Chapter 121: Cerberus and Ophiuchus

"Something's here," Usopp muttered, raising his rifle and aiming it ahead of the group. Behind him, Chopper and Suki prepared themselves for a possible encounter with an aggressor, whilst Luffy was simply running his fingers along the wall of the stone lined trench they were walking through, as if the place was a hallway in a mansion instead of the graveyard, that it was. "You're imagining things," Luffy responded, returning to his examination of the walls, with scratches all along them, as if something had been dragged against them or someone had tried to resist something else. Crunch. The sound of bones breaking underfoot was beginning to grate at luffy's nerves, as well as thoroughly frightening chopper.

"Maybe we should head back to the mini merry", the reindeer doctor spoke. "Then we can find another way into the island..." "Aw come on Chop," Suki spoke up, "let's carry on. Remember, if you do this it'll be another thing to add to your letter back to Dr Kureha". It seemed that was all it took to relight the doctors' courage again, and in no time at all Chopper was steaming ahead of the others; determined to have plenty of adventures to write home about. "Let's go!" Using a small wooden hammer, that he'd found back the way they'd come; near where the mini merry was moored, chopper gestured forwards. Now leading the advance group, with reinforced resolve.

"Grrrrr". Something growled in the distance, six pairs of eyes opened from its hiding place in a crevice of the gully. "Shhh, my pet", a voice whispered, "Hildon, has seen them and will report to the master. We just have to take them by surprise". Out of the shadows appeared; standing three metres was a large three headed dog, whilst next to him stood a tall gaunt black haired, pale face man holding a flute in one hand and a trident in the other. The only odd thing about him was that his skin was patch-worked, as if it had been quilted together on a loom or made from leftovers.

The number 95 tattooed on his left arm, whilst the three headed dog bore the number 84, on its shared body. Scars and stitches covered their bodies and divided the changes in colour of the different skin tones and types. The beast padded forward on four paws, three furry tails wagged behind it as it growled, sniffing the air before looking back at its companion. "Lead the way, my dear Cerberus", the gaunt man chuckled.

The first thing that alerted him to thinking that Usopp was correct, was hearing very soft footfalls behind them. His observation haki wasn't developed enough to actually sense where and when an attack would come from, but the air on the back of his neck was beginning to feel wet and warm. Which was why, Luffy had insisted on being then one at the back of the group; much to the disappointment of Chopper, who had argued that the best fighter should be at the front.

"You'll be alright," the captain had stated comfortingly, "are you sure you're not into archeology?" Suki asked, "you seem to be interested in the marks on the walls". Luffy was glad that the shadows hid the flush that spread across his face at the emotion of archeology, and his mind racing to Robin. "N-n-no..." he stammered, "I'm just trying to see which direction these scratch marks came from". A sudden snap had Luffy spinning around and bringing forth a mass of darkness from which flung cannon balls, striking the large three headed dog making it yelp in pain.

"Oh dear," a voice muttered, the pirates' heads snapping toward the direction on the sound. "It seems like our plan is shot to pieces, doesn't it Cerberus".

Before Luffy could speak, a loud bang rang in his ears followed by blood splattering form a wound to the dogs right leg. "Nice shot Usopp!" Suki praised as she withdrew her mood altering paints and her brush from her satchel. "Ohh, well will you look at this", a voice spoke out. "The master will certainly appreciate young blood like your four", a gaunt black haired man uttered, before playing some notes on his flute. "Who are you!" Chopper yelled, transforming into his guard point, both hooves raised in defences purposes, "and who is your master?"

The man suddenly plucked a strand of hair from his head, "snake men". The hair twisted and writhed before growing into into humanoid snake, spitting venom at Suki, who flung red paint in an attempt to catch the venom before it hit her. "You're a devil fruit aren't you? And you work for Moria as well, right?" Luffy growled, stepping in between the snakeman and his friends. The gaunt fellow, grinned, revealing series of fangs in both his upper and lower jaw, "you are correct my boy. I serve Gecko Moria, warlord of the sea. And you will be his newest servant. Go forth snakeman and bring this boy to heel!"

Suki and Luffy both stood side by side; darkness and paint,m at the ready, when suddenly the Cerberus shot past the both of them and sank his teeth into Usopp's leg before running off dragging the sniper off as well, "that's it Cerberus! Take him to Dr Hogback", the gaunt man laughed. "I'll deal with these three". A glare of dark confusion descended upon Chopper's face at the mention of Dr Hogback, "You're lying! He's only one of the world's best doctors!" The reindeer yelled, "he's renowned for saving as many lives as there are stars in the sky! He wouldn't stoop to the level of piracy, especially working with a warlord". Snakeman struck out his arms flinging scales at the opponents, before lashing out with a kick sending Suki careening backwards and Luffy coughing on the ground, "I'm telling you the truth little raccoon dog. Dr Hogback is the man that made me and Cerberus here. We're both made from various reanimated corpses. And whilst I do have this power, it's not what you would call a traditional devil fruit... I am Ophiuchus, the snake charmer".

"Gravity fall", Luffy muttered, darkness appearing around him; making everyone start to float upwards towards the surface of the canyon. A sharp pain dug into the captain's side, as he suddenly realised that he had monetarily lifted his gaze from the snakeman. Teeth sank into his side, before letting go as a sword cut through a dark portal and stabbed the responsible one in the neck. "That's a strange power you have boy, I can't seem to understand it", Ophiuchus frowned as he shot forwards holding his trident, grazing the straw hat captains left arm.

"Oh yes, you'll definitely be Master Moria's greatest weapon. Number 900 with such vitality, strength and boundless energy!" The group, and Ophiuchus, now stood on mud ground, having been risen out of the canyon by Luffy's darkness 'gravity fall'. However, now they were now facing another Cerberus, this one marked by the number 84; "guard point", chopper yelled mowing directly into the other three headed dog with a speed he didn't even know he possessed. "Four point shove!" A burst of air pressure from the reindeers hooves hit the dog monster and flung it sideways into a grade of poison ivy. Wowed by the doctors strange new power, Suki dawdled back mixing a new paint; and then flinging it at the moaning Cerberus. "Calming blue, and homecoming green!"

Meanwhile, Luffy brought out a sword coated in darkness and slashed in the direction of Ophiuchus but, annoyingly, the opponent created another snakeman who took the hit instead, before creating another who this time managed to spit venom onto luffy's open wound. "Shit!" Ophiuchus groaned, "Hogbacks gonna be pissed at having to cure a body before he can experiment".

Gripping his aching arm tightly, trying to not succumb to the pain, Luffy took several deep breaths and without realising it he had unconsciously created a black hole on Ophiuchus's chest which was in the process of collapsing the opponent in on himself. Luffy suddenly felt a strange feeling wash over him, as if something strange had just entered his body; slithering up his body and merging with him and then being violently dispelled from his body by means of him vomiting up a vile putrid smelling blue globule. And then he passed out.