With Luffy...
A loud bang rang out across the jungle as the raider fired his bazooka, intending to kill the Straw Hat boy once and for all. When the smoke cleared, however, he was annoyed to see the boy alive and well, having inflated his body to absorb the impact and deflect the shot.
"This is the eighth time already! Give it up!", Luffy shouted, annoyed that the raider was wasting his time. The raider smirked down at him.
"In that case, time to change my strategy", the raider decided. He opened a compartment near the top of his bazooka, and slipped a dial shell into it before closing it with a click. Aiming his bazooka at Luffy, a powerful gust was emitted from the weapon, the smell of which made Luffy's face crinkle in disgust.
"Ah! Gross! What's that smell!?", Luffy shouted, the foul, sulfuric odor assaulting his sensitive nostrils.
"There was natural gas in that breath dial", the raider said, "This weapon is called a burn bazooka. It creates flames using the gas emitted from the breath dial, and disintegrates my victims!"
The raider pulled the trigger on the bazooka, unleashing a gigantic blast of fire from the barrel. Luffy barely avoided the blast, the intense heat burning all plants in its path, including a massive tree that had a giant hole burned through its trunk. The terrified screams of numerous animals rang out through the forest, with some of them no doubt getting caught in the flames' path. Luffy screamed as he sailed through the air, landing flat on his butt.
"WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT!?", he shrieked, rubbing his sore behind, "IT BURNED RIGHT THROUGH THAT HUGE TREE!"
Remembering his enemy, he leapt up and whipped his head around, scanning the trees for his elusive foe.
"Where did that guy go?", he grumbled, before a sudden shift in the air caught his attention. He turned around, and just narrowly leaned back enough to avoid a kick from the masked man. As he leaned back, he placed a hand firmly on the ground to balance himself.
"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!", he roared, launching himself up and swinging a punch. The masked man brought a foot up to block the strike, then pushed off with a hard shove, raising his bazooka for a counterattack.
The shot from his bazooka narrowly missed as Luffy forced himself to his feet, evading the blast and sprinting towards his opponent. The masked man gritted his teeth in frustration as the boy refused to go down. His eyes narrowed as he watched the boy swing his leg back for a kick, before widening as he whipped his leg forward with blinding speed.
The kick struck with enough force to kick up a dust cloud, leaving Luffy unable to see his target. When the dust finally settled, he was shocked and annoyed to see the man had blocked his kick with another. It was not a perfect block, however, and the warrior was obviously struggling against Luffy's raw physical strength. This was evident by his gritted teeth and heaving breaths. Luffy audibly growled in frustration, and began wildly kicking at his opponent, furiously trying to land a hit. The guerrilla blocked every strike, and retaliated with another blast from his bazooka. Luffy dodged backwards, and the man leapt into the trees. Luffy then wrapped his left arm around a tree branch, launching himself up for his next attack.
"I won't lose in a bazooka competition!", Luffy declared, arms stretching far behind him. The guerrilla responded in kind by raising his weapon for another attack, eyes narrowed at the young pirate with burning hatred and ferocity. Luffy's arms shot forward at breakneck speed, meeting the bazooka's burning blast head on before piercing right through. The guerrilla's eyes widened for a brief moment before he was struck dead center, head falling back as he coughed up blood. The force from the strike threw him back, momentarily winding him. Slowly, the wounded fighter forced himself to sit up, hands resting upon his thighs as ragged breaths past his lips. When the smoke from the blast cleared, a bloodied Luffy glared at the wounded guerrilla, blood dripping from his mouth. Both warriors were evenly matched in speed and raw determination, with neither able to surpass the other with strength alone.
... with Robin
As the harsh battle cries of countless fighters echoed through the deep jungle, Robin made her way calmly through an area dotted by large ruins. The massive stone structures had deteriorated greatly over time, many half sunken into the earth as climbing plants sprawled freely across their rugged surfaces. Robin approached one such structure, flipping through the book she carried with her with great fascination. She stopped a few feet in front of the large stone slab, studying the ancient words scrawled upon it. Her eyes sparkled with a curious glint as she studied the long forgotten writing.
"A tombstone for the city?", she mused, "It was probably constructed by descendants after the city fell. Shandora? Is that the name of the ancient city?"
Robin reached out to the slab, gently resting a hand on it.
"Year 402... that's 1100 years ago. The time of this city's destruction... is 800 years ago!", Robin gasped upon reading, "That falls into the period when the record of world history disappeared. The Void Century."
Robin stood up straight, becoming lost in thought.
"Maybe this island contains part of that history", she pondered, before furiously flipping through her book, stopping on a map of the island.
"This should be the map of Shandora. If I go to the city square, I can probably find out more, maybe even a clue to the Void Century", she quietly mused.
An unfamiliar presence caught her attention, making her turn and glare.
""Who's there?!", she shouted, her sharp, even tone piercing the jungle air.
