From Heaven Above Chapter 46, an one piece fanfic

I LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVEEEE!

...Excuse my Mushu impression. Got a little excited. Anywho... I'm back! Sorry it's been so long. I just get into these funks where I'm not motivated to write, and then end up abandoning a story for almost a year or more. I'M SO SORRY!

I haven't given up on this story! I promise! But I can't guarantee regular updates. My plan right now is to try to hash out as many chapters as I can while I'm motivated, and try to come up with some kind of schedule for releasing them...

We'll see if that actually happens. But, without further ado, please enjoy the latest installment of 'From Heaven Above'!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I only own my OC, Aurora and Kai.

Chapter 46

"Going against our undefeated Groggy Monsters, they are… the one who eliminated our interference group with one kick, the "Violent Chef"… Sanji!"

"It's "5-star chef"." He grumbled.

"His partner is the pirate hunter that has a bounty of 60 million… Roronoa Zoro!"

"Since the captain specifically appointed us to the game… I thought our opponent would be tougher than this." Pickles mocked. "Right, Big Pan?"

The half-fishman, half-giant held a hand up to his ear. "…Huh?"

"Pufufufufufu!" Hamburg began to laugh. "Fufufuf! He didn't hear it!"

Sanji eyed the strange trio. "What are they doing?"

The referee stepped up. "Do you want to ball first or choose the ring?"

"Ball." Hamburg answered.

"Our Groggy Monsters chose to ball first! The ball of team Straw Hat will now go to the center of the opponent's side. May I remind you that the ball seal marks the two balls in the game! If you hit the opponent's ball into the enemy life buoy, you win!"

"Yo, ball guy." Zoro addressed Sanji. "Go stand there!"

"Shut up! You decided it by yourself! I never wanted to be the ball!" he pointed to said object perched atop his head. "Plus, how can I wear this lame thing on my handsome head?"

"You are annoying…" the swordsman grumbled before he was struck with an idea. "Wow, Sanji! You look so handsome with that thing!"

"Up yours! I am not falling for that!"

"Zoro! Sanji! Go kick their ass!" Luffy cheered.

"You have to win Chopper back!" Usopp sobbed. "I'm sorry! I lost because I am useless!"

"This is the first time I've seen a fish-giant." Nami continued to stare at the towering man.

"He is a bit smaller than a pure giant, though." Robin commented.

Aurora hummed in thought. "You're right. Brogy and Dorry were full-blooded giants and they stood much taller than this guy."

"Fueheheh." Foxy laughed, coming up from behind. "There is no point in cheering for the losers. Our team is unbeatable in the ring!"

"Did you say something, 2-piece head?"

Foxy collapsed in shame and humiliation. "He said it again…"

Porche attempted to console her captain. "Oh, boss! You are so low, Straw Hat! You're immoral!"

"Hah!" Foxy recovered quickly. "They won't need any support to win this. I'll just sit here and enjoy the show."

Nami realized what the man was implying. "You can interfere in this game, too?!"

"Fool! You can disrupt any game! There are teams that will win regardless of the method. Then there are teams that want no less than a clean win! It's all up to personal standards. Though it doesn't matter why you lost. If you complain and whine, then you simply don't have the guts and pride of a true pirate!"

Kai side-eyed the man. "Look who's talking."

"By the way…" Foxy turned his attention back to the field. "What's with your team? They have no team spirit!"

"It may look that way, but as soon as the game starts, they…" Nami trailed off, sweatdropping at the sight before her.

"You came out slower, cheater!"

"Impossible! I won fair and square! I'm just stronger in everything."

"Shut the hell up! I'm talking about rock, paper, scissors!"

Kai's brow twitched. "What is even happening right now?"

"Are they still fighting over who has to be the ball?" Aurora frowned.

"Are you done yet?" Pickles was beginning to get annoyed. "Decide already!"

"They can't decide on anything…" Nami lamented. The navigator decided it was time to take matters into her own hands. "Sanji~~~! You look so awesome with that hat!"

"Like I was saying, there is no better man to be the ball in our group!" the cook quickly changed his tune.

"Yup. You look like the prince… of idiots."

Aurora sighed, running a hand down her face. Sanji had proceeded to attack the swordsman for the insult. The angel called out to the green-haired teen. "Zoro! Please stop antagonizing Sanji! Now is not the time!"

Kai watched the two continue to fight. "I don't think he's listening, your holiness."

"START THE GAME ALREADY!" Usopp thundered.

"Hey, you!" the ref called out Zoro. "It's against the rules to use weapons. Put them away!"

"Eh? Really?"

"That's right. This is a competition of balling skills. No weapons allowed."

"…Fine. No weapons. Not like it matters at all." The swordsman strode over to his crew, coming to a stop before Aurora. The angel blinked in surprise when he held out his swords to her. "Here. I don't trust any of these other idiots to take care of them properly."

The berry-haired girl smiled softly, cradling the weapons close to her chest. "I'll keep them safe. Promise."

The swordsman abruptly turned, attempting to hide the blush staining his cheeks. "Thanks."

The true angel blinked, confused by the sudden change in behavior. From next to her, Kai smirked amusedly. The swordsman certainly didn't act that way around Nami or Robin. 'I'm starting to think somebody is developing a crush…'

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Sanji asked Zoro. "A swordsman without a sword is…"

"Yeah?"

"Better than you, sandbag."

"STOP MESSING AROUND!" Usopp snipped at the fighting pair. "DON'T MAKE ME GO OUT THERE!"

"The preparations have been completed. The ball of team Straw Hat is finally in position."

"Hey, chef, let us stomp you flat, okay?"

"Go to hell!"

"The cheer from the audience intensifies!"

"Smash them, Big Pan!"

"Pickles, send them flying!"

"Make hamburgers out of them, Hamburg!"

Pickles smirked. "Big Pan, let's finish this in lightning speed."

"…Huh?"

"Pufufufuf!" Hamburg laughed. "He didn't hear again!"

"Hihihi, you're really…" Pickles couldn't help but join in the laughter. "Hihihih! Listen up. Hihihi!"

Big Pan was still confused, but his teammates laughter was infectious. "Heh… heheh… heheheheh… ah… Huh?"

"Pufufufufuf!"

"The Groggy Monsters are laughing for no apparent reason again. They will win, again, with this cheerful attitude. No time limit. One point wins the game!"

Zoro planted his feet. "I see. So, if I throw that big guy into the ring on the other side, I win. I lose if the chef's head falls into my buoy."

"Will they be able to win back the reindeer lost in the first round?! Or will the Straw Hat keep losing crews? The intense Groggy Ring is starting now! Ready… begin!"

Pickles proceeded to charge at the cook. "DIE!"

"Will the ball, Sanji, attack or furiously run away in fear? We shall see. Dealing the first hit is Pickles, the Tackle Demon!"

"Come!" Sanji stood his ground. "I'll take you all down!"

"Sling tackle!"

Sanji jumped, using the larger man as a stepping-stone for his true target. "Out of my way. I'm aiming for you!" He soared towards Big Pan. "We win if I hit you into the buoy ring, right?!"

"The two ball-men are going head-to-head!" the Foxy Pirates cheered.

"Collier…"

"Huh?" Big Pan finally took notice of the small approaching figure. He held one large limb out for the cook to land on. "Ah… ah…"

"Wuah!" Sanji's feet threatened to slip right out from under him. "W… What the hell… this guy's skin is so slippery!"

"Sanji, the chef, is unable to move on Big Pan's arm! But that can't be helped… Big Pan is a fish giant with mudfish genes, so his skin is extremely slippery!"

"Wuah… Damn it… Wuah…!"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, IDIOT?!" Zoro roared.

Sanji turned his head, glaring at the swordsman. "Who are you calling an idiot, asshole?!"

"Speedy!" Big Pan drew back his fist.

"Eh?"

"PUNK PASS!"

Wuah!"

"Good hit! It's Big Pan's ultra-long pass!"

"Wuaah! Sanji!"

"Hamburg is positioning himself to receive the ball! Zoro is also running to catch it."

"Damn it! Let me in! I can catch him!" Kai released his wings.

Aurora yanked the fallen angel back. "No, you can't! Interfering could cause us to lose the game!"

"But the Foxy Pirates do it all the time!"

"I know! But we have to tread carefully! We're on their turf." The true angel glanced at the referee. "They're the ones running this show, so if they want to overlook their own team's transgressions, they will. Foxy is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure they win and we lose."

Kai let out a growl in frustration. "So, they get to cheat while we have to play fair and square? You do realize that makes our chances of actually winning slim? Especially with those two trying to work together?"

"I know." Aurora frowned. "But what else can we do?"

