"Go go go go go go go!"
The dinky little raft that constituted the Straw Hat Pirates' ship moved at such speed that the bow didn't even touch the water. Nami had put her spinning hand-propeller to use once more, while Usopp and Chopper were busy screaming in terror and holding each other. The source of their fear came from the island that they had just left, the next stop after their departure from Orange Town. Specifically, it came from the person they met there.
"I thought you said this island was uninhabited!" Usopp whined, clutching his small furry navigator in a panic.
"It thought it was! I'd never heard about any giants living there before now!"
Said giant towered over the forest on the island as he watched the pirates flee, letting out a mighty roar that shook the ground and created waves in the surrounding sea. Standing at over 60 meters in height, the giant had yellow skin, long orange hair and a pair of tusks protruding from his lower jaw, and wielded a massive sword that seemed mostly redundant given that his size was more than deadly enough of a weapon. This was the figure known as the Guardian of the Island of Rare Animals!
Once the giant was out of sight (which took a while, given his tremendous size) Nami let out a sigh of relief and shut off the propeller. She flopped onto her back, quivering as her robot arm went completely limp.
"I'm sowwyyyyy" Chopper sniffed as a stream of globby tears poured from the mink's eyes. "You relied on me to navigate, and the first place I led you to had a giant scary… giant!"
Nami sighed as she sat up, gently patting Chopper on the head to calm the tearful boy down.
"Don't worry about it" she reassured him. "You got us where we were aiming to go. It's better than Usopp ever managed to do."
"You didn't do it either…" Usopp commented with a low grumble, lazily letting his hand trail along the surface of the sea.
"Well, in any case..." Nami said as she stood up, pulling up her straw hat to shield her eyes from the sun as she surveyed the horizon. "We clearly won't be getting any supplies from that island. We'll just have to move on to. Chopper, what's the nearest island?"
"Ack! My poor stomach… I'm going to starve at this rate" Usopp whined overdramatically. "To have the legend of Usopp, brave warrior of the sea, end with a shriveled sunburnt corpse in a dinghy... gack."
Usopp went limp, hanging halfway over the side of the boat with his tongue sticking out. Chopper immediately started freaking out again, while Nami just sighed and rubbed her forehead.
"You're welcome to go back and get some food there…"
That suggestion immediately made Usopp sit up straight.
"You know, starvation really isn't that bad of a way to go. In fact, I hear it's one of the best ways to die" the long-nosed fighter nervously chuckled, as Chopper was amazed at his rapid recovery from near-death.
"Of course" Nami nodded, knowing better than to try to question or argue this point. "Well, Chopper? Got any suggestions for where we go next?"
Chopper went back to his little stack of maps and navigational tools, checking them for a few seconds before replying.
"It seems like Gecko Islands are the closest right now. Should only take a few hours to get there, actually."
"Then that's where we'll go next" Nami smiled, doing a brave adventurous pose with her fists on her hips as she stared off to the horizon. This was interrupted by a rather loud grumble coming from Nami's stomach, followed by her collapsing face-down ass-up. "Uuuugh… I'm hungry too."
Usopp grunted as he pushed the boat further up the beach, securing it from being taken by the waves. Meanwhile Chopper was studying the map a bit more as Nami did a quick surveying of the beach. The beach they had landed at was at the bottom of two small cliffs, with a single path going up to a forest at the top of the cliffs. But the thing that drew Nami's attention the most was a colorful box in the middle of the path.
"Hm… wonder what that weird box is" Nami pondered aloud. There weren't any buildings, signs or other things that would give a reason for the box to be there, and the peculiar tacky design only made it more curious.
As if on cue, the stomachs of all three Straw Hats grumbled in chorus.
"Maybe there's food in there…" Nami suggested hopefully, before all three ran over to investigate the box.
Now that they were closer they could make out the box's design better. It was a square box 40 centimetres each way, with dark red sides and cyan edges. In the middle of each side was a picture of a blue star, and sticking out of one of the sides was a crank with a dark red handle. The size
"Doesn't look like it would have any food… is it really ok if we open it?" Chopper asked pensively, tilting his head as he looked at the crank.