...with Chopper
"Luffy! Zoro! Robin! Are you here! Hey!", Chopper called out, wandering around a section of partially buried ruins in search of his friends. He had lost track of how long he'd been wandering the jungle alone, though he'd thankfully remained unharmed so far.
Feeling a presence behind him, he turned around, hoping to see one of his friends. Instead, he was horrified to find a strange, intimidating looking man staring behind him, with empty white eyes and strange hair that curved before pointing upwards like a row of horns. The dark-skinned man wore a purple suit and pants, with an orange undershirt and white waistband. He towered over the terrified reindeer, though his gaze seemed unfocused, as though he couldn't see him.
"WHERE DID HE DISAPPEAR TO?!", the man demanded to know, looking around wildly in an attempt to locate Chopper.
The befuddled reindeer could only gawk at the man, who couldn't find the very reindeer standing before him, despite being no more than a few feet apart.
"His eyes are all white! Freaky!", Chopper thought.
Behind the man about a 3 meters or so stood a strange man with a caprine head, wearing all white.
"Gedatsu-sama! Your eyes are facing the wrong way! The enemy is right in front of you!", the goat man shouted.
With that, the intimidating man, Gedatsu, rolled his eyes forward, staring down at Chopper.
"Wait, he said enemy. Are you a priest!?", Chopper gasped.
The man gave no response, simply looking down at the reindeer. Chopper stared back in confusion, sweat-dropping as he awaited some sort of response. Behind him, the goat man looked embarrassed and defeated.
"Gedatsu-sama! Say it out loud, not in your head!", he shouted, patience clearly wearing thin. It was clear this was a frequent occurrence.
"Watch your feet, you're in my territory!", Gedatsu declared ominously, "I've already planted my swamp cloud traps! Once you're trapped, you can never get out! This trial's survival rate is 50%! THE TRIAL OF SWAMP!"
Unbeknownst to Gedatsu, he had begun sinking into the clouds, having stepped into the very trap he laid.
"BUT YOU'RE THE ONE SINKING!", Chopper shrieked, eyes and tongue comically bulging from his head as he stared gobsmacked at the idiotic priest.
"Fool. I am immune to this swamp!", Gedatsu declared, "Cloud Dial, TAKE FLIGHT!"
As he raised a hand to the sky, the priest rocketed free of his cloudy entombment, propelled by dials attached to the soles of his shoes. The white clouds shooting out from the shells allowed him to become air, soaring high over Chopper's head. The reindeer shielded his eyes with his left arm to keep dust and clouds from blinding him. Once the clouds settled, he looked up in awe at the flying priest.
"WOW! That's amazing! He flew into the air using something in his shoes!", Chopper exclaimed.
"I have no time to waste with a raccoon!", Gedatsu roared, raising his hands and forming a cloud above his head. Once the cloud was fully formed, he shot it towards the ground using dials in his gloves to propel it. "Though light as a cloud, it's actually a small swamp! Once you touch it, there's no way out!"
Unfortunately for Gedatsu, the cloud was not headed for Chopper. Instead, the attack was aimed straight at the caprine man who'd come there with him.
The goat man raised his hands in front of him and shouted in a panicked voice, "W-WAIT GEDATSU-SAMA! I'M NOT THE ENEMY!"
The goat man only got out one more loud bleat before the cloud struck him, engulfing his entire head and slowly beginning to suffocate him. Chopper gasped at the horrific sight, unable to understand why the priest would be so cruel as to attack his own ally. The goat man tried using his hands to forcibly pry the cloud off, but this only trapped them within the swamp cloud as well. Chopper watched in horror as the cloud slowly moved further down the man's body, his movements becoming more feeble as it engulfed his torso, then his waist, before he finally ceased his struggling and collapsed. The reindeer was left trembling at the grim sight, leaving him wide open to another attack from Gedatsu. Upon hearing the priest shout, he looked up just in time to see another cloud rocketing towards him. Not wishing to meet the same fate as the goat man, the panicking reindeer quickly dodged the attack, just as the cloud struck where he had just stood.
Feeling sorry for the goat man, Chopper ran to him and grabbed him by the ankles, pulling with all his might to free him. With a powerful tug, he managed to free the unconscious goat man, and immediately began trying to resuscitate him. He shifted to heavy point, and pounded hard on the man's chest, forcing him to cough up the water clogging his lungs. This shocked the goat man awake.
"Great, you're alive!", Chopper exclaimed, worried for the man's safety.
"Hah... hah... you saved my life! Meh... hah...", the goat man thanked him, gasping for air.
"How pathetic, requiring aid from the enemy", Gedatsu spat, mocking his subordinate.
"Tch, such harsh words after what you did to me", the goat man hissed, glaring hatefully at his former master, "I refuse to serve you anymore!"
The goat man shoved himself up.
"Yeah! Let's fight together!", Chopper shouted, glad to have an ally in this fight.
"DIE BY MY AXE DIAL! MEH!", the goat man roared.
Gedatsu looked down at his former subordinate, scoffing in disgust.
"Whatever", he grumbled, arm pulled back for a punch, "Jet Punch!"