Kai took in the action on the field, gaze darting between the cook and swordsman. He then glanced at the angel by his side. A plan began to form in his mind.

"If you fall in, I'll dice you into bits and feed you to the dogs!" Zoro barked at the airborne cook.

"Shut up! It's your fault that I wasn't looking!"

"Swipe Tackle!" Pickles appeared from out of nowhere, shoulder lowered.

"Wuah!"

"Pickles sneaked in and eliminated Zoro! Pickles now takes the chance to go further into enemy ring. On the other hand, Hamburg catches Sanji in the air…"

"Pufufu! Gorilla Throw!"

"AAAAAAAH!"

"Hahah!" Pickles laughed in glee, continuing to make for the opposing team's buoy.

"Pickles is already in position!"

"Stop right there, fat bean!"

"Zoro refuses to give up and attacks Pickles!"

"Hihi! Spinning Tackle!"

"Ah!" Zoro was abruptly thrown back when the larger man began to rapidly spin. "Aiyah!"

"What the?" Sanji landed in the midst of the swirling vortex that was Pickles.

"The falling ball, Sanji, gets hit by Pickles… and flies off again like a lost kite!"

"No, Sanji!" Luffy cried out.

"Wuah!"

"Wah!"

"From the back court… Big Pan rushes forward… and bounces the falling Hamburg back up into the sky!"

"Ground-shattering Rebound!"

"In mid-air, Hamburg catches Sanji once again. Wait… wait… He is within shooting distance!"

"Hihihi!"

"Yeah!"

Zoro scrambled to get up. "Damn it… you curly-eyebrow dumbass!"

"Score!" the Foxy Pirates began to cheer in victory. "Hamburg, slam-dunk!"

"NO!" Chopper cried, jaw dropping in horror.

"Hm?" Pickles glanced down when he felt something grab his leg. "What are you doing?"

"You're losing! Zoro! Sanji!" Luffy and Usopp bawled.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Kai bellowed at the swordsman. "Stop him from scoring!"

"Could the game end so soon?"

"Mind your own business!" Zoro growled. He managed to heft Pickles up, beginning to spin rapidly. "I will not… let them score!"

"WUAAAAAH!" Pickles screamed, the larger man being swung in a circle by his leg.

Zoro heaved Pickles in the direction of the goal. "Eat this, you piece of shit!"

At that exact moment, Sanji grabbed hold of Hamburg's arms, halting his throw. "It's not right to end so soon… heh… I still haven't done anything!" The cook glared. "That seaweed head stole my snapshot moment! But at least, I'm not losing to him!" Sanji broke free of Hamburg's grasp, foot slamming into the other man's face.

"What a surprising turn of events! Two members of the legendary Groggy Monsters were thrown out of the ring! The strength of Team Straw Hat… it's breathtaking!"

"You're 100 years too early to be of any help to me!"

"I'm not doing this for you, piece of trash!"

"Those guys are strong!" The Foxy Pirates couldn't believe two of their strongest men had been taken out.

"They threw Pickles out of the ring…"

"They got Hamburg, too!"

"Iiyan! I won't forgive you if you lose, Hamburg!" Porche cried, holding Chopper close.

"Oh?! Members of Team Straw Hat are fighting each other again! Though both balls are still safe, the game continues even if they are not ready."

Luffy began to laugh. "Hahahaha! They're so funny!"

"Zoro! Sanji!" Usopp called. "What are you doing, idiots?! The enemy team's ball is alone! Kick him into the ring!"

"Oh?"

Aurora saw movement from the corner of her eye, a large booted foot coming into view. Alarmed, she turned to her two crewmates. "Look out!"

"Waaah!" Sanji and Zoro barely managed to lunge out of the way.

"It's a surprise attack by Big Pan!"

"Huh?!" a glint of metal caught Zoro's eye.

Sanji noticed it too. "He's…"

"Toe Pad Dance!" Big Pan chased after the two, laughing in glee. "Hishihihishihihihshishi!"

"Nooo!"

"Waaah!"

"Why are you running away?!" Usopp screeched. "He's the ball!"

Zoro glared at the sniper. "Open your eyes, idiot! He has knives under his boot!"

"Eh?!"

"Hey, ref!" Sanji called over. "I thought weapons aren't allowed!"

The referee whistled absentmindedly, head turned at the obvious breaking of the rules.

"What the hell is he doing?!" Usopp was appalled.

"Fueheheh…" Foxy chortled. "The referee can't see everything."

Kai grit his teeth. "Damn! You were right, your holiness. They're willing to do whatever it takes to win."

"The referee will blatantly ignore his team's use of weapons, but the minute our team even thinks of doing so... we'll lose for sure." Aurora lamented.

"YOU CHEAP MOTHERFUCKER!" Sanji bellowed, swiftly kicking the man in the chest.

"Referee!"

"Wah!"

"Stop it, Sanji!" Nami cried.

"I know you saw it! Stop pretending, ass!"

Usopp attempted to hold the cook back. "Calm down! He's the referee!"

Aurora stepped in to help. "Sanji, please! You have to let it go!"

"I did… not see… anything."

"LIAR!"

The referee blew his whistle. "Sanji of the Straw Hats, yellow card warning!"

"What?!" he roared, lunging at the official.

Usopp struggled to push the blonde back. "S… Stop! Stop!"

"You're only making it worse!" Aurora griped, arms looping around the cook's waist to pull him away.

"Sanji the chef got a yellow card warning! One more and it's equivalent to a red card!"

"Say what?!"

"He attacked the referee! What a barbaric thing to do!"

"Shut up or I'll turn you into sashimi!"

"Very barbaric indeed!"

Sanji glanced back at the playing field. "I have to find some way to deal with those blades…"

"TIME OUT! THIS ISN'T FAIR!" Zoro's shouting could be heard, the swordsman now having to now dodge a giant axe being swung at him.

Sanji rounded on the referee once more. "HEY, REF! LOOK! THAT GUY IS USING A FRICKING AXE!"

The man looked off to the side. "I don't see it. Too bad."

Usopp shoved the cook away. "Stop, Sanji! You'll just get kicked out of the game!"

"I can't take this bull-shit anymore!"

"Calm down…" the sniper attempted to placate him. "You'll fall right into their trap if you don't! Calm down for Chopper's sake!"

Kai snorted derisively. "That's not gonna be enough. You need to persuade him in a different way." The fallen angel glanced at his counterpart, smirk sliding onto his face as he began to implement his plan.

"Ok. I'll beat him up then!" Luffy began to stomp over to the referee.

Usopp grabbed their captain. "Don't do it…!"

"Hey, lover boy!" Kai went to draw the blonde's attention. "Her holiness said she'd give whoever wins the game a victory kiss!"

At that, Sanji froze, jaw dropping and eyes glazing over as his imagination began to run wild. A kiss… from his beloved angel? Perverted giggles leaked from the cook's mouth, his visible eye taking on a familiar heart shape. "Kiss~~~?"

Aurora squawked, face flushed red in mortification. "I never-!"

Kai slammed a hand over the true angel's mouth, cutting her off. "That's riiiiiight~!" he sang. "A kiss from everybody's favorite sweet, pure, innocent maiden!"

Sanji's nostrils flared in excitement, his giggles growing louder in volume. "I'll prove I'm worthy of your kiss, my beloved angel~~!"

"LIKE HELL YOU WILL!" Zoro raged from the field, the swordsman barely managing to avoid being cut down by Pan as his fury took hold. "I WON'T LET IT HAPPEN!"

Sanjli whirled, glaring at his teammate. "YOU THINK YOU CAN STEAL MY VICTORY KISS FROM ME?!"

"AS IF AURORA WOULD WANT TO PUT HER LIPS ON YOUR UGLY MUG!"

"OH? AND YOU THINK SHE'D WANT TO PUT THEM ON YOURS?!"

At that, Zoro blushed, attempting to stammer out a response.

The angel in question flailed against Kai's grip, said man managing to keep her from ruining his evil plot. Sure, the plan wasn't foolproof, but if it got Sanji focused and back in the game…

The cook growled angrily at the thought of Zoro earning a kiss from Aurora. "Like hell I'll let that happen…!" He sprinted back onto the field. "Alright! Back to the game!"

"Puhahahahah…" Pan laughed as he chased down the two Straw Hat pirates.

"Wah!"

"Ahhh!"

"You don't have to literally start at where you left off!" Usopp thundered.

Sanji slid to a stop, facing Pan. "This fricking sucks!"

Next to him, Zoro did the same. "Bah! If I knew that they hid weapons on them, I wouldn't have given mine up…"

"Time to take him down!" the cook charged.

"I can take him alone!"

"The three of them are about to clash!"

"Teamwork, you two!" Nami admonished.

