Chapter 5: Dodongo Cave Battle
The farm girl Malon was looking for her friend Epona. "Epona!" She called looking around the plains. "Epona!"
Then the farm girl stopped pondering where her friend could've run off to. "Honestly, that habitual runaway!" She looked from left to right, but still no sign of her friend. "I wonder where she went?"
Later the pirates and their friend Link along with his partner Navi the fairy came to the village of Kakariko village.
"This is quite the village," Robin commented.
"Yeah, but where is this Goron village?" Nami wondered.
Just then an old man with a gray mustache approached them. "Hello, young ones!" He greeted with a huge smile.
"Oh hi, old-timer," Luffy greeted in his usual way.
Bonk Bonk
"Excuse me, forgive his manners, but, do you know how we get to the Goron Village?" Nami asked with beat-up Luffy behind.
The old man laughed. "You youngins want to go Death Mountain, that's risky, I heard there are monsters that living there!"
"Gee, you have to say with a laugh," Usopp whimpered his legs shaking.
"Anyway, do you know how to get there?" Sanji asked this time.
"Oh forgive my manners, yes I do," The old man pointed up to the left where there were two shops and further ahead was a gate. "Up there is the gate which has the path that surely takes to Death Mountain, if you're lucky you might meet the Gorons."
Link was still riding on the horse Epona. "Then, let's go!"
"Hey, that's my line!" Luffy laughed.
"Those two boys seem so spirited!" The old man laughed at the fire that he was seeing in the boys.
"They're like all the time," Robin giggled.
"I see, I wish my boys were like that," The old man said with a frown on his face.
"You have sons?" Franky questioned.
"Not quite, the boys I'm training are to become carpenters like myself, but all they do is run away aimlessly," The old carpenter with a scoff. "But I hope my workers can be ambitious as your friends!"
"I'm sure they will someday, maybe," Usopp whispered.
"Anyway, let's go to the gate," Zoro said but he was walking the wrong way.
"Zoro, you moss head, that's the way we came from!" Sanji shouted comically with shark teeth.
"Geez, you should've said something sooner!" Zoro shouted back returning to the group.
The group eventually made it to the gate.
The guard that was standing by it was looking at them. "You kids aren't supposed to be here, that path leads to Death Mountain!"
"We know sir, but we want to go in," Luffy said.
"Sorry, but I have orders not to let anyone in, even outsiders," The guard with a serious look.
"This sucks, we can't fight him, or we'll get in trouble, so what do we do now?" Chopper pondered
Link then remembered something. "Hold it, Mr. guard." The fairy boy was reaching into his pocket and took out a signed autograph.
"What is that?" Sanji wondered.
The guard realized what the boy handing him. "Oh, this is Princess Zelda's handwriting, hmm... let me see."
He looked at what the written and read it out loud.
"This is Link and his friends, they're under my orders to save Hyrule".
The guard was silent for a moment, then he burst out laughing.
"HA, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"
Some of these straw hats sweatdropped at this reaction from the guard.
What kind of silly prank is our princess pulling this time?" The post guard questioned in a laughing tone.
"Geez, this guy has some nerve," Sanji growled.
"No don't," Franky whispered. "We'll get our asses kicked if we do something stupid."
The guard eventually calmed down. "Ok, then, you and your friends can pass, just be careful, you bunch of heroes!" He laughed again as he tapped the ground with his spear.
The gate opened, then the group walked through the gate on a dirt path.
"Whoa, the cliffs are so high," Nami commented.
"That volcano is huge, more the one we saw in the ocean," Robin said gazing at the top of Death Mountain.
"Let's just hope it erupts," Usopp hoped with a look of fright.
"Geez, aren't any monsters gonna show up," Luffy whined seemingly bored.
Just then a rolling rock was falling from above.
"Look out!" Link screamed.
Zoro took out one of his swords, then cut the boulder into two slices.
"Whoa, that was good Zoro!" Link praised in amazement. "Could I learn to do that?"
Zoro sheathed his sword. "Hmm... Maybe, but do you still want me to train you?"
Link bobbed his head up and down, quite ecstatic. "Yeah!"