"Of course it is!" Nami grinned. "We're pirates after all~"
She leaned in to open the box… when it suddenly flung open all on its own! And out of the top emerged a strange figure. Or rather, the head of one, with a body that seemingly consisted of a spring covered by cyan-and-blue star-patterned felt. The head itself was built to include both a hat and a face. The hat part had three prongs, one straight up and two diagonally to each side. The hat and head were orange, while a grey face with bushy yellow eyebrows had been put in the middle of the head shape.
Having a weird jack-in-the-box suddenly pop out on a deserted beach would be enough to startle anyone. Having that same jack-in-the-box then start talking did nothing to soothe that fear.
"YOOOOOOO! A SUUUPER welcome to-" was all the talking toy got out before a metal fist decked him in the face. The impact knocked the head backwards, pulling its spring body along with it and making the box fall over.
"Hurt it! Hurt it with violence before it can hurt us!" Usopp yelled, him and Chopper both hiding behind an equally freaked out Nami. All three pirates stared at the downed jack-in-the-box with wide open eyes, nobody moving a muscle.
"Is he… dead?" Chopper asked nervously. As soon as he finished that sentence though, the jack-in-the-box pushed the back of its head against the sandy beach with enough force to knock the box right side up.
"Ain't no way a single punch won't not never take me down, not at all!" the toy declared, in a tone that indicated he'd be grinning if he could move his face. "I've been especially durable this week! I could take at least… 37 more of those."
"Stop jumping out at people, or we'll test that!" Nami yelled angrily at the stranger, who just casually bopped his head from side to side.
"I'm a jack-in-the-box, right? So I gotta do what a jack-in-the-box does!" he stated bluntly, like he was explaining something incredibly obvious to a five-year old.
"Uhm… who are you, exactly?" Chopper asked, still hiding behind Nami. However, he was hiding with only half his face behind her leg and the rest of his body peeking out.
"Who am I? Who's this handsome toy?" he said almost rhythmically, doing his best to dance with his spring-based body. "It's the SUPER raddest, baddest, gladdest dude who makes his enemies the saddest! Iiiiiit's… FRANKY! And since I'm a jack-in-the-box… I'm Franky-n-the-box!"
"I am not calling you that" Nami said harshly with a cold glare in her eyes.
"Franky-n-the-box…" Usopp and Chopper said in chorus, nodding understandingly.
After everybody properly calmed down and made introductions, Franky led the trio of pirates further into the island. Since they needed supplies they were going to stock up at the only settlement on the island: Syrup Village. Franky himself proved to have the ability to move around by making his box hop forward, getting a surprising amount of speed for somebody with no limbs.
"It's riiiight past these couple of trees here" Franky stated, lightly panting from his rather exhausting way of travel.
"Great… I'm absolutely starving" Nami groaned, rubbing her painfully empty stomach. "And we really need to get a better ship… that dinghy sprang three leaks on the way here."
"I just hope there aren't any more of those toys there" Usopp whispered to Chopper and Nami, not loudly enough for Franky to hear. "Talking toys are in at least two thirds of the horror novels I've read! And those never end well for the incredibly attractive one that all the girls fawn over!"
"So you'll be fine then" Nami shrugged, clearly not concerned at all.
"Why are you so mean…?" Usopp whined with comical tears flowing from his eyes.
"Alright, here we are! Oh whoops…" Franky suddenly exclaimed, just as he fell over. The 'whoops' sounded incredibly forced, as did his fall and apparent inability to get up. "Oh woe is me! I've fallen, and I can't get up! I sure hope you guys don't start reading things or turning back or anything…"
Confused, the Straw Hats took a closer look ahead. Syrup Village was visible, as were its inhabitants… toys. Dolls, tin soldiers, plushies, nutcrackers… all wandering around, acting as if everything was fine. Meanwhile, the three also spotted a sign pinned to a nearby tree. The sign only contained one word, written in a dark red gooey substance: RUN!