'His skin is too slippery to attack directly…' Sanji hurriedly began to think up a plan. 'I have to attack through his gloves, boots, mask and pants…'

Pan lunged, slamming his large body onto the ground in front of the two pirates. "Loach Scooping Slide!"

Zoro had the misfortune of landing on the half-giant's skin, feet slipping out from beneath him. "Wuaaaaah!"

"Damn it…" Sanji cursed.

"Loach Racing Circus! Haha!" Pan bent backwards, grabbing hold of his feet to form a circular shape with the entirety of his body.

"Waaa!"

"There it is! The Racing Circus! It makes the enemy slide along the giant's back…"

"Hah! I won't fall for the same trick twice!" Sanji managed to keep his feet under him, smoothly sliding along the larger man's skin. "This is like skating!"

"It's an inescapable loop!"

"D… Dizzy…"

"HEY! GET SERIOUS, YOU TWO!" Usopp roared.

"While the giant is buying some time… the players that got knocked out have returned!"

"Yeah! They're revived!"

"Get them!"

"Oh? Those two looks a little different… the team captain, Hamburg puts on… an iron glove and elbow guard. Pickles got a spiked shoulder pad. But weapons are not allowed! Luckily, the referee is doing stretching exercises. He's not facing the ring and does not see the illegal moves!"

"One, two, three, four…"

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Kai raged, both he and Luffy reaching for the referee. Usopp held back their captain while Aurora pounced on Kai. If either of them laid a hand on the official… it would most likely result in their team being disqualified.

"Pfufu!" Hamburg began to laugh.

"They pissed me off, Captain!"

"Busisisi!" Pan was laughing as well. "I'm going!" He unfurled his body. "Loach Coaster!"

"Wah!" Zoro and Sanji went flying off each of Pan's index fingers, soaring through the air.

"Let's go, leader! Hihi!" Pickles began to spin.

Hamburg jumped above the vortex. "Fufu! Attack!"

"Spinning Tackle!" Pickles launched Zoro towards Hamburg, the ape-like man rapidly descending upon the swordsman.

"Ah! It's another combo attack! His target is not the ball! It's the swordsman, Roronoa Zoro! He's attacking with the elbow guard!"

"HAMBURGER HAMMER!"

Aurora jerked, the angel desperately wanting to run out onto the field, but knowing doing so would result in their team's loss. "ZORO!"

"They're not done yet! Big Pan jumps up, taking the spiking pose! While Hamburg is aiming with his… elbow?! He's using his iron elbow guard to attack!"

"Oh no…" Nami breathed in dismay.

"Can it be…"

"This is it! The most terrifying combo!"

Zoro slowly sat up, blood pooling from a wound on his head. "Ugh…!"

"With the power of a speeding bullet!"

The swordsman turned, finally catching sight of the approaching combo attack. "Huh?!"

Aurora's eyes began to glow, the angel unable to idly stand by anymore. Rules be damned! "Kai!" she hissed.

"Wha-?" the fallen angel turned, caught sight of the faint yellow glow in her eyes, and smirked. "I've got the ref. You go save those two numbskulls." With that, the dark-haired man flew behind the referee, grabbing him by the neck and slamming him face first into the ground. He was instantly knocked out.

"Kai, what the hell?!" Nami screeched. "What are you doing?!"

"Do you want us to lose?!" Usopp wailed, aggressively shaking the fallen angel.

He shrugged the sniper off, his smirk growing. "What are you talking about? We're not going to lose."

Nami stomped up to him. "Of course, we are! You just attacked the referee! That disqualifies us!"

Robin glanced over at the navigator. "Actually, the referee didn't see who attacked him before he was knocked unconscious. Who's to say it was one of us?"

"Wait…" Nami blinked owlishly. "What…"

Kai's smirk continued to grow. "The ref kept saying it himself earlier. If he didn't see something happen…"

"…then it didn't happen." The navigator caught on to the plan.

"GO, AURORA!" Luffy suddenly bellowed.

Nami whipped her head around, catching sight of a winged figure surging towards the field. A long, golden staff glinted in the sunlight. The crowd of Foxy Pirates roared in disapproval.

"HEY! THAT'S CHEATING!"

"REF! DO SOMETHING!"

The ones closest to the Straw Hat Pirates tried to awaken the man to no avail.

Kai grinned at the many glares directed at him. "It's not cheating if the ref doesn't see it… right?"

"PUNK ATTACK!"

"I DON'T THINK SO!" Aurora swung the staff hard, the sickening crunch of bone ringing in her ears as she sent Hamburg flying. The ape-man crashed into the crowd, bowling over several bystanders.

"What's this?! One of the Straw Hats has made their way onto the field! That's an automatic disqualification! But wait! The referee is out cold?!"

"Aurora?!" Zoro stared wide-eyed at the angel. "What are you doing?!"

"Evening the playing field!"

"But wait… the Groggy Monsters aren't done yet!"

Aurora spun towards the direction she'd last seen Sanji, Big Pan and Pickles entering her field of view. The latter had shot himself towards the fish-giant, inserting himself feet first into his mouth. "HUMAN CANNON!"

"It's a cannonball with spikes!"

Sanji shakily rose to his knees, unaware of the impending danger. "I'm gonna throw-up…"

"Sanji!" Luffy tried to warn the cook. "Dodge it!"

"SLING TACKLE!"

A slew of white feathers obscured the Foxy pirate's vision, the large, rotund man slamming into a vibrant yellow barrier. He violently bounced off, landing several feet away. Aurora released a shaky breath, glad she'd gotten to the cook in time and that her shield had held.

"What a turn of events! Team Straw Hat is still in this game, thanks to their resident scout, Aurora!"

"Yeah… but they won't stay down for long…" Kai muttered, gaze shifting between the temporarily downed forms of Hamburg and Pickles. A quick glance at the referee showed the man was still out cold, unable to assist his crew in cheating.

The Foxy Pirates jeered, displeased with the way the game was going.

Aurora stared up at Pan, the fish-giant the last obstacle they had to tackle. "As long as the ref's out, we can do whatever needs to be done to win." She looked back at her two crewmates. "You boys good with that?"

"AURORA, LOOK OUT!"

A flicker of movement in the corner of her eye prompted the angel to jerk back, narrowly avoiding being squashed by Hamburg and Pickles. She was caught by the two men behind her, the cook and swordsman shifting to block the Foxy Pirates from getting to the berry-haired teen.

"…Hey, cook. Give me a hand for 10 seconds."

"That sounds like the right amount."

"For the 2nd round of the Davy Back Fight, Groggy Ring… the result is apparent! The monsters will remain undefeated as always. Team Straw Hat put up a good fight, but won't be able to prevent their doom."

"KICK THEIR ASS!" Luffy and Usopp rooted for their crew members.

"Listen up, you three!" Foxy's voice rang out over the crowd. "GIVE ME A MONSTER BURGER!"

The announcer and Foxy Pirates all froze in shock, the expressions on their faces speaking volumes.

"…What…?" Nami didn't understand.

Robin's gaze swept over the crowd. "Look at their reactions…"

Kai frowned. "Something's not right…"

"O… Our boss ordered a… a monster burger! Death is inevitable for Team Straw Hat now!"

Hamburg reached down, pulling two giant mallets from the belt of his pants. "Fufufu… Smash it up… Hamburg~~!"

"Ihihi! Slice it up… Pickles~~!" the larger man twirled two blades in his hands.

"And you add?!" the Foxy Pirates began to sing along. "Green lettuce~~! Yellow cheese~~!"

"Shit!" Kai growled. "More weapons!"

"Busisisi! Use the big pans and…" the fish-giant joined in. "Smash them in between~~!"

"MONSTER BURGER!"

"Here it is! The most dangerous three-weapon combo attack! Death is inevitable! This is definitely red-card material! But with the referee still out… he won't see any of this!"

The trio charged toward the Straw Hat pirates.

Their target is the ball, Sanji! He will be mashed, sliced and smashed flat! What kind of burger will he become?!"

"For third class material like you…"

"Time to turn into mush!" Hamburg reared back to swing his weapons.

"It's impossible to make anything good out of you…!"

The ape-man stopped in his tracks as the cook flipped towards him at a rapid pace. "So… fast…"

"TUNA JAM! MUSH!" Sanji's feet slammed directly into Hamburg's face, practically knocking the other man out.

"Pu pu…"

"Leader!" Pickles shouted a warning. "Watch out!"

Sanji planted himself directly below the ape-man, thrusting his legs upward. "ARM TIER SHOOT!"

"Not good…!" Pickles realized just exactly where Hamburg was headed. "Hey! Big Pan, stop the pans!"

