Chapter 19- The Quick and The Commander
One Piece © Eiichiro Oda
William Henley, Beau-Père, Fixit, Seventy, Scorcher, Noppera Spark, Neko Beckett, Silvios, Flora, Alice, Wonderland Island and the G-13 Base © HatOnFire/Me
Nami could hear the drawbridge dropping down many yards behind her.
'It's down,' Nami thought, 'Time to get inside.' She came out of hiding for a second to dash to the detention center. 'Hang on, Luffy! I'm coming!'
She ran up to the front of the building and hid behind some barrels, as a guard came out of the doors.
Nami could hear the drawbridge dropping down many yards behind her. Looking from behind the boxes, she saw Commander Beau-Père strolling towards the sole exit from the place.
'He's leaving now,' Nami thought, 'Time to get inside.' She snuck out for a second to quietly move to the entrance of the detention center. 'Hang on, Luffy! I'm coming!'
She placed her back to the wall of the building and took cover behind some barrels, just as a guard came out of the doors.
"Thunder Ball!" Quietly, she used a piece of her Clima-Tact to send out a ball of electricity at the unsuspecting fool, making him collapse.
As she expected, some marines came by and tended to him, along with a few prison guards. Nami took the chance to sneak in through the front door, as no one was guarding it and everyone's attention was diverted. When she got inside, she hid behind the wall next to the doors.
'Okay, I'm in,' She mumbled internally, 'Now, to find Luffy.'
Nami went down a small hallway to see the prison's cafeteria almost empty, with just a few guards and some janitors, cleaning the floors with their mops. She quickly crouched to the level of the tables and crawled under them.
Looking around, she could make out another hallway over to her left, on the other side of this large room.
'Well, I could start by finding the keys to his cell and to his cuffs. More importantly, I need to find out where he is.'
A little bit of slinking and dodging under tables helped Nami to avoid the patrols of guards. She did almost step out in front of one, though. Luckily, he wasn't paying much attention, so she was able to stay hidden for a while longer.
She was almost in the corridor, seeing two marines walking side by side.
Just then, the doors from the entrance flung open. A marine came in with a frantic expression implanted on his face.
"Hey, we got a situation outside!" He shouted, getting the attention of every guard and soldier there.
"What is it?" A guard questioned as the two marines briskly made their way towards the forming group.
'Now's my chance!' Thinking fast, Nami breezed past the two men and snuck into the hallway. She took cover, with the men barely missing a glimpse of her when they turned their heads. They shrugged, believing their ears deceived them, and carried on.
Nami quietly sighed in relief, moving forward. She heard the marine's voice all the way through the hall.
"One of our men's unconscious! We have an intruder, likely inside this complex! Execute lockdown procedures!"
"YESSIR!"
'Well, good to know that this was only the easy part,' The navigator grumbled, 'Time to work my way up, assuming Luffy's up there.'
XXX
Meanwhile, outside the walls...
"Here it is," Silvios whispered, staring at the stronghold, almost in awe. "It's pretty big, for something made by humans."
"Yeah, it's alright," Beckett muttered, tossing a couple of dead marines into the bushes. Each of them had scratch marks on their arms and torsos, with some possessing marks around their necks.
Noppera dragged a killed soldier by his foot with a tentacle arm and threw him into the moat, almost to confirm something. After a few seconds, he signaled his associates to follow.
'It appears that human is correct after all,' He thought, preparing to jump into the water. 'There is a current, but will it lead to an underground complex beneath the detention center?'
"We jumping in the moat, Bell-head?" Silvios questioned, right as the jellyfish fish-man leaped in with a splash.
"Guess that's a yes," Beckett murmured, looking at his bloodstained claws. "At least I'll get to wash this human blood off."
"You're beginning to rely on those weapons," The anglerfish fish-man scoffed, "Just like Spark. A true fish-man warrior would have no need to use them."
"And yet," Beckett smirked, "You're carrying firearms and bladed attachments underneath that jacket."
"This isn't for me, it's for Arlong! Just because I don't use weapons doesn't mean I won't stop others from needing them."
Beckett and Silvios followed Noppera's example, hopping into the water. They felt a current pull them further down, slightly panicking.
"What the hell is this?!" The catfish fish-man tried swimming up to escape the current's grasp, to no avail. He was quickly sucked down into some kind of a large pipe.
