wanted to be a pirate, what I wanted to be never mattered…as long as I could cause as much destruction in the world around me as possible!"

Just then, he flexed his fingers, causing Bellamy to seize up…before he began to uncontrollably walk towards him.

XXX

Down on the second step, the battle kept raging on…and right now, Suleiman is being confronted by Dellinger.

"Get out of my way, brat," said Suleiman. "I'm in a hurry!"

"Brat?!" Dellinger repeated. "See here! What do I look like to you…Suleiman the Beheader?!"

Suleiman glared angrily at Dellinger, who began to jump around like a rabbit in a frenzy.

"KYAA! Such a scary name!" said Dellinger. "How many heads have you lopped up with that sword of yours? Hundreds? Thousands?! You were a war executioner, weren't you?!" His eyes took on an eerily vicious look. "KYAA! Well…I like executions, too!"

Before Suleiman could strike…SHUNK! Dellinger jumped up…and gored him in the stomach with the horns on his hat!

"GUH!" Suleiman coughed up blood before he collapsed on the ground, blood pooling around him.

"KYAAAA!" Dellinger shrieked, although it also sounded like laughing.

"Suleiman!" cried Blue Gilly as Dellinger turned to face him. "Huh?! A family executive?!"

Dellinger grinned as he licked his lips, blood dripping off his horns.

"Look out!" cried Sai. "Here come the rest of 'em!"

Soon, Gladius, Lao G, Machvise, Baby-5, and Rita appeared

"Hyahohoho!" laughed Chinjao, climbing up the wall and taking out any foot soldiers in his way. "Too late, fools! I've almost made it to the third step! Your underlings mean nothing to me!"

Just then, the wall started to bulge.

"Hmm?" Chinjao muttered, confused. "What are these odd bulging stones?"

"I wouldn't touch those if I were you," said Gladius. "Mine Pop!"

BOOM! The wall exploded, causing Chinjao to fall off!

"DWAAAAH!" he screamed.

"Gramps!" cried Boo, but in his worry, he didn't see Machvise leaping over him.

"Ten-Ton Vise!" Machvise shouted as he fell down, stomach-first on top of Boo, crushing him under his weight.

"GAAAAAAAAHH!" Boo screamed. "Get off me, fat-ass!"

The underlings laughed at the Coliseum Fighters' plight.

"In your face, morons!"

"Yeah! Witness the might of the Donquixote Family executives!"

"HWADAA!" Lao G shouted as he struck Orlumbus across the jaw.

"You're not getting passed this point!" shouted Baby 5, shooting Dagama with her Revolver Leg.

GRROOOOOOOOAAARR! Rita roared as she tackled Sai, biting his leg and ripping at his pants with her claws.

"AGH!" Sai cried. "Let go, you damn pussycat!"

Then Rita threw him against the ground before she looked around.

'Where is White Wolf?' thought the saber tooth tiger. 'He's the only one I want!'

XXX

Meanwhile, in Sevio…

"I've got him! Tie him down!"

"Someone get some bandages! He's been shot!"

It is revealed that some townsfolk had caught the man known as Octavio, who was sobbing heavily.

"Thank you…!" he hiccupped. "I'm sorry! I…I almost killed my own family! And I cut down my best friend…and I burned down the town! How could I do such things?!"

"It's not your fault, Octavio!" answered his wife, who held their child. "You and almost everyone else in Dressrosa were pawns to Doflamingo's sick game!"

"There must be a way to end it, somehow!" said a man in the crowd.

"Hey!" shouted a third man. "I found out where King Riku is! He's with Usopp, that five-star man!"

Hearing this caused everyone to gasp in surprise.

"Remember! Don't hurt him!" said one of the men. "We're just supposed to capture him! We'll take him and God Usopp hostage so we can lure the convicts there!"

The crowd began to yell in agreement…but Stella only glared in disapproval while her daughter blinked in surprise.

"All right, this has gone far enough!" shouted Stella. "Look at yourselves! You all look like…a bunch of savages! Don't you see what's happening here?! This is what exactly what Doflamingo wants!"

"What do you mean?" asked a woman.