"And that's my cue to leave" Usopp stated with a grin before sprinting back the way he came while screaming. Chopper, startled by Usopp's screaming and running, also started screaming. He dove to hide in a bush… but only the top half of his head actually touched the bush. The rest was cowering right out in the open. Meanwhile, Franky spoke in the most disinterested tone imaginable while only making the barest amount of effort to stand up.
"No wait. Stop. Don't. Come back."
Too hungry to lose her temper, a defeated Nami calmly picked up Franky and Chopper and started heading back towards the beach. However, Usopp suddenly came running back, skidding to a halt in front of Nami.
"There's more toys at the beach! Also our boat is on fire now" he explained nervously to a stone-faced Nami. All three Straw Hat Pirates slowly looked down at Franky's head dangling out of the box Nami was carrying.
"...what are you looking at me for?"
Deeper into the forest, out of view of anyone coming up the path between the beach and the village, Nami tossed Franky to the ground against a tree. Usopp and Chopper stood on each side to surround him, arms crossed and eyebrows raised.
"Ok, listen. You have a LOT to explain right now" Nami angrily declared, glaring down at the jack-in-the-box.
"Can't" Franky said in a soft tone, calmly pushing himself into what would for him be considered a standing position. "I can lead you to the town though. If you're wondering about the directions. It's over there."
"What do you mean you can't?!" Nami asked through grit teeth, barely restraining herself from punching the unhelpful toy.
"All I can do is lead you to the town. Not my fault you got all scared by the very inconspicuous sign I made."
Nami started trembling in frustration, Usopp and Chopper both taking a step away from her just to be safe. But before her anger erupted, she suddenly took a deep breath and seemingly calmed down completely.
"But what if we go AFTER you explain what's going on?" she asked kindly, leaning forwards with a sickly sweet smile. The "Or else I'll rip you out of your box and stomp on you"-part was merely implied.
"Then I'll gladly tell you everything" Franky exclaimed, in a tone indicating he'd be grinning if he could. "So, here's the deal: I'm not actually a jack-in-the-box. I am now, but I was transformed! By some evil pirate that arrived a couple of weeks ago, along with her gang of cronies."
"And you didn't warn us about this because…?"
"Because I literally can't disobey any order she gives me. I guess whatever's transforming me into a toy is also making me have to do what she says… speaking of, she told me to bring people into the town so she could turn them into toys as well. Wanna go to the town?"
The Straw Hat Pirates turned away from Franky to discuss amongst themselves, Usopp and Nami leaning down so Chopper wouldn't be left out.
"Can we trust him?" "More importantly, should we even care? I don't want to be turned into a toy-slave, and this whole place gives me the creeps!" "Well, we don't have a choice. Our boat is already guarded by… toys, and while we might be able to deal with teddy bears we can't really beat up our lack of food and water. We NEED to get supplies here, and I doubt the pirate who transformed an entire town into slaves is gonna be very generous to visitors." "Besides, we can't abandon Franky-n-the-box!" "...the guy who tried to hand us over to an evil slaver?" "It wasn't his fault!" "Yeah, it wasn't my fault!"
Nami, Usopp and Chopper cried out and jumped back as they realized Franky had literally shoved his head into their discussion.
"Ok, fine. We'll help you deal with whoever did this" Nami told Franky. "Out of the purity of our hearts~"
Chopper's eyes sparkled in wonderment of Nami's kindness, while a more skeptical Usopp counted to three on his fingers. On the count of three…
"And because you'll give us a big reward for freeing your town, right?" Nami added, leaning in with a wide grin.
"Sure! You like cola, right?"
"So that's the mansion she's hiding out at?"
The Straw Hats and Franky were hiding inside some bushes, spying on a white-painted mansion overlooking the town. Various human thugs were wandering around outside, all armed.
"Yep! And it's technically part of the town, so I'm still doing my job!" Franky beamed.
"So, who is really this toy-making pirate captain?" Nami asked as she stroked her chin, scanning the area and planning a stealthy approach.
"Well, when she arrived she was this green-haired woman with a red cape and polka-dotted dress. Now she's the same but smaller."
"...what do you mean smaller?"