The flow of water came out of a wall, launching Silvios and Beckett into cold, steel bars, face-first. They fell on the floor in quick succession, groaning from the pain.
The structure of this part of the prison wasn't exactly complicated. The lights were slightly dim, but you could still see around you. The large cage the fish-men were in had nothing but bars and open gaps, made so water couldn't flood the floor. There were benches and beds strewn all over the place, meant for any prisoner who found their way here. In front of them was an empty desk, along with a few chairs for guards. There weren't any in the room at the moment, however.
"Oh god, that hurts!" Silvios covered his mouth, possibly feeling his jaw hit the bars.
"Be quiet!" Beckett hissed, "The guards will hear!"
"They already have, thanks to you both," Noppera Spark was at the cell door, utilizing a small scalpel as a lockpick to unlock it. "Your commotion will lead them to come here. But that doesn't matter." Hearing a click, he pushed the door open.
"Alright, Bell-head," Silvios got up, "You made us go for a ride, which got us here. Now what?"
"Now," He coldly ushered, putting his scalpel away in his yutaka and unsheathing his swordstick, "I think I'll perform some quick surgery on a few hapless soldiers."
His many tentacle legs carried him over to a door. Beyond it was a few armed guards, and Noppera darted with his intent to murder. The sound of clashing weapons, flesh being punctured, and the screams of men were all that could be heard in the room.
XXX
"So, an intruder got inside the detention center?!" A marine queried, "Then shouldn't we get in there?!"
"The place is officially under lockdown!" Another told, "No one gets in or out! They're trapped, whoever they are!"
"Hey, the drawbridge's going down again!" Someone exclaimed, "What's going on now?"
"Raise the drawbridge!" A marine with binoculars yelled from the roof of the bridge section, "Someone's coming, and it ain't one of ours!"
"What does that mean?"
"Are pirates coming?!"
"Men, stand firm!" The captain of the guard ordered, "We've got intruders incoming!"
"Table Manner Kick Course!" None of the soldiers expected a part of the stone wall to break off from the barrier. Just like none thought a kick from Sanji was all it took to take care of it.
"I'll take care of these guys on the walls!" Sanji told Robin and Chopper, "Can you two do fine alone?"
"Yeah, Sanji!" Chopper nodded, "I can get Franky to throw Usopp up here with you to provide cover fire!"
"Do that!" The cook darted through the halls, out of sight from the pair.
"Cien Fleur: Wing!" Robin jumped off and sprouted multiple arms to create a pair of wings on her back. She held the small doctor to her chest and concentrated on the right time to slow their descent.
They landed on the ground and quickly fled behind a few boxes as the marines began firing on them.
"It's Nico Robin!" The captain yelled, "And the Straw Hat Pirates' pet!"
"I'M NOT A PET!" Chopper angrily flared, shaking his hoof at the marines before ducking for cover.
"Veinte Fleur: Poke!" Robin sprouted twenty arms on the twenty marines that were shooting at them, and they all jabbed their fingers at their eyes. They writhed in pain, distracting them easily.
Chopper ran right at the marines in his Heavy Point form and took swings at them, landing many hits on them.
The other Straw Hats arrived in the base through the drawbridge and went all out on the marines there.
"Oni Giri!" Zoro charged at a cluster of them and knocked them away with his swords.
"Weapons Left!" Franky opened his left hand, unveiling a cannon inside his arm, and fired on some marines. For good measure, he shot at some boxes to draw more on them.
"What the hell!?" The guards that arrived outside the prison questioned, witnessing a feat of strength from these powerhouses.
"Stay inside the prison!" A marine shouted, "We can't let them get close here!"
"Aubade Coup Droit!" Brook sent out a burst of air from his sword to three marines that charged with swords, knocking them back.
"Flame Star!" Usopp fired three flame pellets at those marines to take them out of the fight. They were hit, and their clothes set ablaze.
"AAAGGGHHHHH!" They scrambled along the ground to douse the fire on them.
"Franky! Usopp!" Chopper called out, seeing the sniper take cover behind Franky, as they were getting shot at.
"What is it?!" He asked, hearing bullets ricochet off the cyborg.
"You need to get up to those walls so you can give us cover fire!"