Link got off the horse, then climbed on a strange rock. "Do people live in a place like this?" He wondered.
"I doubt it now, I mean there are monsters here, not to mention falling rocks," Usopp said looking around shakily. "I would just run away from this death place."
"Even so, we haven't encountered any monsters... Not yet anyway," Robin said with a blank stare. "Though I wonder if we'll meet any monsters are like dinosaurs..."
"Geez, Robin, don't start!" Nami and Usopp snapped comically.
Link then looked ahead while kneeling on top of the strange rock. "There's nothing but rocks, surely, we would've run into something by now."
Just the strange rock that Link was on, rose, revealing a strange creature, though the back of the body had little rocks sticking out of its back.
"Ah, a monster!" Usopp screamed.
"Oh no, we're gonna die!" Chopper added.
The creature rock creature turned and looked at the fairy boy. "Oh, how rare, goro."
"It talks too!" Nami exclaimed in surprise.
The creature continued to look at the fairy boy then at the pirates. "Guests are here, a group, more rate than I can remember, goro."
The rock-like creature stood up on two feet. "This is where the Goron Tribe lives, so it's dangerous for kids, goro."
"Oh, so you're a Goron?" Luffy questioned.
"That's right, so you guys should leave, goro," The Goron replied.
"Take us to see your leader, Darunia!" Link commanded. "We have to get the Spiritual Stone of Fi-"
Link was interrupted when another Goron landed on him comically.
"LINK!" Navi freaked out.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha!" Luffy burst out laughing. "That was funny!"
Eventually, the Goron took the group to see the leader of the Goron Tribe.
Darunia stood tall even taller than the other Gorons, he was built well, his muscular body was nothing to be taken lightly.
"That guy is huge!" Usopp said in surprise.
"No joke, he's well built like a bodybuilder," Robin added.
Sanji gritted his teeth. "I hope he doesn't try anything funny with Nami or Robin."
"That's what you're thinking about now!?" Nami questioned at the chef's thought, then again it's no surprise.
Brook was in awe. "That guy looks so strong that my eyes are popping out... If I had any eyes!" He laughed.
Darunia stomped his feet on the ground, startling some of the Strawhat Pirates. "You guys want the Spiritual Stone of fire!" He sat in a cross-legged position and made the ground shake slightly.
"Absurd, the Spiritual Stone is important to the Gorons, I ain't going to give to some kids so easily!" The Goron leader continued while crossing his arms too.
Link in disbelief. "Say what, you wanna just let Ganondorf take over Hyrule?!"
"Shut up!" Darunia snapped snatching some rocks from a nearby wall, munching on them.
In a second he spits out the chew-up rocks in disgust. "Blegh!" He continued to spit out a few more chunks. "Disgusting!"
Then he pointed at some nearby Gorons. "We are a race that eats rocks, however, the ancient dragon that lives in the Dodongo's Cavern has begun to act violently."
"Ancient Dragon?" Luffy questioned suddenly interested.
"Yeah, as you can guess, we can't let anyone else go inside, it's dangerous, either way, we don't have the time to deal with you guys, goro," Darunia replied.
"This is a bummer," Zoro grumbled in disappointment.
"However..." Darunia suddenly had a small smile on his face. "Link was it?"
The Fairy boy nodded as the Goron Leader continued. "If you and your friends want the Spiritual Stone that badly... Then go and defeat the ancient dragon in Dodongo's Cavern, that'll prove to me that you guys are men."
"Uhh, not all of us are men, you know," Nami said feeling a little awkward.
"Anyway, let's do this!" Luffy proclaimed excitedly.
"Not so fast, I will only allow two accompany Link inside the cavern," Darunia interrupted. "So, who's gonna volunteer?"
"Me, me, me!" Luffy swung his hand in the air like a child wanting to go somewhere.
Darunia chuckled. "Alright, what is your name?"
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, Parunia!" The straw hat captain replied with a huge grin.
"It's Darunia!" Navi, Nami, and Usopp corrected comically.
"Also, there's something else I need to show you guys," Darunia said as he took the group and showed them more Gorons.