In a flash, Gedatsu was upon to duo, striking the goat man with a blinding fast punch that sent him flying into a nearby tree. The man hit the tree back first, before slumping to the ground in an unconscious heap. The entire attack happened in less than a few seconds, leaving Chopper stunned and slack jawed. After delivering the punch, Gedatsu raised his arm to show off the now exposed dial attached at his elbow. To force of the blow had caused the dial to burn a large hole in his sleeve.
"This is the extinct Jet Dial! It greatly increases the speed and power of my punches, too bad it destroys my suit in the process."
"T-this is the power of a priest!", Chopper thought, horrified by the man's overwhelming strength, "If I don't run away, I'll die!"
...with Nami and Saurus
I watched as Nami and Gan Fall defeated the two fat goat men who attacked us after Enel left, in awe at their power and determination, but also furious with myself that I was unable to help protect them. It was just like before, when I couldn't protect Chopper and Merry from Shura and Fuza. Despite Zoro's prior reassurance, it still made my blood boil like a Brachydios's explosive slime.
Slowly, and with an audible grunt, I pushed myself up with shaky hands. Both Nami and Gan Fall were surprised to see me forcing myself up, no doubt having thought I fainted after Enel's attack.
"S-s-SAURUS!", Nami cried out worriedly, running over to help me up.
"Incredible! For someone to recover from Enel's attack so quickly...", Gan Fall gasped.
"Trust me... it ain't... easy", I replied, panting from the exertion, "It's not my first time being shocked like that... probably won't be my last either... shit! But damn, if it isn't one of the worst! Easily compares to a Zinogre... not to mention my Deviljho armor is terrible at handling electric shocks."
I gestured for Nami to move away slightly so I could stand on my own, but as soon as she did, I stumbled and fell to my knees. I let out a pained cry, holding myself up with my palms against the wooden deck. I gritted my teeth and gave a hard shove, forcing myself upright and making myself stand up. I shook off the sudden dizziness as blood rushed to my head, and slowly stalked over to my hammer, holding to handle to help me retain my footing. With an audible growl I lifted the hammer off the ground, pulling the large head from the hole it made in the floor. My chest was heaving from the exertion, my whole body burning as my legs trembled violently beneath me.
"Saurus...", Navirou murmured worriedly, seeing how badly banged up I was.
"Wait Saurus! You're in no position to keep fighting!", Nami cried, "You can barely stand as it is!"
I looked back to see her staring at me with wide eyes, obviously on the brink of tears. I was quite taken aback by this. Nami may not have been the strongest member of the crew, but she was definitely not someone who cried easily. Heck, nothing much aside from losing loads of valuable treasure could make her cry, or so I thought. I closed my eyes for a moment and sighed.
"Maybe so, but right now it's just us. Luffy and Zoro aren't here, so we can't rely on them for protection. You may have been able to take down those two weaker soldiers, but if another of Enel's priests shows up, or that masked guerrilla from earlier, you wouldn't stand a chance", I stated, leaning against my hammer for support, "That means it's my job to protect you guys, whether you like it or not. Doesn't matter how badly injured I am, so long as I can stand, I can fight. That's the way of Riders and Hunters alike. We don't just fight monsters, we protect people."
My eyes met Nami's, and I could clearly see the internal struggle taking place within her. She clearly valued her friends just as much, if not more so, than treasure, even if she'd never admit it aloud. For a few moments it was dead silent, before she eventually relented with an exasperated sigh.
"Grr, you're just as thick-headed as Luffy", Nami groaned, "Guessing there's no talking you out of it."
She then stalked over to me, poking me in the chest with her index finger.
"Fine, but don't you dare going dying on me, ya here? Otherwise we're all screwed!", she warned me.
The sound of rustling clothes and clanking metal behind me caught our attention, and we both turned to see Gan Fall suiting up in his armor. Pierre was standing now as well, wings flapping furiously as he prepared for take off.
"Wait a minute! Where are you going?!", Nami gasped, Obviously not expecting the wounded old man to be up and moving so soon. Even while putting on his armor, he was obviously struggling.
"Sorry, but I must chase after Enel!", the old knight declared, fist clenched tightly around the handle of his lance.
"WHAT!? You want to leave us ladies here all alone?!", Nami shouted at him. I sighed and rested a hand on her shoulder, shaking my head for her to just let him go. There was no doubt in my mind that defeat at Enel's hand stung just as badly to him as it did to us.
"Again, I must apologize to you all. However, this concerns not only the lives of my followers, but the very survival of this entire nation as well!", Gan Fall declared gravely.
Upon determining whether Pierre was still capable of flight, the knight hopped onto his back and the duo took off, Pierre giving a determined war cry. It was far more serious than the bird's usual calls; it was obvious he too understood how dire the current situation was.
Nami attempted to call after them, but her words fell on deaf ears as they disappeared above the tree line. She gave a frustrated sigh and tugged at her hair briefly, before giving up and walking over to the wounded Usopp and Sanji.