"Wait, me?!" Usopp wouldn't have it, "You suggesting I get thrown up there?!"
"Don't argue!" Franky ordered, "You want Luffy to be saved or not?!"
"You had to say it," The sniper groaned, getting preemptively thrown by Franky up the walls.
"What is that?" A marine stationed up there saw a screaming Usopp collide into him. The result was Usopp landing on the concrete but made the soldier fall off into the moat below.
"Sorry, Charlie!" Usopp called out to him, just for the sake of calming his racing heart.
*BANG!* *BANG!*
"Yikes!" Usopp ducked and ran from the shots of a few marines, heading inside the bridge section. He did return fire by launching a few pellets of gunpowder.
They made contact, knocking them down.
(BGM: Three Towers, One Piece Movie 5: The Cursed Holy Sword)
"HA!" Sanji kicked at four marines, knocking them out. He noticed one charging with a sword in front of him, with another attacking from behind.
"Basses Cote!" The cook slightly hopped, taking them both out at once with his legs in midair.
"Longe!" He leaped to a marine and dodged a point-blank shot by jumping over him. He then kicked his back, sending him down to the water below.
"Tendron!" Next, he sent his foot to strike a seven-foot marine in his collar bone. The tall man grasped his own neck, taking hard breaths.
"Flanchet Shoot!" Sanji sent him flying to the moat with a powerful kick to the stomach. For a moment, he expected to rest, but...
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" About twenty marines came from some ladders below the battlefield and screamed, coming towards him! Sanji could even see that some ladders were being put up behind him, meaning that more will show up!
"Oh, you have got to be shitting m-!"
His attempt to finish that sentence was cut short when a marine got back up, placing his arms around his body and arms, rendering the cook immobile.
"Hey! Hands off!" Sanji managed to kick him in his groin, forcing him to let go. He followed up with a left roundhouse kick to the face, taking him down to the water.
"Alright, who's next?!" He questioned, getting back into his fighting stance.
"Franky!" Robin called, subduing a few marines with her arms. "The ladders!"
"Gotcha!" He responded, taking down a soldier with a punch.
"Weapons Left!" The cyborg let a barrage loose on the marines that attempted to climb up to the walls. Some fell from the height when the ladders were destroyed.
"THIS! IS! SUPER!" He struck his signature pose as cannonballs blew up behind him, due to Zoro cutting them in half.
"QUIT SCREWING AROUND, FRANKY!" He yelled with comical shark teeth.
XXX
Meanwhile, aboard an anchored marine battleship...
*CRASH!* *FWOOSH!*
Henley threw a vial of a purple substance on the rudder, causing it to combust. Soon after, smoke and fire engulfed the small room, where all that was left were strange technological devices.
"That's another one down!" Henley smirked, retreating to the top. "Only three more!"
Another explosion rang out behind him, meaning the devices went out as well.
He jumped up to the ceiling, looking down on a few marines that ran to the engine room.
"What happened?!" A marine questioned, almost sounding out of his wits.
"The engine room!" Another looked inside, slightly inhaling some smoke. He coughed a bit before moving a few steps away. "The back-up engines must've malfunctioned!"
"But how?! Lieutenant Fixit's the chief mechanic!"
"We need to put the fire out!" One of the marines grabbed a fire extinguisher, "We'll think about this later!"
'That's right, boys,' Henley thought, sneaking out of the hall. 'Focus on that right now.'
He quietly climbed up to the deck and crawled down to the side of the battleship. There, he squeezed inside one of the cannons, hearing the commotion up top.
A short while later, all of the marines aboard were standing at attention in large clusters. The chief petty officer stood in front of, eying his men closely.
"Status report!" He ordered, "What's the damage?"
"Sir!" One man stepped forward, saluting. "The rudder was destroyed along with the back-up engines. It appears to be the result of sabotage."
"Sabotage?" The chief pondered, "How is that possible?"
"It's rather simple," Beau-Père came up to the ship, getting all the men to look at him. "The engines and the rudder were targeted for one reason. This was a calculated assault."
"It was, Commander Beau-Père?"
"These engines have had problems in the past, yes," He explained, "But with Fixit as the new mechanic, I don't believe that they just could up and explode. Also, the G-13 Base has been infiltrated by pirates!"