"She went from being like twenty to being ten. Kinda weird now that I think about it" Franky replied, tilting his head a bit as he thought about it. "Anyways, I'm not gonna let you three fight all those guys on your own. See, while I have to obey the pirate and all, she didn't tell me NOT to set up a bunch of cannons to launch explosives at her and her crew…"
Franky hopped over to an abnormally large bush and bumped into it, causing all the leaves to fall off and reveal an intricate contraption of multiple cannons bolted together. Chopper and Usopp both squealed in excitement at the sight of the manly display of firepower, while Nami had a decidedly less enthusiastic reaction.
"Ok, I was actually thinking-" "SHOOT IT SHOOT IT SHOOT IT SHOOT IT!"
The poor orange-haired pirate grit her teeth and pushes her cheering crewmates aside, not wanting to give up on her stealthy approach.
"Hold on! I say-"
Once again Nami was interrupted, this time by Franky.
"Sorry, it's three-to-one" the jack-in-the-box verbally shrugged, to which Usopp and Chopper excitedly nodded.
"Captain has veto power!" Nami demanded, stomping her foot and clutching her fists. Franky just stared at her for a while, before headbutting the cannon-fusion and causing it to fire.
"You're not my captain" he stated bluntly, as explosions rocked the mansion and sent guards flying. "Anyways, good luck! They're probably gonna head this way and kill on sight, so try not to let them do that."
Nami delivered a swift punch to Franky before turning to face the mansion, axe in hand.
"We promise to help, and this is how you repay us? Urgh, whatever. Come on guys."
The Straw Hats rushed out of the bushes while the mansion guards were distracted by the chaos, Franky staying behind to prepare another salvo of cannon blasts. Chopper's short legs were causing him to lag behind, while the weight of her massive battleaxe didn't seem to slow Nami down at all.
"Oh, yeah" Franky suddenly called out from his hiding spot. "Remember to watch out for the two super-strong Playmates!"
Usopp's eyes widened at these news, and all three Straw Hats turned their heads briefly to look back at Franky.
"Wait, super-strong Playmates?! You didn't say anything about-"
Usopp was interrupted by a loud impact in front of him. A man had leaped out from the smoke cloud left behind by the explosions, delivering a mighty kick straight into Nami's face. The captain was knocked back by the kick and ended up sliding along the ground with the man standing on her like a skateboard! While he did so, he aimed a huge bazooka resting on his shoulder on Chopper and pressed the trigger, a blast of blue-and-white flames surging out to engulf the mink. Usopp was so taken aback by the sudden arrival that he failed to notice the second man stepping out of the rubble. He did notice when the man swung a metal bat right into Usopp's face, launching the long-nosed fighter backwards.
Franky stared blankly at the events unfolding, quickly realizing that a stealthier approach might have been viable. As things calmed down, a third person slowly walked into view as the cloud of dust and debris dissipated. A young girl with a red bear-cape and white polka-dotted dress, the very same Franky had warned the Straw Hats about. Captain Sugar of the Playtime Pirates. In one hand she held a bowl of grapes, in the other a damaged stuffed doll. She lazily looked over the battlefield through a monocle resembling an eyepatch, before settling her gaze on the Straw Hat Pirates.
"They're the ones who blew up my mansion?" she asked calmly, as the doll in her hand slowly looked up.
"Most likely, yes" the man standing atop Nami nodded. A tall, muscular man wearing little but a brown grass skirt. Tattoos adorned his left side and a pair of white wings sprouted from his back. His hair was shaved into a mohawk with a very long segmented ponytail trailing behind him. Wyper, a rough and violent enforcer with deadly efficiency, and one of the two Playmates.
"Yyyeeeaaahhh… ppprrrooobbbaaabbblllyyy…" the second man confirmed after very slowly turning his head to face Sugar. This one towered over everyone else in the area, and had a very big egg-shaped body covered by a green shirt. His relatively small head looked even smaller due to the presence of a big orange scarf. Despite his incredibly slow speed, Babe is the second Playmate, the Playtime Pirates' strongest members.
"Kill them" Sugar stated simply as she turned to walk back into the mansion.