"I need to give these two first aid!", Nami stated, grabbing them by the backs of their shirts and dragging them. Before she could get them to the infirmary, a faint sound from above us caught my attention.
"Heads up!", I shouted, spotting something whizzing towards the river we were on at high speeds.
Nami turned just as the strange thing crashed into the river, relinquishing her hold on Usopp and Sanji. For a few tense moments, clouds obscured our view, and I tightly gripped my hammer in anticipation of a fight. As the clouds cleared, my eyes narrowed, only to widen again upon spotting a small vessel paddling towards us.
"HESO MISS NAMI! MISS SAURUS!", a familiar voice called out to us.
My eyes widened further, and a small laugh escaped my lips. Aboard the new vessel was a waving Conis, who seemed relieved to see us.
"Look Nami! It's Conis!", I shouted excitedly, happy to see another friendly face on this hellish island.
"CONIS!", Nami shouted, running over to the edge of the ship to see her waving at us, "WHY ARE YOU GUYS HERE?!"
Along with Conis, Pagaya and Suu, I could see a child on board as well. As they attempted to get closer to us, I could see Pagaya struggling to calm the child down, as they were now pushing him away from the edge of the ship, trying to keep him away from us. The child wasn't a Skypeian, that much was made clear once they boarded the Merry. She had the wings, but lacked the antenna that the others had.
Upon boarding the ship, the child immediately began threatening us, claiming herself to be a warrior of Shandora who would destroy us. Not the most threatening display honestly, if anything it reminded me of a child pretending to be a Hunter. Nami wasn't threatened either, warning the girl of the impact dial she had.
"Oh no! These two are burnt to a crisp!", Conis cried fearfully upon seeing Usopp and Sanji's condition.
"Yeah, let's just say we had an uninvited guest", I said, catching her attention. She was horrified upon seeing the poor state I was in, body burned in multiple places, a broken leg, and other miscellaneous injuries. She covered her mouth in horror at the sight.
"We must heal you all immediately!", she urged.
"I created a shortcut on my way here", Pagaya explained, pointing to the new river of clouds attached to the one we were traveling on, "I used a cloud dial to make a new stream, and it leads straight to the White Sea. We should leave quickly before we are spotted!"
"The sooner we can get out of here, the better", Nami said, looking back at Usopp and Sanji, "It'll also make treating their wounds easier, since we won't have to worry about being attacked."
"So their plan is to just leave? I don't know... I'm worried about the others", I thought, tilting my head, then slowly turning to gaze deep into the jungle. "Zoro and Luffy can certainly hold their own, not sure about Chopper though, those priests are insanely strong. I don't know if he'll be able to fight one on his own. Robin should be fine, I hope. She worked for Crocodile, so there's no way she'll just roll over and die when faced with a dangerous foe."
I sighed and shook my head, tightly gripping the fingers of my right hand with my left. It was something I tended to do when anxious.
"Then there's Gan Fall. He's going right for Enel, and in the state he's in, it's going to get him killed", I thought, "Damnit! I don't want to leave Nami and the others alone, but the old man's not gonna last against Enel with wounds like those!"
My gaze shifted back to Nami and the others. Pagaya had brought the old waiver we savaged with him, and managed to restore it beautifully. Upon testing the waver, Nami was surprised to find it was much faster than the standard one Pagaya used. According to the old man, it was because the dial powering the boat was a jet dial, which had been extinct for centuries.
"Nonetheless, what shall we do now?", Pagaya questioned, "I was planning on taking everyone to the border of Skypiea, but..."
"Hmm... we should go to the beach where we'll regroup", Nami suggested, "I'm sure they'll get there safely."
"If Enel doesn't find them", I thought grimly, shaking my head.
"If those four are together, no one can beat them", Nami assured confidently.
"There isn't a 4-member group on this island!", the Shandoran girl snapped, catching our attention, ""There are only 2-member groups, not 4, I'm sure of it!"
"You also have that thing God and his priests use, don't you? The Mantra?", Nami inquired.
"She can use Mantra?! But... she's so young! If that's the case, she must've been born with it", I thought, listening to the girls explanations as she sobbed, "But, for her range to match that of someone like Enel."
The girl was obviously traumatized, curled up in a ball as she sobbed, saying she could hear voices disappearing. This most likely meant someone dying, truly a morbid thing for a child to be forced to experience over and over. As Conis explained how they found the girl, I found my gaze shifting again to the dense jungle, to the same path Gan Fall had taken.
My gaze never that direction as we sailed down the river Pagaya created, as I was unable to shake this intense feeling of dread. I briefly looked back, and noticed we were nearing the island's exterior, meaning Nami and the others would be safe from any major threats. I quickly turned back to the trees, eyes narrowing slightly as my right leg bounced in anticipation.
I couldn't take it any longer: I was going after Gan Fall. I had to make sure he and my friends were okay, knowing full well Enel would annihilate them if he got the chance. Sensing my anxiety, Navirou rested a paw on my leg.
"Navirou, promise me you'll look after them", I said, voice tense as I stood.