However this time, there were a few females, some were holding babies, the little ones were crying of hunger.
"Also, we have a few Gorons try to get our favorite rocks, but some of them got injured, others weren't so lucky," Darunia gritted his teeth.
"Wait!" Chopper raised his hand. "I'm Doctor, I check these guys out, I can even treat anyone that is wounded!"
Darunia smiled brightly. "Thank you, doctor Chopper!"
Hearing that made flattered Chopper, that he started to do his happy dance. "Calling me a doctor Chopper won't make me happy, you big jerk!"
The Goron leader was confused at that reaction.
"Don't worry, he's got a way expressing his feelings," Robin explained.
Sanji then lit a cigar. "Darunia, I know you guys eat rocks, but once we get back, maybe we should have a feast, my friends are also hungry, so once Link and Luffy return, we'll celebrate."
Darunia smiled and then he turned to the Goron that met Link and the pirates. "You there, escort Link and Luffy to the cavern, but the three you be careful."
Link nodded.
Luffy placed his hand on his hat. "Don't worry, I can handle, you see, I'm really strong, and so are my friends,"
A short time later.
Link, Luffy, and the Goron eventually arrived at the entrance of the Dodongo's Cavern.
"Are you sure you both want to go in, Goro?" The Goron asked frighteningly. "Of my friends that were hungry enough to go in there to get rocks..."
The Goron began to shake. "Five of them went, all were eaten, goro."
Luffy stopped and glanced at the Goron. "If you can't fight for your friends, then you're a coward."
Navi was shocked to hear that. "Luffy, go easy on the guy, he's just scared, no need to be harsh!"
Luffy ignored the fairy's lecture as he continued. "If you won't fight for yourself, then fight for your friends, they're counting on you to save them, if you can't then you're living with regret forever!"
The Goron was stunned at the speech, then he nodded his head.
The team eventually came across strange bombs that were seemingly growing out of the ground. "What is those?" Link wondered.
"These are the bomb flowers that only grow in this cavern, goro," The Goron explained.
"Oh a flower," Link picked it up without a second thought and...
BOOM
"They explode in a few seconds when you pick them up, goro," Goron added.
"You should've said that sooner," Link said while coughing and covered in smoke.
Luffy was laughing his head off.
Stomp stomp stomp
There were footsteps heard, not too far away either.
"What is that?" Luffy asked sensing the presence of something coming their way.
The Goron panicked in fright. "Those f-footsteps..." He grabbed Luffy and Link by their wrists. "Let's get out here, goro!"
Suddenly a large lizard-like creature that had a rock-like body came from around the corner, letting out an enormous roar.
"IT'S HUGE!" Link exclaimed.
"Run for it!" Goron shouted.
The Dodongo dragon unleashed a fiery breath but at the last minute, the group managed to dodge it.
"No way my slingshot or Kokiri sword can handle that monster's teeth!" Link proclaimed.
"Yeah, but I ain't going to let this monster take me down!" Luffy confronted the beast. "Gum-Gum-Pistol!" He stretched out his arm and extended it forward, punching the beast in the nose.
That made the Dodongo fall over, which seemingly was in pain after the attack.
"That was amazing, goro," The Goron said.
The Dodongo wasn't finished, it got back on, they breathed out fire.
Link noticed something off. "It's just aimlessly firing in different directions."
Dodongo then curled up in a ball and rolled down the group.
Link was riding on the horse's back, but then the animal laid down in fright. "This isn't the time to relax!"
In a split moment, the two were able to get out of the way, the Dodongo crashed into a wall. "I see, this guy's body is huge... But he's not clever." Link said realizing how the monster is all brawn.
Then a fairy boy got an idea. "Luffy, I need you to get the monster to open his mouth with one of his attacks, once you do, I'll throw a flower bomb into his mouth!"
Luffy smirked. "Got ya!" The straw hat captain then went closer to the beast. "Now Gum-Gum Bazooka!"
He thrust his palms underneath Dodongo's chin, causing it to open its mouth and letting out a roar of pain. "Now's your chance!"