The fish-giant was unable to hear his comrade. "Huh?" He smashed his two pans together, Hamburg coming to be sandwiched between them. The fish-giant froze, slowly pulling the pans apart and watching as his crewmate fell to the ground. "Huh?"

"Leader!" Pickles made a beeline for Sanji. "I'll avenge you!"

The cook maneuvered slightly off to the side, Zoro rushing forward in his place. He crouched down, grabbing the spinning Pickles from below. "Don't forget that this is a team match!"

"Damn you!"

"Swordless style… Dragon…"

Pickles brought his sword down. "I'll slice you into pieces!"

Zoro's eyes snapped open, the swordsman making his move. "TWISTER!"

Pickles was sent spiraling back towards Pan, slamming into the fish-giant. "BUSYAAAAA!"

"Wah!" The Foxy Pirates were in disbelief. "Big Pan is… getting diced up by Pickles!"

"Wah… I can't stop!"

"OWWAAAA!" Big Pan cried out in pain, falling back towards an awaiting Sanji.

"Anti-Manner… KICK COURSE!"

"…..! Buga… ga…"

"A… Amazing! Big Pan's falling body got kicked back up! Now Big Pan is in the half-standing, half-falling, groggy state! Oh! The swordsman Zoro is rushing forward! Without a doubt he's going for the ball, Big Pan!"

"Ihihi!" Pickles slid into the swordsman's path. "You won't pass!"

Zoro smirked. "Wasn't planning on it!"

"Huh?"

"I'm just the distraction!"

"You cheating bastards…" Sanji growled from behind. "You and the referee…"

"Hm?"

The cook launched himself at the Foxy Pirate, kicking him into the crowd where he landed atop a slowly waking referee.

"Pickles got kicked out into… oh no… he landed on the referee!"

The ref, now having woken up, struggled to pull himself out from underneath the larger man. "Gr…! You did that on purpose! You attacked the referee…" He reached into his pocket. "Red card… Hm? Where're my cards?! Wah… damn it…"

Nami cheekily stuck her tongue out, some familiar-colored cards in her hand. "Looking for these~~?"

Robin smirked. "Bad girl…"

"Only Big Pan remains standing in the ring!"

"Aurora! Do it now!" Zoro called.

Thunder rumbled in the distance, the clouds growing dark and streaks of lightning shooting across the sky.

"W… What's happening?! A sudden storm?!"

High above the field, Aurora hovered in place, arms stretched wide as she called upon her element. 'I've only got one shot at this. To help my crew. I need this to work! Think back to Skypiea. Call upon that feeling!'

Power flowed through her veins, the angel's eyes snapping open as she felt that familiar sensation. She raised a hand, white light shooting down towards it. "HOLY…." Her palm was thrust forward, aimed at her target. "LIGHTNING!"

A streak of white followed the predetermined path, striking the fish-giant directly in the chest. Big Pan shrieked in pain, his body lighting up in a blast of holy power. Aurora took that as her cue and shot forward, slamming her staff into the man's face. Pan let out one last groan, his body falling backwards in slow-motion.

"Imp… Impossible! The fish-giant's heavy body… is airborne!"

"WHAT?!"

"GO!"

"He's headed for the goal ring!"

"The undefeatable groggy monster is being defeated?!"

"It's not possible!"

"AAAAH!" Foxy screamed in horror, unable to believe his eyes.

Pan finally landed with a resounding crash, his ball covered head hitting the mark and earning the Straw Hats the victory.

"GOAL~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~! GOAL! GOAL! GOAL~~~~~~!"

"Awesome!" Luffy cheered. "They won!"

"That was beautiful!" Usopp wailed.

"Gaa! Gabaa!" Chopper's crying could be heard from the stage, the reindeer hardly able to talk through his tears. "Dodo… Danji… Durora… Good job!"

Porche was inconsolable. "Iyan~~! You can't take my Choppy~~!"

"That was amazing! Those punks are strong!"

"Idiots! Don't praise them!" Foxy reprimanded his crew.

"I'm so touched! I'm gonna cry!"

"Cool! They're so cool!"

Foxy growled. "Imbeciles… how did it end like this?!"

"….Ah…" the referee slowly came to once more.

"Mr. Referee, you're awake! Blow the whistle!" Nami encouraged, offering the object to the man.

"Ah! That's right. I almost forgot! That punk attacked me twice!" He brought the whistle to his lips, the shrill sound ringing out over the field.

"There it is! The ending whistle! The victory is official!"

"…Huh?"

Nami sent a cheeky wave in the referee's direction. "Thank you~~!"

"…Huh?"

"In Davy Back Fight, Round 2, defeating the almighty Groggy Monster, and winning the round… It's Team Straw Hat! Congratulations!"

"Don't fool around next time! I was so scared!" Usopp berated Zoro, repeatedly slapping the swordsman.

"Stop it! Stop hitting me!"

Luffy let out laugh. "Wahahahah! I knew we would win!"

Kai snorted. "Oh please! If her holiness hadn't grown a pair and injected herself into the fight, these two would've been dead meat."

Aurora glared at the fallen angel. "Sanji and Zoro would've done just fine without me."

"I think your little performance out there proves otherwise."

"You know what-!" The true angel got in her counterpart's face, the two beginning to bicker.

"Nami~! Robin~! Did you see it~!" Sanji crooned. "Did my awesomeness stun you~?"

Robin smiled amusedly. "Good work."

"And now… the victor of Round 2, Team Straw Hat… can pick a crewmember from the Foxy Pirates as their prize, or take their flag! Which will the Straw Hats' captain choose? Who will their captain choose?!"

"…Of course I'll choose him!" To Luffy, the answer was obvious. "Okay. I'll choose Cho-"

"Wait, Luffy!" Nami stopped him. "The third match is one-on-one, and their player is their captain. So, if we take that man now, we get an automatic 3rd win. In other words, we can get Chopper back without any more fights!"

"THAT IS DOWN RIGHT DIRTY! What an unbelievably cold-blooded woman! She is pure evil and totally untrustworthy!"

"I overestimated you!"

"Cheap shit!"

"Throughout decades of the Davy Back Fight history, many people thought of such a trick, but… nobody ever put such dishonor into action!"

"NO!"

"I'm sure everyone here would agree with me! The 3rd fight should be fought honorably, not avoided cowardly!"

"How dare you talk down on my Nami!" Sanji fumed.

The navigator sobbed into Robin's shoulder. "They're so mean!"

"Where is the honor when they disregarded all the rules?" the archaeologist mused.

Zoro had no sympathy for the orange-haired girl. "Stop crying. It's your own fault."

"I agree with Nami!" Usopp chimed in.

"Scum!"

"Cheap ass!"

"Like you have any right to talk!" Kai jeered back.

Aurora frowned. "This is getting ridiculous…"

"You're really starting to tick me off!" Nami glowered at the Foxy Pirates.

"Sorry…" they meekly apologized.

"So? No more comments?!"

"Uh… in any case, the choice is the captain's alone. Only their captain, Monkey D. Luffy shall decide! Let's see who he will choose?"

"Actually, Nami, if we do as you said, we will certainly get an easy win." Robin understood the navigator's reasoning. "However, I don't want that split-head traveling with me."

"So true!" she agreed, not having thought of that.

"Yeah. We don't need that kind of trash." The boys were in wholehearted agreement, none of them taking notice of Foxy's affronted expression.

"CHOPPER!" Luffy called. "COME BACK!"

"WUOKAY!" the reindeer sobbed, throwing himself into Luffy's arms. "Waaaaah!"

"No! Choppy!"

"Thanks for saving me!" the reindeer continued to wail.

"Stop crying. It's not like Zoro and Sanji could've lost."

Kai sucked in a breath. "Well…"

Aurora elbowed the fallen angel sharply. "Don't… start…!"

"Oh no! Boss' gentle heart is shattered again! He has completely crumbled!"

"The pain…" Foxy moaned.

Porsche attempted to console her captain. "They bluntly said that they don't want boss!"

"Boss, don't be sad. We want you!"

"Boss!"

"Boss, teach them a lesson in Round 3!"

"Yeah, we're looking forward to it!"

"Wah… Wuu… You guys…" Foxy sniffled. "Yes, this is where I belong…"

"Stop that bullshit." Sanji butted in. "Fight already."

Foxy collapsed in a heap.

"BOSS!"

"Fueh!" the man sprang back up. "Listen, you! No one… can win against me in battle for Round 3! Besides, the crewmember you lose in the final round can't be won back. All of you should be prepared… to become one of us permanently!"

"I won't lose to you!" Luffy declared.

"Fueheheh…" Foxy turned his back on the Straw Hats. "There are many differences… between a normal battle and a game battle."