"Huh, but we're almost outta here. Shouldn't we stick together?", he questioned.
"Normally yes, but right now I can't shake this nagging feeling, like something bad is about to happen", I replied, summoning Noir. The appearance of the Nargacuga caught everyone's attention.
"Saurus?", Nami questioned.
"Sorry Nami, but I'm going after Enel too", I apologized, placing my hammer on my back and hopping on Noir's saddle.
"WHAT?! ARE YOU CRAZY?! You're supposed to protect us!", Nami argued.
"You've reached the island's edge, haven't you?! None of Enel's fighters will look for you there, they're too focused on what's going on further inland!", I snapped back, "I know what I said, but I can't shake this uneasiness, like something bad is about to happen, and right now, Luffy, Zoro, Chopper, and Robin are smack dead in the middle of it."
I gave Noir a nudge in the side, and she took off like a lightning bolt, jumping through the trees with speed and agility far surpassing any Shandoran guerrilla.
...with Zoro...
"Hey, Let me down you stupid bird!", Zoro shouted, being carried high above the jungle in the claws of a giant South Bird. The bird had a tight grip of the swords man's backpack, which he was holding onto with an iron grip. Initially, the bird had simply attempted to steal his lunch, but now it was just carrying him along for the ride as it flew. The bird didn't even seem to take notice of his shouting, happily singing and chirping as it soared. The bird's ignorance only annoyed Zoro further, as he grumbled under his breath.
"You damn bird. Want me to slice you up!?", Zoro snarled. The South Bird then turned its attention to something below, but not to Zoro. Confused, Zoro followed the bird's gaze, his heart leaping into his throat upon seeing what was just below him.
Stretching high above the trees with gaping jaws was a monstrous python, it's massive, blue-striped body winding endlessly through the dense jungle below. Long whiskers extended from the edges of its gargantuan mouth, which was lined with razor sharp, recurved fangs. The beast had set its sights on Zoro and the giant South Bird, stretching its neck high above the trees in order to reach them. Zoro screamed in terror as the bird panicked, flapping its wings wildly as it narrowly avoided the serpent's might jaws.
"AHHH! T-THAT'S A HUGE SNAKE!", Zoro shrieked, pulling his legs closer to his body so the snake couldn't grab them. He then shouted at the panicking South Bird, "HEY! FLY HIGHER, OR WE'LL GET EATEN!"
He didn't need to tell the South Bird twice, as the bird immediately increased its altitude to avoid their pursuer. However, the bird decided it was better to drop the excess cargo, and relinquished its hold on Zoro's backpack. Zoro, who was still holding onto the pack, started plummeting towards the ground at breakneck speed, cursing the bird and yelling at the top of his lungs. The only silver lining to his situation: he was falling too fast for the massive snake to keep up, as its ungainly body was unable to make such tight turns.
"I'M GONNA GUT THAT STUPID BIRD!", Zoro shouted in a mix of anger and terror, limbs flailing wildly as he continued his involuntary free fall. His vision spun as he fell, making the swordsman feel nauseous, bile rising in his throat. Looking down, he could see the ground fast approaching, and made a futile attempt to brace for impact. Zoro slammed into a large ruin, the force of the impact turning the ancient building into a mere pile of rubble. For anyone else, this would most certainly have been a death blow, leaving most of the body's bones broken, and vital organs and blood vessels ruptured. Yet despite all odds, Zoro was still alive, bleeding from multiple lacerations, scrapes and his nose, and badly bruised, but otherwise fine. As the dust from his crash landing settled, he pushed himself up, breathing hard and pain wracking his body as he slouched over.
"Ah... ah... that hurt. Fucking bird! I won't forgive him for this!", Zoro grumbled angrily. Slowly, and with several more curses aimed at the bird, he stood up straight, taking in his new surroundings.
Zoro was now standing amongst the main ruins of the city of Shandora, sat high atop a giant beanstalk on a platform of clouds. Stood atop two other buildings were Gan Fall and the masked guerrilla, Wyper. Standing atop the tallest ruin was an intimidating bald man standing next to a gigantic, white dog. He wore a simple forest green tank top and baggy, grey pants, with a white sash tied around his waist. Narrow-lensed sunglasses with sharp points covered his eyes, and he carried a massive katana with an enlarged pommel.
Before either fighter could make a move, the giant python burst through the cloud layer, its seemingly endless body coiling high above the tiny humans. Its cavernous mouth hung open, long, forked tongue waving slowly as it took in their scents.
The bald man scoffed and easily hefted his sword over his shoulder, cracking his neck. The air was tense and charged, with neither fighter willing to make the first move just yet. Zoro's gaze shifted to the snake, and he gritted his teeth in irritation.
"That stupid snake followed me all the way here", Zoro growled, crossing Yubashiri and Sandai Kitetsu in front of him.
The bald man hopped onto the back of his giant dog, which stood to its full height of well over 10 feet.
"GO HOLY!", the priest commanded, "No need to hold back this time!"