"Sssuuurrree b-" "Understood." "-bbooosss… III'lll gggeeettt rrriiigggh-" "JUST HIT HIM ALREADY!"
Babe started slowly lumbering towards the immobile Usopp to finish the job. The long-nosed pirate's face was already bloodied from the first hit from Babe's metal bat, which was now raised up high to deliver the fatal blow… as soon as the huge man made his way over there, of course.
Wyper readjusted the cigarello in his mouth as he aimed his huge bazooka down at Nami, who he was still standing on. However, before he could the trigger he felt cold metal clasp hard around his ankle. Next thing he knew he slammed back-first into the ground, sending up dirt and grass around him. Nami had swung him down by the ankle, and used the leverage and momentum of the swing to propel herself into the air and flip over to punch Wyper while he was down. Wyper grunted through grit teeth as Nami's fist collided with his chest, and he quickly retaliated with a kick from his one free leg that sent Nami tumbling off him.
Babe noticed the commotion and slowly turned his head to look at it, arm still raised to bring his bat down on a seemingly unconscious Usopp. The smaller pirate looked like he had already been defeated with a single blow, but upon Babe being distracted this was revealed to be nothing but a ruse. With incredible speed he launched himself up off the ground and swung his hammer into Babe's massive belly, his muscles visibly tensing with the effort put into it.
"Special Technique! M-Usopp Possum!"
Babe's entire body arched from the blow, his eyes bulging and mouth wide open. However, his feet still remained right where they were and he quickly returned to an upright stance. A bead of sweat made its way down Usopp's brow. His sneak attack had not been enough to take Babe down, and now he was left alone right in front of the over 2 meter tall mountain of a man. Usopp clutched his hammer, standing completely still as he gauged Babe's reaction. How should he proceed? A million outcomes flowed through Usopp's mind, when suddenly he saw Babe slowly open his mouth.
"Oooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuc-"
"Ok, this is gonna take a while. I got enough time to hit him again!" Usopp thought to himself. He grabbed the handle with both hands and held it over his shoulder as he prepared to strike again… when he suddenly noticed something in the corner of his eye. Something fast. He lunged to the side, narrowly avoiding Babe's bat swinging by him with uncharacteristic speed. Despite his slow everything else, Babe's attacks were incredibly fast! Usopp had barely recovered from his initial dodge when another swing came his way, forcing him to throw himself backwards to avoid getting his skull cracked. The heavy metal bat passed mere millimetres from the tip of Usopp's nose, but he luckily ended up outside of Babe's range, giving him a bit to recover while the larger man slowly trudged his way over to him.
Nami pushed herself up on one knee, gritting her teeth as Wyper did the same. She glanced a bit sideways over at Chopper to make sure he was ok, and while he was still smoking from being blasted by the bazooka, he was standing up with a determined look in his eyes. With the mink's status confirmed, Nami could focus entirely on fighting Wyper. Neither of them had their weapons at the moment, Nami's axe laying where Wyper had first kicked her, and the bazooka resting on the ground behind Wyper. Even still, he hesitated in grabbing it. That would provide a momentary distraction that Nami could use to close the gap. The two ended up staring intensely at each other, waiting for the other to make a move.
Wyper's eyes widened as he suddenly heard the light rustling of grass behind him. It was quiet, as if made by someone trying to be sneaky. His head whipped around to see Chopper try to grab the discarded bazooka. The tiny mink let out a frightened eep as he saw Wyper's glare shoot back at him, but before either of them could do anything Nami made her move. She bolted towards Wyper, taking advantage of his momentary distraction to launch an attack. Wyper's arms came up to block just as Nami's knee was about to slam into his face, the momentum and force sending both of them sailing over Chopper. During their tumbling landing they traded several quick blows, ending with Wyper landing a powerful punch to Nami's face that knocked her away.
Meanwhile, Usopp was slowly walking backwards, as Babe chased just as slowly. The large man had his bat poised to strike, but due to his slow walking speed he couldn't actually get into range to hit Usopp.