"The 2nd Round ended with an unexpected loss for the Groggy Monsters. The two teams are now tied! Coming up is the third and final round of the Davy Back Fight that will decide everything! The game type is the crowd favorite… the most eagerly anticipated… BATTLE ROUND!"

"I can't wait any longer!"

"Start the fight!"

"First, we will pick the battlefield…"

This caught Zoro's attention. "We get to pick the battlefield?"

"With the field-chooser cannon! Both players will now spin the cannon! And then… when the cannon comes to a halt naturally…"

The cannon abruptly stopped spinning.

"Hold on! That doesn't look natural at all!" Usopp called foul.

BOOM!

"The field chosen with the cannon is coincidentally the ship of the Foxy Pirates!"

Usopp's jaw dropped. "Coincidental? Yeah right! Cheaters!"

"What else is new?" Kai scoffed.

"It doesn't matter." Zoro griped. "Stop whining."

"Alright! Now the battlefield is chosen. It's time to explain the rules! The actual field is the area within 50m radius of where the cannonball landed. So that's a circular field, 100 meters in diameter! You may use any weapon on the ship. Aside from the contestants, no other person is allowed on the field. The first person to kick the opponent out of the field wins! That's all! By the way, the spaces above and under the circle are part of the field. If you adjust your attention to the stage… you can enjoy a performance by boss' sexy Foxy cheerleaders, led by our very lovely Porche."

"Yeah!"

Aurora sweatdropped. "They can't be serious…"

"Please also note that various Davy Back Fight souvenirs are being sold right now."

"Davy Back Pin~! Davy Back Pin~!"

"Make sure you get something to commemorate this exciting event!"

Nami was irate. "We don't need that trash! Start the game already!"

Nearby, Chopper tightened a bandage around Sanji's arm. "Thanks a ton! You guys were so cool~~! You kicked their butts big time!"

The cook and swordsman spoke up at the same time. "I guess I did single-handedly…" They paused, heads whipping to face each other.

Aurora stepped between the two vexed crewmates, placing a hand in each of their faces. "Stop! It was a team effort. Everyone had a part to play and did so accordingly."

The irritation instantly melted from Sanji's face, the cook singing praises about his beloved angel. Zoro's expression smoothed into a frown, the swordsman letting out a grunt of acknowledgement before turning away. Aurora glanced between the two and released a sigh, glad she was able to prevent a fight from breaking out amongst the men.

"Whipped!" Kai not so subtly coughed into his fist, earning a glare from the true angel.

"Thank you. Here are your special Foxy pins…" a vendor's voice rang out.

"Don't buy that trash!" Nami hollered at Luffy and Usopp.

"Contestants need to go to the rest area."

Luffy raised his hand. "That's me!"

"Okay, who will be your coach?"

"I can be the coach." Usopp offered.

"F-O-X-Y! FOXY!" the girls continued to cheer.

Zoro raised a brow at the ongoing antics. "What are they doing?"

"Entertaining?" Nami's response sounded more like a question, the navigator unsure if what they were doing could really be considered as such.

"It's just the pre-game show." Robin quipped.

"I'd hardly call that a show." Kai piped in, the fallen angel far from impressed with the fight that was now taking place. Two Foxy pirates went at each other with boxing gloves, occasionally using a weapon here or there.

"What are you trying to pull? This popcorn sucks!" Sanji's voice rang out above the noisiness of the crowd.

"Then don't buy it!"

"How about 80% off?!"

Shots were soon fired into the air, alerting everyone to the impending match.

"The preparations are complete! The most exciting event of the day is starting! It's the Battle Round! The fight will start soon!"

Several more shots were fired, dark smoke clouding the sky. The change in atmosphere sent a shiver down Aurora's spine. The brevity of their situation was finally hitting her. This final round… it could very well mean the end of the Straw Hat Pirates.

Luffy had to win.

"The two fighters of the final round… are the corresponding captains! On the left… he's the returning champion… with a record of 920 straight wins! He is the Captain of the Foxy Pirates! Our boss… Foxy the Silver Fox!"

"Boss!"

"Wuooooo!"

"BOSS!"

"TAKE HIM DOWN IN ONE SECOND!"

"On the right… the captain of the small but… ferocious team of pirates… with an amazing bounty of 100 million beri… he is… known as the Straw Hat Kiddo… He is Monkey… D… LUFFY!"

Kai's eye twitched. "What the hell is he wearing?"

Aurora covered her face in embarrassment. "This has Usopp written all over it…" she groaned.

"Luffy!" Chopper's eyes sparkled. "You're so cool!"

"Davy Back Fight, final round… Battle start!"

"HELL YEAH!" Luffy roared.

"Alright! The fight is about to begin!"

"I'm Luffy's coach! Open your eyes… for the golden right punch!"

"Yeah! Ring the bell already!"

"Fueh fueh. Interesting…" Foxy cracked his neck. "Straw Hat is looking good! Even though you're my enemy, I have to compliment you on it."

"Both combatants are in the battlefield!"

"Who died and made Usopp coach…" Zoro grumbled.

Sanji piped up next. "Hell yeah! I'm burning up, bro!"

"Can't he be more serious?!" Nami lamented.

Robin let out a laugh. "Heehee. I think he looks fine."

"No, he doesn't." Kai deadpanned.

Aurora, face still covered in embarrassment, peeked through her fingers. "I want to have faith that Luffy can win this, but he's making it very hard right now."

"I suggest that you start digging your grave! You'll need it after the fight!" Usopp boasted.

"Alright! All seconds out of the ring!"

"Hold on! I'm not finished yet!" Usopp squawked at the announcer.

"Seconds, get out!"

"Yeah! Kick ass!" the Foxy crew cheered.

"I will now repeat the rules. The battlefield is our ship… that is… the entire main deck and every room under it! All the action will take place there! The field also includes the terrain in the 100m radius of the ship's mast! Lastly, there is no time limit! One point wins the game!"

"YEAH!"

Aurora yelped when the seats suddenly shook, rising higher up into the air and making the battleground even more visible. "What the…?!"

"The audience stand… rose up!"

"Now only the two contestants are on the field!"

"Fuehehehe… Straw Hat Luffy!" Foxy called out. "The entire ship is part of the battlefield. Fight however you want! Don't worry if you break anything, we have plenty of ship mechanics."

"Okay!" Luffy was quick to agree.

"Go, boss!"

"Straw Hat, nice outfit, but… you're still going down!"

"Luffy! Win! You have to win!"

"Be careful of his beam attack!" Nami warned.

"The excitement level is at its peak! Will they lose or acquire a crew member? There is no turning back now! Davy Back Fight! Final Round! Foxy the Silver Fox vs Straw Hat Luffy! Th clash between two captains! The fate of their crews is in their hands! Let the game… BEGIN!"

Foxy pounded his gloved fists together. "Com'on!"
"Gomu Gomu…" Luffy pulled his arm back. "PISTOL!"

"Noro Noro Beam!" Foxy leapt out of the way, using his devil fruit power to slow down Luffy's punch.

"Oh no!" Nami cried.

"What…! My punch became so slow!"

"Fueheheheh!" Foxy laughed. "The harder you hit, the harder you trip!"

"What?! G…! It won't come back!" Luffy's body lurched forward, the boy unable to reel his arm back in as his fist continued to move. "Waaah!"

"Fueheheh!" Foxy cackled. "Noro Noro…"

"Must dodge it!" Fist still slowly traveling through the air, Luffy launched the rest of his body upward to avoid getting hit.

"Just kidding!"

"Huh?!"

Foxy had Luffy right where he wanted him. "Noro Noro Beam!"

"Oh no!" Aurora gasped, realizing that had been the man's plan all along. "Luffy won't be able to do anything if he can barely move!"

"I told you to watch out!" Nami reprimanded their captain.

"Fuck him up, boss!"

"Hahaha, that guy is weak!"

"Why… won't… I… fall…" Luffy grit out, even his speech affected by Foxy's devil fruit power.

"Enjoying the moment, Straw Hat Luffy?"

"Even the falling speed decreased…" Zoro observed.

"Luffy is so cool~~~!" Chopper praised.

Kai glowered at the tiny reindeer. "How is him losing cool?"

Aurora jabbed the fallen angel with her elbow. "Knock it off!" she growled.

"It's a valid question!" Kai grunted when he was elbowed once more. "Stop that!"

"Fueh fueh!" Foxy leapt up, landing atop a still slowly descending Luffy.

"What're… you…"

"Foxy…"

"…doing…"

"RUSH!" Foxy's gloved fists rained down upon Luffy's face. "Rush! Rush! Rush!"

"…Huh? No effect from his punches?!"

"No. The beam probably also made it slower, too…" Zoro corrected the cook. Sure enough, the swordsman's words rang true. The punches slowly began to take effect, Luffy's face contorting painfully.