"Seriously?!" Every marine yelled in shock.
"I can hear explosions and gunshots from the stronghold. I'll send some men to take care of it, but I need all of you to do something else."
"Sir!" A short, big-nosed marine called out from the docking bay. "One of our ships had a fire in the engine room!"
"Same over here, helmsman," The commander stated, then looked back to the man next to him. "Chief petty officer?"
"Right here, sir!" A marine with a square chin saluted.
"Gather some of your men to patrol the island for the pirates' ship. It may be anchored along the beachside of this place, so look hard and seize it. Don't destroy it. Have your highest-ranking subordinates guard the rest of the ships, along with the men you don't take with you. Our saboteur is far from done. Understood?"
"Yessir!" Everyone saluted and got their orders. Beau-Père walked to the front of the ship and pulled out a Baby Transponder Snail.
"Yes, Fixit?"
"Sir, the base is under attack!" He exclaimed.
"I know," He flatly answered, "It sounds like the kind of party the Straw Hats would be in."
"Sir, you should come inside the base and help us fight!" Fixit beckoned, "Before they get to their captain!"
"Possibly a little late for that, but you don't sound to be in immediate danger yet."
"Maybe not, sir, but-"
"You have been trained for this kind of battle, Fixit," Beau-Père shut down the mechanic, "I have faith in your abilities."
"S-Sir..."
"Get Scorcher to burn the drawbridge the first chance he gets. Even if you don't succeed, we only need to distract and outlast them until they exhaust themselves. After all, these pirates have shown how much they care about their captain."
'And I can see two results,' He pondered, 'Either they are simply captured like Captain Monkey, or they are rallied by the captain, who comes to see his crew fighting for him. Whatever the case, it's the best that I can think of...'
"Alright, sir!" Fixit piped up, "We'll await you to arrive!"
"I wonder if I should," Beau-Père sighed as the other line went dead, "Would she even recognize me? She was only a baby when I saw her..."
Henley took the chance to exit the cannon he hid in and shimmy along the side of the battleship, with the marines failing to notice him due to the dim lights. He hopped to the front of the ship, behind the commander, and cleared his throat.
"Hello, Beau-Père," Henley spoke up, getting his attention.
"Oh, Henley," Beau-Père smiled, knowing full well that he was responsible for sabotaging the rudders. He looked back to face him. "You haven't lost your touch."
"Neither have you, geezer," Henley chuckled, "You must've seen me coming a mile away."
"Well, I figured you would show up. I guess you wanted to speak to me face-to-face?"
"Yeah, sort of..." Henley frowned, "But not under this kind of circumstance."
"Indeed," The commander couldn't help but sigh, "But still, it's been at least a year, maybe two? It looks like you've changed."
"No, I haven't. I'm still the same as before, you know."
"Really? I wonder..."
"Well," The redhead rubbed his head, "I'm a little surprised you came out with the drawbridge. I was half-expecting you to just leap over the gate."
"So you arranged for me to arrive outside, evening the playing field for the Straw Hats?"
"Yep. Well, I have time to catch up, but soon, I'll get back to breaking the other rudders."
"You could, but I can't let you do that."
"So... We fight?"
"Nah," Beau-Père dismissed that notion, "Not up for it yet. Besides, your new friends are going to be indisposed for a while, aren't they?"
"What do you mean?" Henley queried, not liking where this is going.
"Right now, my men are taking on the pirates, and whether they succeed or not is up to how well they manage. But besides that, I've arranged for the drawbridge to be destroyed, effectively trapping the Straw Hat Pirates in the base."
"Oh boy," Henley facepalmed, "That's the only way to get into the base without superpowers, huh?"
"Yes, unless you resort to sticking to walls, which I'm sure you did."
"Well," The half-breed shrugged, "How else was I supposed to sneak some of them in?"
"I also know that some of those pirates can't swim," The commander began to point out, "So, if anything goes wrong, they can rely on each other to carry them over the moat water. But I don't think they'll get very far."
"How come?"
"The moat's at least 200 feet deep. Below, there is a mechanism that creates a manmade current, compliments of Fixit."
"A current creating mechanism? You're telling me the mechanic made a device that can cause currents?"