"Hhheeeyyy… nnnooo fffaaaiiirrr..." he complained, as Usopp scratched his chin. "Yyyooouuu aaarrreee tttooo fffaaasssttt…"
"Hmmm… can't really get close to him. His attacks are way too fast, and they hit hard… don't know if my skull can handle another one of those blows" Usopp mused casually out loud, while making sure he kept his distance. "As long as I stay out of reach, I should be fine though. Maybe I'll run over and help Nami take out that ponytail-guy, and we can all tag-team this bozo. Nami's axe can reach a lot further than my hammer, after all…"
As Usopp pondered his options, a lightbulb suddenly illuminated in Babe's head. He finally remembered the technique he had made for this very purpose, as usual his mind was as slow as his gait. Holding the bat in one hand he held it behind him before swinging it up and forwards, digging it deep into the ground on the way. Usopp was initially confused until he saw the spray of dirt and rocks that the bat launched. Unable to dodge in time he was forced to close his eyes and block as the barrage of stone pelted his body, and ended up making him fall on his back. When he opened his eyes again he saw the towering silhouette of Babe standing over him, bat raised to strike once more.
Meanwhile Nami and Wyper were engaging in raw hand-to-hand combat. Wyper was taller and thus had more range, but that advantage was made void by Nami's superior speed and strength. He ended up on the defensive, staggering backwards as he pushed himself to the limit just avoiding and blocking Nami's barrage of punches.
"Hey, I just need to pay you back for that kick earlier, and then we can move on ok~?" Nami smiled confidently as she launched a vicious straight with her robotic arm. Wyper brought up both arms to defend against it, but was nevertheless pushed back.
"Well… you're not the only one looking for payback" Wyper replied with a glare.
A gunshot rang out and a bullet passed by right in front of Nami's face. The goons taken out by Franky's cannon barrage weren't the only ones in the Playtime Pirates, and by now a group of thugs from the rest of the mansion had pooled in towards the fight. These were dressed up in the standard attire of a Playtime Pirate, resembling a toy soldier. Bright red jacket with golden buttons and black pants, and a tall bulbous hat with the letters SOL written on them. And all of them were armed with white rifles and sabers.
"Urgh, more? I guess we can't just deal with all goons with explosives" Nami sighed. She ducked as a wave of gunshots threatened her life, and a group of saber-wielding pirates rushed towards her. The first blade-wielding enemy was quickly dealt with, Nami simply grabbing his sword in her metal hand and splintering it before socking him in the jaw. Seeing Nami distracted, Wyper took the opportunity to look for his weapon.
"While she's deal with them I can get my… wait, where is-"
A sudden flash of realization swept over Wyper.
"The raccoon-dog!"
He had been so busy with Nami that he had completely forgotten about the third member of the Straw Hat Pirates. A small, furred creature that had tried to steal his bazooka… the very same bazooka now being propped up by some rock, its barrel aimed directly at an oblivious Babe. Usopp's casual walk backwards hadn't been for nothing; he was leading Babe on, right into the path of the bazooka. Babe's bat was aimed up high, ready to strike Usopp, but he wouldn't get the chance.
"Babe! Look out!" Wyper yelled, but it was too late. Chopper pulled the trigger, launching a powerful jet of blue flame at Babe. The large man dropped his bat and yelled in pain, as the blast was strong enough to lift him off the ground thanks to the angle the bazooka was at. The bazooka did end up flying off in the opposite direction, but the damage was done. Babe's side was charred and smoke, and he was falling through the air. Usopp grinned, standing up and spinning on his heel as Babe dropped down in front of him.
"Usopp Golden Spin!" he yelled as his hammer struck Babe's gut one more time, but this time with far more force. It was as if time slowed down on the impact, before Usopp launched Babe like a baseball player hitting a Home Run. The massive man spun through the air until he crashed through a second story window in the mansion. He landed on his back on a table in the room and smashed it into splinters, along with the bowl of grapes that was on the table. Beside the table was a big comfy chair Captain Sugar was sitting on, holding a single grape between her fingers and staring down at the unconscious Babe with a cold look. Her abused doll was pinned under one of the legs of her chair. Sugar slowly ate the last grape and stood up, heading off to deal with the situation herself.