Gan Fall mimicked this action with Pierre, hopping on the bird's back as he took flight.
"Pierre, our target is Ohm!", Gan Fall instructed the bird, lance drawn and ready.
Wyper took a drag of his cigarette, raising his bazooka and aiming for Zoro.
"TIME TO DIE!", Wyper shouted, firing a burning blast from his bazooka. As soon as the blast was fired, the other combatants took off, charging towards the center of the ruins. Zoro evaded the blast, slipping behind Wyper.
"That's a nice weapon", Zoro remarked, making the Shandian glared back at him.
"You know nothing, you Blue Sea punk!", Wyper spat venomously, "You've only been here a few days, don't think for a second that I'll let you take this land!"
"I don't give a damn about your problems! What happened here is none of my business!", Zoro roared back, swinging one blade forward, "I'll just repay you for when we first got here, RAIDER! EAT THIS!"
Wyper blocked with the skate on his left foot, and a surprise attack from the giant python forced both fighters to leap back to avoid being devoured. The snake's huge head easily smashed through the ruins Wyper had been standing on, leaving mere pebbles behind, and even they were soon destroyed by the serpent's corrosive venom.
Zoro landed a few meters behind the snake, which infuriated the serpent once it raised its head again. While he was focused on the python, the priest and his dog had closed the distance between them, with the monstrous hound looming over Zoro with fangs bared. The beast reared back on its hind legs and swung a massive paw, which Zoro just barely detected and evaded with a back flip at the last second.
"What the?! DID THAT DOG JUST THROW A PUNCH AT ME?!", Zoro gasped, staring up as the hound towered over him.
"His name is Holy", Ohm stated, sitting atop the dog's head, "I am the Sky Breeder, but I didn't just breed. I trained him in martial arts, and to walk on two legs. I've trained him well. Care to try his attacks?"
"Shit! Eat your heart out,Saurus", Zoro thought.
Movement from above caught Ohm's attention, and he raised his giant katana just in time to deflect a strike from Gan Fall's lance. This counter forced the knight back up, with Pierre soaring over Holly's head.
"Gan Fall... Did you learn nothing from your defeat against Shura?", Ohm taunted, "You can barely hold your lance right, old man."
"Even so, I shan't leave until I discover your true purpose in being here!", Gan Fall declared, glaring daggers down at the priest, a raging fire burning in his eyes.
"Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand my god's divine intentions!", Ohm retorted.
...with Saurus...
"Zoro...Robin...Chopper...Luffy...all of you, please, hold on until I find you", I thought, tightly gripping the handlebar of Noir's saddle as she raced through the jungle. Up ahead, I spotted what looked like a giant beanstalk, and could hear the sounds of clashing soldiers growing louder the closer I approached. I narrowed my eyes, sweating nervously.
"Damn! This battle's reaching a fever pitch, I NEED TO HURRY!", I thought, nudging Noir slightly harder, "HURRY NOIR, OUR FRIENDS ARE IN DANGER!"
Noir's eyes glowed bright red as she picked up speed, leaving red streaks trailing behind her on either side as she ran. She let out a loud, hissing roar like a leopard, her war cry echoing through the jungle and terrifying all nearby animals into fleeing. Any plants in the way were sliced through effortlessly by her wing blades, carving deep gashes in even the largest trees.
...with Zoro...
Another strike from the giant python forced the wounded Zoro to evade, the swordsman ducking behind a row of houses to avoid the lethal fangs.
"Phew, that snake is really irritating", Zoro sighed, panting heavily. An irregular shape in the landscape caught his attention, and upon turning his head, he was surprised to see a badly wounded Chopper laying on the ground a few meters away. Upon seeing his wounded comrade, Zoro immediately ran to him to help. Unbeknownst to him, however, he was running straight into a trap.
"So you are a citizen of the Blue Sea", Ohm commented, watching Zoro run straight into the trap, "Heh, you should be more careful around here."
Zoro had no time to stop himself, and ran straight into a line of thick barbed wire. The large barbs shredded his left side, taking him off his feet and making him double over in pain. He growled and forced himself up, holding his inured side.
"What the hell?! Barbed wire?!", Zoro gasped, seeing the very same barbs that had just bit into his flesh, still freshly coated in his blood. The barbs had also managed to leave a nasty gash in his left elbow, deep enough to expose the bone.
"That is iron cloud", Ohm explained, "It is light as a cloud, but hard and strong as iron. It's made from cloud dials. These iron clouds are attached to the ground, effectively working as traps! In this place, the traps are everywhere, but they aren't just for you. I set half of them for myself. I added lures like that creature for people like you!"
Zoro was only laying him half attention, holding the unconscious Chopper in his arms as he attempted to rouse him. However, the reindeer didn't respond, his breathing weak and uneven as he bled heavily from multiple injuries.
"Pitiful", Ohm mocked, "Do you plan to just sit there and not engage the enemy?"
"That's not it, I just didn't like the reason we were fighting", Zoro bit back.
"Really? How noble", Ohm mocked.