"Fueheheheheh! That felt good!"

"Damn… you…" Luffy managed to squeeze out.

"My punches will add up and become effective soon. You're done for even if you are a rubber man!" Foxy cheered. "3… 2… 1… That's 30 seconds! Ding!"

"Waaaaaaah!" The force of the punches propelled Luffy down onto the ship, heavily battering his body.

"Fueheheh!"

Sanji's jaw dropped. "All the hits take effect at once after 30 seconds!"

"Luffy!" Nami cried in alarm.

Robin took note of where Luffy's body was headed. "He'll fall into the sea like that!"

Kai began to stand. "Then we'll just have to catch him!"

Nami and Aurora both yanked him back down. The true angel glared at the man. "We can't do that! The field isn't just the ship! It's also the area above and below it! If either of us were to fly in and interfere…"

"Then Luffy would be disqualified, and we'd lose!" the navigator finished.

Kai grit his teeth, but begrudgingly sat down, realizing the two were right. "Guess I have no choice but to trust in Straw Hat's abilities…"

At that moment, Luffy whipped his arm up, the appendage stretching far enough for him to grab hold of the ship's figurehead.

"Ooooh! Look! His arm stretched!"

"Interesting! So that's the power of the Gomu Gomu Fruit!"

"Damn!" Luffy landed back atop the ship. "It's stronger than I thought… that Noro Noro Beam! I better not stretch too much! Grr! I'm pissed off now! Come out, broom head!"

"Ooh! The final round, Combat, has barely begun! Our boss' flawless combo attack totally knocked Straw Hat down! It's firing up!"

Luffy charged forward, abruptly having to duck when a slew of arrows nearly took his head off. "Wah!"

"Fueh fueh fueh!" Foxy's laughter rang through the air. "Welcome back to my ship!"

"Ah! There you are! Stay right there!" Luffy began to move once more. "How come… he's standing on a cannonball?! Did he use Noro Noro Beam on it?! If he can stand on it, I can, too!" He jumped, foot touching the closest cannonball.

"Ah. I forgot to tell you. 30 seconds just passed… for that one."

"Eh?! Wah!" Gravity took hold, the cannonball plummeting to the deck and Luffy about to go with it. He stretched an arm out, grabbing hold of another. "Damn it!"

"Ah! That one, too."

"Eh?!" The cannonball dropped, Luffy still attached. "Aaah!"

"Fueheheh!" Foxy laughed as the ball exploded, touching back down to the deck. "It's so nice of me to warn you!"

Luffy forced himself up. "Damn… him…! He's so cocky because we're on his ship…"

"Fueh fueh!" Foxy's laughter continued to ring out. "Noro Noro Foxy-Face Bomb!"

"WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?!" Luffy screeched, jaw dropping and eyes bulging at the multiple Foxy heads that were shot towards him. "Hm? Aren't these the pins… they're a little bigger than the one I bought…"

"These are bombs!"

"Bombs?! Aren't they dangerous?!" Luffy paused, realizing the voice had come from in front of him. "Eh? Why was the bomb talking?"

"Because I'm the real Foxy head!" he shouted, driving his fist into Luffy's face. "Idiot!"

Luffy slammed into the side of a stairwell, sinking to the deck floor.

"Fuehehehehe! Excuse me, Straw Hat Luffy. I… enhanced my boxing glove."

"Damn…"

"By the way, 30 seconds is almost up… for the bombs."

Meanwhile, out in the crowd, no one could see what was happening further inside the field.

"Damn it! I can't see anything! What's happening?"

"Luffy, punch him in the stomach!" Usopp crowed.

Sanji turned to the sniper. "Oh? You can see them, Usopp?"

"What are you doing, Luffy?!" Nami worried.

Aurora stiffened at the large explosion that followed the navigator's words, heavy black smoke filling the sky.

"Amazing! All the bombs hit head on! Foxy is winning big time! Now we're talking! Wow, that was a huge explosion!"

Chopper's eyes grew wide. "Luffy?!"

"Luffy, hang in there!" Usopp held his head in despair.

"Calm down." Sanji grumbled.

"In our ship that just happens to be the battlefield… the Foxy face bombs that conveniently were left there… were cleverly used by our boss for a mega attack!"

Nami frowned. "On that ship he can pull all kinds of cheap tricks."

Kai smirked, his gaze traveling to just above the battlefield. "Yeah… but even our idiot of a captain knows how to dodge sometimes…"

Aurora was looking up at the same spot as Kai, the true angel locked onto the warm glow of Luffy's aura. "Now if he could just figure out how to land a hit…"

"Straw Hat Luffy was probably blown to pieces." The announcer continued on, blissfully unaware. "If that happens, he'll have lost the match once part of his body leaves the arena! Yet another devastating knockout by Capt-"

"That was close!" a voice coughed out.

The announcer froze, gaze slowly travelling over to his left and landing on a still very much alive Luffy. "WAAAAH!"

"Hey, stop screaming so loud!" Luffy yelled back.

"Can it really be? Straw Hat Luffy's still alive! He must've dodged the explosion in a split second! Amazing!"

"So strong…"

"Too scary…"

"This… This is the true strength of a man with a 100 million bounty on his head!"

"Oh yeah!" Usopp cheered.

"Take him down!" Sanji joined in.

"Fuehehehehe…"

"Straw Hat may have avoided the previous attack, but our boss is poised to strike again! His confident laughter radiates forth from the veils of smoke! Our boss' laughter… takes away the enemy's chance to catch their breath! Where will he strike? How will Foxy the Silver Fox strike next?"

"Agh!" a shape became visible through the smoke.

"Ah! A shadow!"

"How did you like that?!"

"You're the one who got hurt!" Luffy roared, seeing the state Foxy was in.

"Did not!"

"Stop lying!"

"You won't be able to walk out of here alive…" Foxy held up a fist. "Noro Noro B-"

Luffy was no longer there, having managed to maneuver behind the other pirate. "Gomu Gomu Hook!"

"Ugyaaaah!"

Luffy grinned. "I'm going to break your hand… so you can't do the beam thing!"

"Oh, really now?" Foxy was irked.

"Gah! He went back into the smoke!" Luffy turned at the sound of Foxy's laugh. "Huh?! I can see you, dumbass! Take that!" He threw a punch, hitting his target. Only… it wasn't really Foxy. "What?! It's fake!"

"Noro Noro Beam!"

"Wah!" Luffy barely managed to dodge.

"Fueheheheh…" Multiple Foxy targets sprung up amongst the smoke. "Fuehehehehe… So, tell me, rubber boy… where's the next beam gonna come from? Where will the beam shoot from?!"

"How should I know, dumbass? Every target's got the same ugly haircut!"

"…Ugly haircut…" Foxy fell to his knees despondently.

"Keep insulting him, Straw Hat!" Kai roared from the crowed. "It's his weakness!"

Luffy turned, catching sight of the downed figure amidst the cloud of smoke. His fist flew forward. "GOTCHA!"

Foxy slammed head first into the wall. "You coldblooded cheap scum! I'm going to teach you a lesson!"

Luffy raised his gloved fists up. "Go ahead."

"Look!" Foxy distracted his opponent. "A three-headed monkey!"

"Eh?"

"Luffy, don't-" Aurora tried to warn her captain.

"Fueh!" Foxy hit a lever, a trap door opening beneath Luffy.

"Wah!" He landed further down inside the ship. "Ouch!"

"Fueh fueh fueh fueh!"

"Damn! It was a trap!"

"Hah, sucker!"

"Grrr! There was no monkey, you lying bastard!" Luffy roared.

"Blame your own stupidity! Fueh Fueh!"

"Eh? What the…" The trap door closed, the floor underneath Luffy's feet beginning to lurch. "What is this?! Wah! The floor is moving!" The boy was sent flying out an opening on the side of the ship, body falling towards the sea. "Wah!"

"It's Luffy!" Usopp recognized the plummeting figure.

"What's he doing?!" Nami grew alarmed. "If he falls into the sea, he's done for!"

"Now can we do something?!" Kai turned to Aurora.

"No!" she snapped back. "That's still part of the battlefield! We can't go anywhere near it or we risk disqualification!"

Kai growled. "Damn it!"

"I won't…" Luffy whipped an arm up. "Fall!" He reeled himself back in, landing atop the railing. "Hah! Heh… heh…"

"So close!"

"The fight goes on! This is exciting!"

"Give it your best, Straw Hat!"

Kai sweatdropped. "Are they actually cheering for our guy?"

Robin huffed out a laugh. "They must not get this kind of entertainment very often…"

"Man… this ship is evil!" Luffy moaned. "It's full of traps! Where did he go? Foxy!"