"Right!" Link snatched a bomb flower and leaped up some ledges on the walls. "HEY, YOU!"
Dodongo looked up at the fairy boy that was right above. "EAT THIS!"
The bomb flower was thrown into the dinosaur beast's mouth, with a gulp and then an explosion shock wave came from its mouth.
Then it fell to the ground stunned.
"Now, it's time to finish it off!" Luffy stretched out his arm even further. "GUM-GUM RED-HAWK!" His arm caught fire and delivered a final blow on the creature's head, dealing a lot of damage, and sending it crashing into a big pool of lava.
Dodongo attempted to get out, but due to the attack, he began to move less until his entire body was stuck in the lava pool, which began to harden.
"YES!" Link and Luffy cheered.
A short time later.
Luffy, Link, and the Goron returned, telling them the news.
The Goron tribes including Darunia got to eat their favorite rocks, all were eating like pigs.
Sanji prepared his feast just in time, everyone began to eat, even they shared their food with the Gorons.
"This is food is not rocks!"
"But, the chef's food is better!"
"Who knew human food could be so delicious!"
"Sanji is a great cook," Nami praised.
"Oh Nami-san, thank you!" The chef called out with hearts in his eyes.
Zoro got some food, Darunia rewarded some wine that he got a while back from the village Kakariko, which made the swordsman feel better. "Red wine, not bad."
Darunia then stood between Luffy and Link, then he remembered something a while back. "That guy called Ganondorf... he came here before."
That got the two boys to look at the Goron Leader as he continued. "He and his increased number of followers demanded I give them the Spiritual Stone when I refused... that was when the ancient dragon got ferocious."
Link and Luffy stared at the Goron, but then his face softened. "However you and your friends risked your lives for us, your doctor helped the wounded, your chef shared your food, the food we haven't tried as much."
A big smile appeared on Darunia's face as he raised his hand. "You guys are a man among men!" A red light appeared above his hand. "Now, take this, as a symbol of my gratitude and our friendship, goro!"
Link happily took the stone into his hands.
Nami was entranced at the stone. "So shiny!"
"Nami no!" Usopp said calming down the navigator.
Darunia picked up Luffy and Link then placed them on his shoulders with a bigger wide smile. "From today on, you and your friends are Sword Brothers!"
Link and Luffy laughed happily.
"Hey, everybody, tonight in celebration, let's dance!"
Brook liked that idea. "Yes, I play a tune that'll sure make your bones move wildly!"
The Goron that joined the Link and Luffy began to whisper to them. "That Darunia, though he doesn't look like it, he sure loves to dance!"
"I love this guy!" Luffy laughed happily.
"He's super!" Franky proclaimed doing his superpose.
Everyone began to dance to Saria's song, those that were injured just sat and clapped their hands, all enjoying the music.
"Such a beat!" Darunia roared in excitement. "SO HOT!"
"I feel so alive that my heart is coming out!" Brook proclaimed playing his guitar. "Oh wait, I don't have a heart, skeleton joke!"
The Gorons laughed at the joke.
"He's funny!"
"For skeleton, he's not as scary as the undead ones!"
"Let's dance all night!" Chopper suggested dancing along.
"Yeah, this is fun!" Usopp agreed dancing too.
"Where is that cute little horse?" Robin asked, noticing the horse wasn't around.
"Huh, she's gone," Link said realizing that the horse was gone too.
"Oh, she said wanted to stay a little, but the owners must be worried about her so she had to leave in a flash," Chopper explained.
"I hope we see that cute little horse again," Robin said with a small smile.
At Lon Lon Ranch.
Malon was greeted by a returned Epona. "Epona I wondered where you went?"
She hugged the horse tightly which made the animal happy.
Luffy and Link's fight against the Dodongo was insane, but they managed to defeat the monster.
Darunia rewards the pirates and Link with a party and Spiritual Stone of Fire.
Epona then returns to her home on the farm, reuniting with the girl Malon.
What awaits the Straw hats and Link along with his partner Navi will be in next, find out next time.
Luffy: In the next chapter: Kaepora Gaebora the Owl
I'm going to King of the Pirates.
End of chapter.