"But, right now, I'm just a little pissed off!", Zoro growled, getting to his feet and grabbing Yubashiri and Kitetsu.
...with Saurus...
All around me, I could hear the war cries of countless fighters as they all converged on the giant beanstalk. Their numbers were much lower than when the fight started, with most if not all having sustained serious injuries.
"If I had to wager a guess, I'd say that the gold must be atop that beanstalk. And if the gold is there, then so is Enel! That must be why they're converging on that point", I thought.
With Noir's speed, we were easily able to outpace the charging warriors, avoiding any confrontations. As soon as we broke through the tree line, I could see a large, ruined city standing before us, with the giant beanstalk growing up through the center. The next thing that caught my attention was a giant blue serpent towering over the ruins, it's size making me more than just a little wary. The beast was nearly as large as a juvenile Dalamadur, its striped and tasseled body easily stretching over 400 meters in length. Standing nearby, scattered across the rooftops were a group of caprine men, their wings a similar style to those possessed by Shura. Their battle cries sounded more beast like than human.
In the center of the city, I could see Zoro, Gan Fall, and the masked guerrilla, now unmasked, clashing with a bald man riding a giant dog. Behind me, I could hear the arrival of more Shandians, no doubt here to aid their leader. I had no time to worry about them though, my focus was solely on the beanstalk, and the usurper God waiting at the top. With a running leap, Noir jumped from the top of one of the taller ruins, spreading her short wings and gliding overhead. This made the combatants below pause briefly, giving us enough time to land safely well past their reach. As I reached the beanstalk, I could hear shouting from both groups behind me. Turning back, my jaw nearly hit the floor upon spotting Nami racing towards me on her waver, the young Shandian girl holding onto her for dear life.
Upon reaching the beanstalk, the waver began racing up the side. As the girls climbed it, they were rushed by the goat men, which Zoro was forced to fend off. The Shandian leader, who the others called Wyper, reacted violently upon seeing Nami with the young girl. He fired his bazooka in an attempt to force Nami away from her, and would've killed her had Gan Fall not had Pierre grab them.
However, that brief sense of relief I felt was quickly shattered, as Pierre had flown directly in the path of the colossal python's jaws. In an instant, the snake swallowed them whole, and I felt my heart sink.
"NO! NAMI! GAN FALL!", I cried, panic starting to kick him. Without even thinking, I turned Noir around and we charged towards the snake. Noir leapt onto the snake's body, holding on with her claws as she ran up its side. Upon reaching the base of its skull, she leapt up, catching the snake's attention.
"LET THEM GO! TAIL SMASH!", I commanded glaring daggers at the python.
Noir shrieked right in the serpents face, turning and slamming her powerful, spine-laden tail right into one of its eyes. The snake reared back and hissed in pain, thrashing its head in order to dislodge the spines from its face. To my surprise, it was successful in doing so, a testament to the durability of its scales.
As soon as we hit the ground the snake lunged, attempting to devour us as it did our friends. I smirked.
"Let's disrupt its senses, Noir. Foul Gas, full blast", I commanded.
Noir nodded and inhaled deeply, before unleashing a thick cloud of noxious green gas from her jaws. The nearby plants were choked out by the toxic cloud, withering in a matter of seconds. The thinner atmosphere of the sky island also allowed the gas to spread further, letting it completely engulf the snake's head. The python immediately halted its movements, eyes widening and beginning to water and turn red from irritation. No doubt the nasty fog had completely disrupted its Jacobson's organ in its mouth, leaving its sense of smell, and by extension, sight, greatly hindered.
"Not pleasant, is it?", I taunted the great serpent, "Now try this: Thousand Blades!"
Noir's wing blades, claws and tail spikes glowed white and extended, their edges sharpening in the process. She jumped onto the snake's exposed neck, unleashing a flurry of wild slashes that left painful lacerations in their wake. Each slash created ten more, increasing in number and speed as the attack progressed. In the python's disoriented state, it was unable to dislodge the rampaging Nargacuga, who viciously attacked any weak points she found in the snake's armored skin. Upon reaching the final slash, Noir swiped her wing blades in an x-shape, delivering 20 slashes. Once the attack ended, Noir dug her claws into one of the lacerations to hold onto the snake better, making the creature thrash wildly in agony. The cuts weren't lethal by any means to a creature this size, but they were excruciating. I clung tightly to the saddle as the snake writhed in agony.
"Alright, use Sleep Needle, aim for one of the cuts", I said, "That should further hinder it."
Noir flattened her spikes against her tail as a pale blue liquid began oozing from the spike at the top of her tail. Like a scorpion, she curled her tail over us, stabbing it into the cut she was clinging to. Once that was done, she moved to several other cuts to repeat the process, injecting the anesthetic venom over and over into the snake's bloodstream. The venom wouldn't be strong enough to knock out a creature of this size, but it would make its movements incredibly sluggish.
I grinned confidently as we hopped down, seeing the snake begin to falter. It was drooling excessively, tongue hopelessly tasting the air in an attempt to regain its sense of smell.