"Luffy, after escaping death… is falling for boss' taunt… the interior of the ship is boss' backyard! Will you accept that challenge, Straw Hat Luffy?"

"Luffy!" Nami realized just where he was headed. "No! It's a trap! They must have even more traps inside!"

"Bastard!" Luffy didn't hear the navigator's cries. "I'm gonna torture him. I'm gonna crucify him. Real bad."

"Straw Hat Luffy charges in without a second thought! The fight has moved to inside the ship! Now not even I can see what is going on! This is the true duel! It's a one-on-one fight to the finish!"

"Stand up! Stand up Luffy!" Usopp bellowed, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Think of our training!"

Sanji smacked him upside the head. "Shut up and sit down! You're blocking my view!"

"What view?" Kai retorted. "None of us can see anything!"

Aurora's gaze trailed over the ship, powers locking on to the feel of Luffy's aura hidden deep inside. "Guess it's just a waiting game now…"

"It is Round 3 of the Davy Back Fight, Combat! No one can see what is going on inside the ship, however… we know for sure that it is a rigorous duel to the finish!"

"Boss! Boss! Boss!" the Foxy Pirates began to chant.

"Even though we cannot see, everyone is cheering for our great boss!"

"Don't lose…!" Zoro huffed.

"Luffy won't lose!" Chopper remained optimistic.

"Yeah!" Usopp was in agreement. "His afro will prevail!"

"Foxy should be no match for Luffy…" Sanji believed in his captain's abilities.

Nami eyed Usopp. "Why would the afro increase his power anyways?"

"He sure 'looked' stronger." Robin chuckled.

Kai groaned into his hand. "Nico… don't encourage them."

Aurora's gaze remained fixed on the ship. She could still sense Luffy inside. "He's hurt… but moving. There's still a chance…"

"Something is happening!"

A large explosion rocked the ship, smoke billowing into the air once more.

"Who has prevailed?! Has it been decided? There are two shadows!"

"Wuaaah!" the Foxy Pirates began to cheer.

"Fuehehehe!"

"The boss is still standing! Yeah! Boss! On the other hand, Straw Hat Luffy is badly burned… he likely suffered some sort of fierce punch!"

"Aaaaah!"

"Luffy!"

"No way!"

"Why?" Nami didn't understand. "Why would he be burned from mere punches?!"

Robin leaned forward in intrigue. "Look!"

From amongst the smoke, Luffy stood, fists raised at the ready.

"Straw Hat Luffy is standing back up! You still want more?"

"He stood back up!" Even Foxy couldn't believe it. "Straw Hat Luffy! Must be something about that 'fro after all."

Luffy didn't respond, waiting for the other man to make his move.

"Knock him out!"

"Yeah, finish it!"

Foxy pulled out a wooden sword hilt, his Noro Noro Beam taking shape as he slashed in Luffy's direction. "Fueh fueh fueh! This is the Noro Noro Beam Sword! I have locked your arms and legs with it. Looks like you're not going anywhere for a while."

Luffy struggled to break free of his bonds, but it was to no avail. "Ngh! Damnit, I'm stuck!"

"Megaton Nine-Tail Rush!" Foxy delivered a series of hard and fast punches, each striking Luffy heavily until he was slammed back into the mast.

"LUFFY!"

"Fueheheheh!"

"This time… no… not yet…"

"Luffy!"

"Straw Hat Luffy stood back up!"

"How is he still standing after that?"

"Is it because of the wig?"

"The wild African hairdo!"

Foxy aimed a fist at Luffy. "Noro Noro Beam! Megaton Nine-Tail Rush!"

"Screw you!" Usopp attempted to jump over the railing. "That beam thing is way too cheap!"

Zoro yanked him back. "Usopp!"

"Go!" the Foxy Pirates cheered their captain on.

"Heh… heh… heh… this is a really tiresome business… heh…"

"That's just torture, not a fight!" Usopp continued to rave.

"It's not over yet." Aurora declared, gaze fixed on her captain. His body may have been battered and bruised, but his spirit was alive and well.

"He's standing up?!"

"To save… my nakama… I will fight… TO THE DEATH!"

"Straw Hat is standing back up! What amazing stamina! Straw Hat Luffy stood back up! Straw Hat Luffy stood back up! He keeps standing back up again and again!"

Foxy glared. "Why won't you just stay down…?!"

"His legs are shaking, he's out of breath, yet his eye is still so keen… as he keeps standing up… for the sake of his nakama! That is the true spirit of Davy Back Fight! My… tears are pouring out. I can hardly see anything!"

"Luffy!" Usopp cried.

"Luffy!"

"Luffy!" Even the Foxy Pirates joined in. "Luffy! Luffy! Luffy! Luffy!"

"Deafening cheers for Luffy come nonstop from the audience! There has never been another man who could survive against our boss to this extent!"

"Idiots! Why the hell are you cheering for the enemy?!" Foxy screamed.

"Boss! Boss! Boss!"

"Boss! Boss!"

Foxy turned his attention back to Luffy. "Watch carefully, because this is the end!" He swung his weapon. "Noro Noro Beam Sword!"

Luffy tried to dodge, but was caught.

"Hoi hoi… it's impossible to run from me!"

"Damn!" Usopp cursed. "He doesn't even have enough strength to run… I can't bear to see Luffy like this!"

Foxy grinned in triumph. "Time for the finisher! Noro Noro Beam…!"

"Boss is on the offensive! First he slowed down the cannonball…"

"FOXY FIGHTER!" Foxy mounted a small wooden glider onto the cannonball, leaping on top of it. "Using the speed of the cannonball, this Megaton Punch will KO you for sure!"

"There it is! It's boss' ultimate cannon-riding attack! Soon the Foxy Fighter will charge and obliterate the target!"

"Luffy!" Sanji hollered. "He got you a moment earlier than the glider! Start running as soon as you are free!"

Luffy panted heavily as he struggled to move, finally managing to get his feet under him. "Heh… heh… I can move now!"

"Straw Hat got free from the effect of the beam first!"

"It's useless!" Foxy sped forward on his glider. "You won't get away!" He drew back his fist, slamming it directly into Luffy's face. He then proceeded to jump off his glider, allowing it to continue forward and fly right at Luffy.

"LUFFY! INCOMING!" Usopp tried to warn him.

"Fuehehe! Take that as my farewell gift!"

A large explosion lit up the sky, smoke pouring from the deck of Foxy's ship.

"GAME OVER! Perfect hit! There is no way he could've survived!"

"Fuehehehe!"

"You're wrong!" Aurora shouted, drawing her crewmate's attention to her. The true angel smirked. "Luffy's not done yet! He's still standing! See for yourself!"

From the dredges of black smoke stood a figure, arms raised and fists at the ready.

"H… He… He is standing back up again!"

"Impossible!"

"He's not human!"

Luffy was beat up, tired, and barely able to stand… but he refused to back down. "I'm… going to win!"

"Bullshit!" Foxy snarled. "You can hardly stand! If you want to die so badly… I'll keep hitting until you drop! Megaton Nine Tail…!"

"Heh… heh… Gomu Gomu…!"

"RUSH!"

"GOMU GOMU GATTLING GUN!"

The ensuing fight became a flurry of fists, both men matching each other punch for punch.

"Amazing! The fight is so fierce even this late in the game! The fighters have entered a pummeling rage!"

"Luffy! Go, Luffy! Smash him up good!" Usopp cheered.

"Smash!" Chopper mimicked.

"Come on, Straw Hat!" Even Kai joined in. "Kick his ass! Show him why you're worth such a high bounty!"

"Not stopping! They don't seem to be stopping any time soon!"

"Ahh!" Foxy was soon taking more hits than he could block. "Such… power! How can this dying man have so much strength left?!"

"Wuoooooooh!"

"This is…! Gah!" Foxy's head snapped to the side. That was the final straw. "Noro Noro… BEE-" Both captains froze in place.

"Huh?"

"What happened?"

"They're not moving."

"Heh… heh…" Luffy fell to his knees.

"D… Down! Straw Hat is down… no… wait! That's not right! Straw Hat is still moving!"

"Damn… you…" Foxy had slowed down, even his speech stilted.

"What the heck happened?!"

Nami couldn't believe her eyes. "What?!"

"B… Boss!"

Something flashed in Luffy's gloved fist before dropping to the deck floor. "A mirror! Straw Hat had a piece of mirror in his hand!"

"He used it redirect Foxy's beam right back at him!" Aurora realized, smile blooming on her face. Luffy never ceased to amaze her.

"It got stuck on my afro… when… I was in your mirror room…" he supplied.

"You… little… shit…" Foxy was still affected by the Noro Noro Beam.

"Gomu Gomu…" Luffy began to twirl his arm in the air.