A drop of sweat made its way down the side of Wyper's head as he saw his fellow Playmate get defeated. And the sounds of people collapsing behind him didn't bode well for the rest of his compatriots. He dreaded looking back, and his fears were justified when he saw that Nami had already taken down the squad of reinforcements and retrieved her axe in the process.
"Damn it… I just have to hold out until Captain Sugar gets here" he grumbled to himself, raising his fists to defend himself. Nami slowly walked towards Wyper, holding her axe at a low angle, before breaking out into a sprint. Wyper readied himself for her attack… and suddenly Nami was behind him, a gust of powerful wind the only indication of her incredible burst of speed. "H-how did she… with such a heavy…"
A big wound appeared across Wyper's torso, and he started collapsing.
"Ah, I almost forgot…" Nami said, grabbing Wyper's shoulder and forcing him to turn around. She jumped into the air and dropkicked him in the face, knocking him on his back. "Told you I wanted payback for that kick earlier."
She heaved her mighty axe onto her shoulder and looked over at Usopp and Chopper high-fiving over their victory. She smirked at seeing how both of them seemed to be in good shape, despite the heavy blows each of them took at the start of the fight. As she walked over to reunite with them, another figure appeared in the collapsed wall of the mansion.
"Well, at least we won't have to waste any time looking for her" Nami frowned, as the Straw Hats once more entered a combat-ready stance. Sugar's gaze slowly wandered between the three remaining combatants on the battlefield, and the scores of her own minions that laid scattered around the lawn. She quickly surmised that she was outmatched… but she still had one advantage: uncertainty.
"You don't know how my power works, do you?" she asked, taking a gamble. "You probably know I can turn people into toys… but do you know exactly how? If I transform you, I win. But is it a ranged ability? Or is it by touch? Do you have to be in a certain range, is there a condition… you don't know, do you?"
Usopp just rolled his eyes and bent his arm backwards, preparing to throw his hammer right at Sugar's face to knock her out.
"Go ahead and throw it" Sugar quickly said in a dull, monotone voice. "I bet your essence is all over that hammer..."
A bead of sweat went down Usopp's head as he froze completely. Was this a dumb idea? What if her Devil Fruit was activated by touching something the victim had recently been in contact with? The uncertainty gnawed at the back of Usopp's head, and Nami and Chopper weren't feeling too confident either.
Of course, Sugar was completely bluffing. Her touch-based power would be useless against ranged attacks, so all she could do was keep the Straw Hats too scared to attack. Perhaps she could come up with a strategy, some way to deal with them… if she could get back into the mansion, she could use the enclosed space to get close and-
BOOM
A distant noise broke everybody's chain of thought, and four pairs of eyes whipped towards the forest… and a single, black orb that flew out from it. As the orb grew larger, Sugar realized far too late what it was. For a split second her face stretched into an expression of horrified shock, her jaw dropping to her chest and her eyes bulging out of their sockets. Then, the cannonball exploded right in her face, sending a smoking, unconscious Sugar skidding into the mansion.
As the Straw Hats tried to comprehend the sudden and anti-climactic end to the tense situation, they heard another distant sound. A deep roar that slowly grew louder. Once more turning towards the forest, they saw a figure running towards them in a full sprint. As the figure drew ever closer, they could gradually make out the person's appearance. A tall, athletic man with an impressively tall blue pompadour, dressed in nothing but a black speedo and an opened red Hawaiian shirt. A gold chain adorned his neck, and his eyes were covered by pointy sunglasses. His arms, nose and chin were all normal, barring the blue star tattoos on his non-huge forearms.
Once he got within a certain distance of the Straw Hats he leaped forward, briefly stopping his roaring as he struck a pose upon landing. He leaned to the side with his arms raised over his head, pushing his forearms together so the star tattoos formed one singular star. One leg was bent, the other went straight. As he struck this pose onlookers could swear they saw a neon explosion go off behind him. The strange man took a deep breath to fill his lungs, then bellowed a single word:
"SUPER!"