"Forget it, Noir got her Foul Gas skill from a Congalala. Even a beast your size will feel the full effects for at least 30 minutes", I stated.
"NOW DASH!"
I turned to see the priest calling to his giant dog, who took off at a full sprint. As he ran, giant walls resembling a cage began to rise from the ground.
"Shit, he's trying to trap us!", I cursed, "Get out of the circle, Noir!"
The Nargacuga took off, running right past the bewildered dog and out of the circle's range. Unfortunately, the others failed to react quick enough, and became entrapped within a giant cage made of barbed wire.
"ZORO!", I called out to my crew mate, "WHY DIDN'T YOU RUN!"
"I've got no intention of running", Zoro stated, glaring daggers at the enemies surrounding him, "I've got business to settle!"
"ARE YOU INSANE! You're way outnumbered in there!", I argued, "I can get you out of there!"
"Don't waste you're damn time!", Wyper snapped, staring uninterested at the goat man charging at him. I shot a glare his way.
"And you don't give me orders!", I bit back.
"He's right you fool, meh! This cage is made of barbed wire! You'll just hurt yourself if you try to break it!", the goat men taunted.
Wyper then grabbed the goat man charging towards him, and slammed him into the barbed wire. In a gruesome display, the wire punctured and shredded his flesh, causing him to pass out from blood loss in mere moments.
I watched uneasily as the combatants all stared each other down, before a woman's shout caught our attention.
"WYPER!"
We all turned to see a young woman running towards us, stopping just in front of the cage. She had long, black hair tied in a ponytail and green eyes, and wore a simple outfit of a purple top ending above her midriff, and light red pants. Both her pants and top had multiple intricate designs cut into them. The woman looked terrified, and as though she'd been running for quite a while.
"ENEL IS IN THE FOREST!", she warned, making my blood freeze, "KAMAKIRI IS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND HE TOLD ME TO TELL YOU!"
"RAKI! DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!", Wyper warned, "GET AWAY FROM HERE!"
As Wyper tried to deter her from lingering, I felt an ominous, oppressive presence behind us.
"You called?"
"That voice! It- it can't be!", I panicked. Noir whipped around. To my horror, Enel was directly behind the woman, Raki. Upon seeing the man, Raki's eyes widened in fright, her body trembling as a cold sweat broke out across her skin.
"Enel...", she gasped, taking a few shaky steps back.
"WAIT ENEL! DON'T! SHE'S GIVING UP THE FIGHT!", Wyper pleaded, very uncharacteristic. To his horror, Laki raised her gun, aiming right for the God's chest. "RAKI! DON'T! JUST RUN!"
Too late, as the woman fired right as he finished his last word. The two rounds passed harmlessly through Enel's body, bringing up memories of our fight against Crocodile.
"He really is a devil fruit user! And a logia no less!", I thought, "WHY DIDN'T SHE RUN?! She stands no chance against him!"
As Raki turned back to a horrified Wyper, her attempt to speak was ruthlessly silenced by Enel's lightning. Much as he had done to Usopp and Sanji, Enel was absolutely ruthless, leaving the innocent woman burnt to a near crisp. He smirked at the woman as she fell, laughing with glee at the pain he was causing. I sat petrified, while Noir snarled viciously at the cackling god. Wyper gripped the bars of the thorny cage tightly, ignoring the barbs as they bit into his skin. One of the goat men began mocking him, only to be ruthlessly silenced by Wyper, who smashed the man's face directly onto the jagged barbs. The man shrieked in terror and pain briefly, before falling silent. Enel wasn't the slightest bit fazed.
"You are more naive than I'd have thought, Wyper", Enel taunted, goading the Shandian, "I make no distinctions among the warrior lambs who attack me, be it a man or a woman."
Enel's gaze then fell upon me, and my body began trembling uncontrollably.
"Oh, still alive, are you? I could've sworn I killed you and those precious friends of yours", he taunted, "I'll admit I'm impressed, but you're still no match for me. So why waste your time coming after me? That is why you're here, is it not?"
I glared at him hatefully, wanting with all my heart to plunge a sword deep into his heart, and end his reign of terror. But another part of me, a part left scarred by our battles in Alabasta, just wanted to run. To run far away from Skypeia and never look back.
"No? I'm right here", Enel taunted smugly, "Well then, take care."
With that, he vanished, gone as fast as the lightning he wielded. For a few moments I attempted to steady my heart rate and breathing.
"I let him get away... I LET HIM GET AWAY!", I mentally hissed, "No, not this time! Can you pick up his scent Noir?"
The Nargacuga sniffed along the ground, before nodding affirmatively.
"Good, don't lose that trail! AFTER HIM!", I ordered.
...
Next time...
Enel's dark plan is coming to fruition, and our heroes are barely hanging on...
Saurus must hunt down Enel, in an attempt to thwart his diabolical schemes...
The stage is set for the final battle for Skypiea!
Next time on Monster Hunter: Open Ocean:
Brave the Storm! Saurus vs Enel!