"Yep. Anyone who enters the moat will be sucked into the deep water, dragged down to the bottom level. They will be guided by a current and taken through the sewer system, ultimately finding themselves in a damp, underground cell. It may be where they will spend the rest of their sentence, assuming this isn't their seventh and final offense."
Henley was stunned, hearing the intricate system Beau-Père described.
"That..." He tried to speak, "That would discourage anyone from escaping from this place, wouldn't it?"
"But that's assuming I don't stop them from leaving myself," Beau-Père beamed, "And if you're worried that the pressure damaging any escapees, or about them drowning, don't worry. They'll be moving so fast, they won't have time to worry about dying. Besides, the pressure won't be strong enough to cause permanent damage to their bodies."
"So... You thought of a way to prevent escapes without killing them."
"Yep! Now then, how about we talk? For old times' sake..." Beau-Père leaned against the railing of the ship, relaxing. Henley, on the other hand, jumped to the railing, planting his feet and hands there.
"Well, I wouldn't call one or two years of us not seeing each other old times, per se... But who cares? How's it been?"
"To be honest, it could be better..."
"How come?" The redhead questioned, quirking an eyebrow.
"Well, remember the woman I told you about in a few stories?"
"Uhh, yeah, what was her name?"
"Belle-Mère," The commander responded, "That's her name."
"Right. She was your sister. What happened?"
Beau-Père went quiet for a second, feeling terrible about bringing the subject up.
"W-Well," He explained, "The thing is, she's dead."
"Really?" Henley whispered, surprised by the sudden news. He put a hand on Beau-Père's shoulder, worried that the commander would do something stupid. "Sir, I'm really s-"
"Don't do that, Henley. It's alright. I only found out a few months ago. This was beyond your control."
'Maybe this one was,' The half-breed parted his eyes, looking back on his actions. 'But the rest wasn't.' He let his hand go of the commander.
"The only consolation I have," Beau-Père continued, "Is that her murderer won't be walking away like this."
"What do you mean?"
"Her killer is in this prison. And I won't let him leave."
"And his name is...?"
"Does it matter?" Beau-Père scoffed, glaring at Henley.
"I-I guess not. Sorry I asked."
"I'm sorry for yelling at you, kid. It's just... I really hate this guy."
"Well," Henley scratched his head, "It's not like you aren't justified."
"It doesn't make a difference. Justice has been served. Anyway, I take it you met 'Cat Burglar' Nami?"
"Yes, I have. Though, I don't think she likes me. I have that effect on a lot of people."
"That you do," Beau-Père slightly chuckled, "But what's the difference?"
Henley nodded, and then looked directly at the commander.
"What's with that question?" He queried, "Why did you bring up Nami?"
Beau-Père rubbed his face, almost anxious to say something.
"Well, my sister... I once said that she had two adopted daughters, yeah?"
"I... Think so?" Henley wasn't sure if that was brought up, but it was a while since they both talked about Belle-Mère.
"One of them... is Nami."
"Wait, really?" Henley was a little shocked, but it almost felt like he knew.
"Yes, and um... I don't think I can speak to her without causing an enormous headache to her."
"Yeesh, that sucks."
"You snuck her inside the detention center, didn't you?"
"Huh?" Henley blinked, "What?"
"You intend to have her break her captain out, don't you?"
"If you think I'm going to let you get in the way..."
"Listen," Beau-Père pleaded, "I'm not going to stop her. But, just so I know I don't have to worry, I want to test her skills."
"What? You're kidding, right?"
"If she can handle herself, then she can walk with 'Straw Hat' Luffy. If she can't..."
"Commander, you know you're frickin' powerful! There's no way she can outlast you!"
"Well, if she can land some hits on me, then that's good enough."
"But how do I know you won't arrest her, too?!"
"You don't want me to arrest the entire crew? Then you better hustle. I'll give her thirty minutes against me. Maybe more."
"Thirty minutes?" Henley just looked at Beau-Père slack-jawed.
"Plenty of time for you to get rid of all the rudders and come back in to help her save the captain. You make for a good deus ex machina."
"W-" Henley threw his arms around, extremely confused. "What does that even-?!"
"Really, Henley, this isn't hard to understand!"
"Why can't you just tell her?! She has a right to know, don't you think?!"
"She'll hate me for not being there for her..." Beau-Père flatly stated.