"A… Aah…"

"FLAIL!" The attack hit Foxy dead in the face, but nothing appeared to have happened. Slowly, his facial features began to contort, everything caving in from the pressure.

"… 8 more seconds." Zoro spoke up.

Usopp glanced at him in confusion. "Huh…? Ah…?"

"Is this the end…?!"

"7…" Sanji continued the countdown.

"6…" Robin chimed.

Kai was practically giddy with anticipation. "Come on… hurry up already! This is gonna be good!"

"5…!" Usopp caught on, keeping up the count. He turned to the crowd. "What are you staring at? Count with me! 4!"

"What? That sounds fun!" The Foxy Pirates joined in. "3! 2! 1!"

The full effect of the punch finally hit, Foxy sent flying through the air. "O~~~! BUBEEH!"

Luffy stood triumphantly atop the figurehead, arms raised in victory. "YEAH~~~!"

"All right!" The Straw Hat Pirates cheered.

"Wait." The Foxy Pirates realized just who was soaring through the sky. "That's our boss flying!"

"Boss is sent soaring in the sky!"

"BOSS!"

Foxy landed in the water with a loud Splash!

"The point of landing is… outside the battlefield! For the fateful battle of the third round of this Davy Back Fight, the captain vs captain combat round, our boss, Foxy, has tragically fallen after 920 straight wins. The winner of this round is… STRAW HAT LUFFY!"

"That was beautiful, Luffy!"

"Luffy!"

"That was fantastic!" Kai cackled. "Such chaos!"

"Our boss… lost?!" The Foxy Pirates couldn't believe their eyes. "Don't just stand there! Go save boss!"

"Foxy Pirates vs Straw Hat Pirates…"

"Ok! I'll go!"

"No, I'll go!"

"I'll go, too!"

"Waah!"

"Under the three-coin rule, for this Davy Back Fight… the fight is now over!"

"BOSS!" the stand creaked and groaned under the weight of the Foxy Pirates as they trampled over one another to dive in after their captain.

Aurora yelped in alarm, wings popping out without a second thought as the grandstand began to topple. Kai was right there with her, the angels the only two to not get caught up in the fall.

The true angel cringed. "Oops…"

Kai glanced back and forth between Aurora and the debris. "We should… go help… right?"

"It might be a bit too late for that…"

"You really made me worry back there!" Usopp poked Luffy's cheek. "You! You!"

"You're poking too hard!" Chopper tried to stop him. "Are you trying to kill Captain?!"

Aurora shoved Usopp away. "Stop that! Let me get a look at him. Chopper, is there anything I can do to help? Maybe I can speed the healing process up a bit?"

"I was scared too." Nami piped up, watching as Chopper and Aurora worked on Luffy. "All that talk about the afro making you strong…"

"Nami, the afro does make you strong!" It would seem Sanji was a believer now.

"Ah! He woke up!"

"Hn…" Luffy slowly came to. "Huh! The game?! What happened to the fight? Didn't I win? Was I dreaming?"

"Relax." Zoro placated his captain. "You won."

Luffy fell back with a sigh of relief. "That's good…"

Nami said nothing, merely looking at her captain fondly.

"Yup." Chopper chimed in agreement.

"I wasn't worried for a second."

"My ass." Sanji scoffed at Usopp's claim.

"Liar." Kai and Aurora rang.

"I thought about it. If I left this ship, I'd have no point in being a pirate anymore." Zoro grumbled.

Robin giggled. "Hee hee…"

"Boss! You should be resting!"

"Hey. Straw Hat!" A heavily bandaged Foxy made his way over. "It's all because of you that I've lost my perfect record…"

"Boss!"

"Not bad." Foxy held his hand up for a handshake. "Brother."

Luffy went to accept the gesture, paying no heed to the laughs the Foxy Pirates were trying to smother.

"EAT THIS!" Foxy grabbed hold of Luffy's arm. "OVERHEAD THROW OF VENGEANCE!" Unfortunately, he forgot Luffy was a rubber man and that his attack would have no effect. Foxy's head slammed into the ground.

"Boss!"

Zoro sweatdropped. "Idiot."

"Fine! Let's just get this over with. What do you want?!"

"That's right! The last part of the game still needs deciding! The winner, Captain Straw Hat, gets to take a new crew member! They seem to be looking for a carpenter. In that case, will they take the leader of our 50-men mechanic team, Sonieh? Or will they pick the battle-ready mechanic, Donoban? Or the downright sexy carpenter, Gina? Only the captain can decide who to pick! Now please decide."

"I choose your flag."

There was a pause, and then… "WHAT?!"

"Hey, Luffy! Think again! Isn't sexy Gina a lot better?" Sanji tried to persuade him otherwise. "You won't get another chance at this!"

"If we had fought for something like that, it wouldn't be worth it…"

"You're… evil!" Foxy declared. "You didn't even give it a thought and you want to rob us of our pride?!"

"I don't want your sail. Just the flag." Luffy explained. "Otherwise, you won't be able to leave, right?"

"Heh? How thoughtful…"

"But our symbol is in our sail, too! We won't be able to use that!"

"Yeah! Stop pretending to be nice! Just take everything!"

"Okay, okay." Luffy acquiesced. "I'll just erase your symbol for you. Then I'll give you a new one. That way you'll be able to use your sail."

"Straw Hat…" Foxy looked as if he might begin to weep. "You're… so nice…"

Aurora shook her head as Luffy began to go to work. "They have no idea what they're in for…"

"Ok. Done."

The Foxy crew fell to their knees when they caught sight of their new symbol. They all had the same collective thought about Luffy's artwork. 'That's horrible!'

"They look so grateful, too!"

"No, we're not!"

"Choppy!" Porche chased the reindeer down. "Just one more hug!"

"Nooooo!"

"The winner is… the Straw Hat crew! The Davy Back Fight will now officially end!"

"Hooray!" Usopp cheered. "Going Merry is free again!"

"Hey! Straw Hat!" Foxy called from his ship.

"Hm?"

"I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS!"

Zoro sweatdropped. "They never give up, do they?"

"Sherry…"

"Hihi…"

"Hahaha, don't worry. You waited ten whole years for me. Now it's my turn. I'll keep waiting… until you're healed. Then we'll catch up with the others together."

"Hihi…"

"Okay. Okay!" Tonjit looked up when he heard the grass rustle. "Hm? You guys…"

Luffy offered up Foxy's flag. "We kicked their ass."

"… You're hurt pretty bad yourself."

"Nah…" Luffy grinned. "This is nothing."

Tonji returned the gesture. "Thank you…"

"Hihi…"

"Sherry…" Chopper made his way over to the horse. "I'll change the bandages."

"I see…" Nami glanced between the two. "So, this is why you accepted the challenge."

Kai snorted. "It's Straw Hat. The idiot would've accepted the challenge anyway."

"Hey!" Luffy huffed. "Respect your captain!"

Aurora slapped a hand over Kai's mouth. "He didn't mean that, Luffy."

Kai removed the appendage. "Yes, I did."

"Shut up!"

"Make me!"

Robin got between the two angels. "Now children… let's all try to get along."

"I'm 24, Nico. I'm not a child."

"And yet you still act like one…"

"Pfft…!" Aurora tried to hold back a laugh.

"Shut it, your holiness!"

"My point exactly."

"Damn it, Nico!"

"Why don't we take you to your people on our ship?" Nami ignored the bickering trio.

"No… these ten islands are actually the same one." Usopp told the navigator. "The guide post won't point to them individually."

"No problem. No problem." Tonjit waved it off. "I'm an easy-going guy. I'm not in a hurry." He glanced around at the various members of the crew. "Let's see… these must be your friends?! Since you're all here, allow me to treat you with something nice!"

"What do you have? That cheese again?"

Aurora suppressed a shiver. "Maybe something other than cheese…"

"Hahah!" Tonjit laughed, turning to enter his abode, only to run into something. Or rather… someone.

"Zzzzz…"

"Wa! What… is that?" Tonjit looked up at the towering figure.

"It's a person?!" Nami realized. "Was he there the whole time?"

"Huh?!" the stranger woke. "Who the heck are you?!"

"That's what we were asking you?!"

Upon catching sight of the man, Kai and Robin both froze, the latter stumbling over her own feet and falling to the ground. Aurora's gaze rapidly shifted between her two fellow pirates and the tall, slim man before them. They knew him… but how?

Luffy turned to the archaeologist in alarm, not having seen the woman react in such a way before. "Robin?!"

"What's wrong, Robin?!" Sanji caught on to the fact that something was wrong too.

The curly-haired man shifted his sleep mask to his forehead. "Arararara… you sure have grown to a fine young woman… Nico Robin."