"We're playing right into his hands!" Stella answered. "That's what we've all been doing since he started ruling her, ten years ago! We're turning out no better than he is!"

"It's the only way!" shouted a man wielding a shovel. "If we don't, Doflamingo will kill us all! You're either with us or against us!"

"If you want to act like his pawns, go ahead!" shouted Stella before she sat next to her children. "Just leave me and my children out of it!"

A pause…but then the mob turned and left Stella, Carla, and her infant brother behind.

"…I'm sorry you had to see that, Carla," Stella said. "However…unlike some people, we're of stronger will than they are."

"…I guess so," Carla answered as she held her baby brother in her arms before she momentarily glanced up. "…Hey, Mom?"

"Yes?" Stella asked.

"Is it me?" Carla asked. "Or…is the fence a little smaller now?"

"What?" Stella asked before she looked up as well, and at first, she didn't seem to notice it…but then, she saw the openings between the Birdcage were just a tiny bit narrower than before.

"…Oh, my god…!" Stella whispered in horror.

XXX

"Stand that canister back up, you idiots!"

Inside the SMILE Factory, the Tontatta Dwarves were trying to pick up an S.A.D. canister that had spilled during Pica's shifting of the land.

"C'mon!" shouted a guard. "Don't you wanna cure Princess Mansherry's illness?!"

"But…what was that earthquake?!" asked Chao.

"It's none of your business, is what!" the guard answered as he whipped him.

"OW!" Chao cried as he fell down. "But…what everyone in Dressrosa?! Are they all right?! What about Greenbit?!"

"SHUT UP!" the guard barked, whipping him again. "Just focus on making more of those SMILE Fruits! Move it, you little shit-heads! And this time, you're working overtime!"

The Tontattas groaned miserably as they were about to go back to work…but then they saw something on the outside window: a sign that "UNLOCK IT FROM THE INSIDE!"

"Huh?" a Tontatta muttered. "Hey! Those letters…they're made up of Pink Bees!"

He was right: it was a swarm of Bian's Pink Bees, and sure enough, there was Bian herself, waving to her comrades, along with Inhel and Wicca.

"Bian! They see us!" exclaimed Inhel. "Give them the next message!"

"Got it," Bian answered. "Next message, Pink Bees!"

With that, the Pink Bees flew around and formed a new sign: "WE'VE BEEN FOOLED!"

"Huh?" the Tontattas muttered in confusion.

"Fooled?" repeated Chao. "What's that mean?"

"Hey! Did you hear what I said?!" the guard ordered, preparing to whip the dwarves, again. "I said GET BACK TO WORK!"

Then, the Pink Bees swarmed around a third time to make one more sign: "FIGHT!"

"…Did Doflamingo fool us this whole time?" asked Chao. "About the princess's illness?!"

"I don't know," answered one Tontatta wearing an army helmet, "but I do know this much! A true friend would never lie!"

With that, he leapt at the guards…and knocked them all out cold with his tail!

"SHUT UP, YOU THIRD-RATE CHUMPS!" he shouted.

"Yes!" Inhel cheered. "They got it!"

XXX

Meanwhile, back at the second step, Luffy, Law, and Blizzard are riding alongside Cavendish and Farul with Jupiter galloping behind him.

"If the executives catch us here," Cavendish began, "it'll only serve to slow us down! Listen up, Straw Hat! I'll cut down the wall and create a path…"

"And I'll deal with any minor enemies in the way!" added Kyros, who is riding on Jupiter's back.

"And then we'll climb the wall to the third step, immediately!" Cavendish finished.

"Got it!" Luffy answered…but then they finally noticed Kyros.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Cavendish questioned. "WHO ARE YOU?!"

"What the hell are you doing on my dog?!" Law shouted.

"Oh, Soldier Guy! There you are!" Luffy said. "I was looking for you! How'd you catch up to us?"

"I followed your trail, Luffyland," Kyros answered.

"Hey! Didn't you hear me?!" Law questioned. "Get off of Jupiter!"

"Yeah! My back is for Law to sit on!" Jupiter barked.