"For a little bit, but when she sees your reports, your incidents, she'll understand! She knows what it's like to have the odds stacked against you! I feel the same right now!"
"What do you mean?" It was the commander's turn to be confused, "Haven't you been doing well on Wonderland Island?"
"Well, no," Henley began, "Here's the short version. I lost some of my memories and felt crappy. Also, Flora got sick from something and the worst-case is she could die. So, I left Alice to look after her while I-"
"YOU DID WHAT!?" Beau-Père shouted, going from concerned to angry in a millisecond. "YOU LEFT HER BEHIND?!"
"Hang on a second!" Henley raised a finger, jumping to the floorboards. "I figured out how to create an antidote from examining her condition and watching her for a few weeks! But I needed to create a better one because the hundreds I made only last for so long! I needed a permanent, working antidote!"
"So you left them to find a cure?"
"I left them a note, and I promised I'd be back soon."
"And how long was it since you left?"
"...Around seven or eight months."
"WHAT?!" Beau-Père became livid, and he gave Henley a severe kick to his chest. "YOU LEFT THEM FOR THAT LONG?!"
"OWWW!" Henley screamed, writhing for a second. "I was always going to come back!
"Henley, for all your genius, you can be an idiot sometimes!"
"I know! I'm a piece of shit, alright?! But it's fine! It's not like I don't deserve everything karma throws my way!"
"You realize this is going to put your relationship with them in jeopardy, right?" The commander questioned, "Those two are your only friends!"
"Well, Flora's my girlfriend now!" Henley huffed, sighing after he considered the statement. "More like was. After this, I doubt it'll be much longer."
"If she's your girlfriend, this will hurt her even more," Beau-Père crossed his arms, "She and Alice might believe you to be dead."
"No, they'll stay informed. News of my encounters with other pirates must've reached them. After all, my name's becoming known."
"You're a wanted man."
"I've been a wanted kid since fourteen."
"Flora and Alice won't like that. Besides, you left them without saying goodbye in person. Aren't you concerned they might hate you for this?"
"Well, if they hate me, fine! As long as Flora lives after this, all that will be worth it! I don't need to be forgiven!"
"Henley, you could use some forgiveness," Beau-Père shook his head, "You're not a monster."
'Tell that to the people of Wonderland Island,' He thought to himself, 'But it's my fault she's sick. Just like it's my fault now.'
"Henley?"
"Spare me your sympathy speech, sir," The half-breed spoke up, "I've got the antidote. I'll solve this problem myself, but first... Your rudders need some redecorating."
"Alright," Beau-Père sighed, "Just remember to arrive at the top floor in thirty or so minutes. It's where Luffy is, and soon, where Nami'll be."
"Well, we have our roles," Henley spawned four spider legs from his back, "Time to play it out."
"It was nice to see you again, Henley," Beau-Père smiled, making the redhead reply in kind.
"Moonwalk Jumping Spider!"
And just like that, Henley took off, leaping on thin air and getting aboard the next battleship.
Beau-Père looked at the G-13 Base from where he stood, able to hear what was going in with his ears.
"And my men have joined the fight," He said to no one in particular, "I should head back and meet your daughter, Belle-Mère."
XXX
Meanwhile, back at the base...
"Exploding Star!"
Another marine was knocked out to the tune of gunpowder exploding on him.
"Whew!" Usopp wiped his forehead, looking on as Sanji kicked two of them to the floor. "We are doing good!"
"We can't rest yet, Usopp!" Sanji called out, "This won't be the last wave we have to fight!"
"You're right in that assessment, 'Black Leg' Sanji!" A husky, garbled voice shouted, coming from below.
A trapdoor embedded in the stone suddenly opened up, and out came Seventy, armed with a large bazooka with a sniper rifle strapped around his back.
"Sanji, get away from him!" Usopp cried, but it was no use.
(BGM: A Grand Battle, One Piece Film Z)
"Gustaf Shot: Net!" Seventy fired at point-blank, covering Sanji in a net. He struggled to get out, but Seventy grabbed him by his shirt with his free hand.
"Small Game Throw!" He threw the cook far back, and he scraped on the stone.
"Let me get you out!" Usopp grabbed a sword at his feet and tore the net up.
"Really?" Seventy muttered, "I was hoping for a heavier foe, not some lightweight punks."