"Better you than me, Inky!" Blizzard smirked.

"Hey, Soldier Guy!" Luffy said. "We're about to meet up with Becky! She's on her way, actually!"

"What?!" Kyros questioned. "Rebecca is coming here?! Why didn't you stop her?!"

"DID YOU HEAR WHAT I JUST SAID?!" Law shouted.

"We're meeting up with her at the Flower Field on the fourth step!" Luffy answered.

"But she's on the list of convicts!" shouted Kyros.

"She'll be okay! Becky's tough!" Luffy answered. "Plus, my crew's with her, too!"

"…Well…I suppose it couldn't be helped, then," said Kyros.

"By the way," Luffy said, "how come you ran off without us?"

"No matter the situation, I only have one goal," answered Kyros. "Among the Donquixote Family's Supreme Executives…there is one man I must kill with my own two hands!"

As he said this…a brief image of Diamante appeared in his head.

"…You're not gonna die, right?" Luffy asked. "Because you're Becky's dad and you've been really good to her…so if you die, I'll never forgive you!"

Kyros stared at Luffy in surprise.

"…Becky's lucky," the Straw Hat Captain said. "At least her dad was with her…"

'…Luffy…' Blizzard thought, looking at Luffy in concern.

"…I won't die," Kyros answered. "Now that I am human again, victory is surely guaranteed."

"Good," Luffy answered.

'Wait…that man's Rebecca's father?!' thought Cavendish. 'Oh, dear…this might be harder than I thought…'

But then, he looked ahead and gasped in shock.

"What in the world?!" he questioned.

Everyone glanced up to see the Coliseum Fighters, all of them bunched up together, back-to-back, blocking the executives' path.

"Keep moving, Straw Hat!" Sai shouted.

"We'll hold them off for you!" exclaimed Hajrudin.

"What's this-n?!" Machvise questioned.

"Just moments ago," said a foot soldier, "they were about to fight each other!"

"Hey!" Luffy shouted. "What's gotten into you guys?!

"GAMAHAHAHA!" laughed Dagama. "Don't forget, I'm Dagama the Tactician, and this is a battle! Racing around blindly will not lead any of us to the top!"

"Our only move is to help you get to Doflamingo!" Hajrudin shouted.

"You better make sure he gets there Cavendish!" Sai added.

"Fine!" Cavendish answered. "But just so you know, if I can't take down Doflamingo, I should at least be able to take down an executive! It's something, at least!"

"This battle must be won!" shouted Elizabello.

"KYAAA!" Dellinger shrieked. "I've had enough of this shit!"

SHUNK! He jumped at Dagama, goring him in the stomach with his horns!

"GUH!" he cried, coughing up blood.

"Daruma Guy!" Luffy cried in shock…but then, he saw that Dagama was still standing!

"Huh?!" Dellinger questioned as she tried to get out, but he found his horns were lodged in Dagama's abdominal area! "H-hey! I can't get loose! Lemme go!"

"GAMAHAHA!" laughed Dagama. "Straw Hat…AIM FOR THE PEAK!"

"Now these guys are speaking our language!" Blizzard exclaimed.

"Thanks a lot!" Luffy called to the Coliseum Fighters. "We owe you big time!"

"Hey! Look out!" Law shouted as he and Cavendish looked up to see some minions in their way.

"Shoot them!" one shouted before they opened fire.

"Luffy! Go!" Blizzard as Luffy jumped off the wolf-dog's head.

"GUM-GUUUUUUUUUM…"

"Blade of Beauty…" Cavendish started, brandishing his sword.

"Twister…" Blizzard began as he began to spin around like a top.

"GATLING~!"

"SAINT-EXUPERY (Prince of Stardust Slash)!"

"FANG!"

BAM-BAM-BAM! SLASH! WOOOSH! Luffy punched down the minions, Cavendish slashed at the air, blowing them out of their path, while Blizzard bowled over them with his spinning body before Luffy landed on his back again!

"Dammit!" cried one of the foot soldiers. "Those scatter coliseum battlers…ARE STARTING TO TEAM UP!"

TO BE CONTINUED…


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