"I'll show you little," Sanji shook off the pieces of the net and dashed towards his opponent, "When I break that neck of yours!"
The stocky marine laughed a storm, up until he fiddled with something in his bazooka and fired again.
"Gustaf Shot: Cannonball!" A louder shot rang out with a small black ball speeding at the cook, who kicked it away with ease.
"Believe me, blondie," He said, "You don't want to fight me when I'm not wearing this thing!"
"Good luck, Sanji!" Usopp cheered from his hiding place, "I'll be your emotional support!"
"What?!" The cook yelled in shock and anger, "You're helping me kick this guy's ass, with or without cover, got it?!"
"Hmph," Seventy scoffed, "If these boys fight as well as they pay attention, then this should be a cinch."
Down on the ground, Brook and Zoro defeated a squad of marines with their swords. They saw the action that was going on above them.
"Zoro, are you seeing-?!" Brook shouted, only to get cut off by Zoro, no pun intended.
"I am!" He impatiently muttered, "Dammit! You can't trust anybody but yourself to do something right!"
"Mr. Roronoa Zoro!" The musician chided, sheathing his sword and taking down three marines that charged at him from behind. "Don't talk about your fellow man like that! We've expected those strong men to come out and fight!"
"Shut the fuck up, Brook!" Zoro lost his temper and created a heavy slash with a swing of his swords, bringing down ten who tried to shoot him with guns. "You don't know what this means to me if we lose!"
"Yes, I do! I've experienced the worst-case scenario, you haven't!"
Zoro caught his breath for a second, looking back at the skeleton man with regret for his attitude, who came walking towards him. His mind flashed back to what Luffy said when he shared his dream to him.
"The World's Greatest Swordsman, huh?" Luffy smiled, "The Pirate King can't settle for less than that!"
"I failed my captain, in more ways than one...!" Zoro hung his head down, remembering his fight with Kuma. "I just can't... won't let it happen again!"
"It may already be too late for second chances," Fixit's monotone voice shattered Zoro's thoughts when he appeared, swinging his tonfas around. "So, you're Roronoa Zoro?"
"The one and only," Zoro replied, "If you're all I have to face, then Luffy won't have to wait for long!"
He began charging straight at the mechanic with his swords, intent on splitting him in half, if he could.
"Oni Giri!" But Fixit voluntarily slunk to the ground, evading the strike.
"Open Hood!" He then performed a double uppercut with the batons, hitting Zoro's chin and sending him a few steps away. He was caught by Brook.
"We'll fight him together, Mr. Zoro," Brook reassured, pulling his sword back out. "And worry not, we won't lose."
"Running, running, running, running, running...!" Scorcher muttered a mantra as if it would help him move faster. His sights were set on Franky, who was firing on a few men.
"Quick Match!" He took the cyborg off guard when he appeared in front of him and struck him in the chest with his fists, pushing him back.
"Hey!" He shouted on reflex, "What was that?!"
"A quick attack, walking refrigerator!" Scorcher grinned, taking a jab at him. "And I think they have more common sense than you!"
"Here we go..." Franky sighed, ignoring the insult and raising his forearms up. "Gotta knock this guy down so he doesn't cause trouble for us."
"You want some help?" Chopper asked, entering back into Heavy Point.
"Sure! This guy doesn't look so tough!"
"Don't say that about me!" Scorcher readied his shoulder cannons, flicking a few switches on the sides. "I haven't shown you what I can do yet!"
"Chopper! Franky!" Robin began to remind while she had multiple arms hold down a few soldiers, "Don't underestimate him!"
"Mons Meg: Ash Cloud!" The cannons shot out a thick, black cloud of ash, covering the targets in it. "Unhealthy, isn't it?"
'It won't matter if I lose this fight!' He thought to himself as the smoke cleared, and he took the chance to kick a small Chopper to the stone wall and punch Franky in the face.
'Even if these suckers can hold their own against us...!' Seventy mused as he blocked Sanji's kicks with his bazooka.
'We need only to delay them!' Fixit pressed his baton against Zoro's swords while defending against Brook's cane sword.
'When the drawbridge is destroyed,' They all finished their thoughts in unison as the drawbridge could be seen at the entrance, 'THEY WILL BE TRAPPED!'
TO BE CONTINUED...