Ch. 4- The Lion's Roar


One Piece © Oda

Story and OCs © Me


Flashback to just 15 minutes ago

Langstrom sat in his study, having himself a cup of tea poured by one of the soldiers under his command. However, he found himself unable to enjoy it very much. He sent Derek out earlier to keep track of Hendrickson, but so far, he heard no word from him. He tried not to show it, but he was getting a bit worried about the Marine Captain.

Suddenly, PURU-PURU-PURU~! PURU-PURU-PURU~!

"That must be Derek," said Langstrom as he picked up the Transponder Snail's receiver. "Derek?"

"Vice-Admiral! This is Marine Ensign Hendrickson! It's terrible, sir!"

"Hendrickson?" asked Langstrom. "Why are you picking up? Where's Captain Derek?!"

"That's just it, sir!" cried Hendrickson, the snail's face taking on a panicked and teary-eyed visage. "Captain Derek...HE'S DEAD!"

Langstrom's eyes went wide in horror.

"Straw Hat Luffy...he attacked us! Captain Derek insisted that we run while we escaped...but as I went to go help him, Straw Hat Luffy...he...HE THREW DEREK INTO THE SEA!"

"WHAT?!" Langstrom questioned in shock.

"Forgive me, sir..." Hendrickson sobbed. "I swear, we didn't do anything to provoke Straw Hat! He just saw us and went on the offensive!"

"Where are you?!" asked Langstrom.

"Just south of the base, sir!" Hendrickson answered. "We found Straw Hat there!"

"Then that's where I'm going," Langstrom answered as he hung up the snail...his eyes taking on a vicious, deadly glare as fangs appeared in his mouth. "Straw Hat...!"

XXX

Hendrickson chuckled as he put the Transponder Snail away, then looked down at the unconscious Derek.

"Sorry about this, Derek," he said, "but you left me with no choice. I'll be sure to let your family know of your 'heroic' deeds." He then picked him up and dragged the unconscious Marine Captain toward a cliff that hung over the ocean below...and all around were large creatures with wolf-like faces and jagged fins. "It's really too bad, but...you were in the way. With luck, though, maybe I'll get your title as Captain, instead..." He then gave a wicked smirk. "With that...farewell, 'friend'. I hope you make a nice meal for the sea wolves."

And with that...he kicked Derek off into the waters where the sea wolves hungrily waited...and he landed with a large SPLASH!

Flashback end

KABOOM! Another cannonball was fired at the Sunny, barely missing but still sending the ship rocking up and down on the waves.

"Shit!" Sanji cursed as he kicked another cannonball away. "They just keep firing at us!"

"Take THAT!" Carrot yelled as she used her Electro Claws to slash through three cannonballs at once. Even then, though, they still kept firing at them.

"If only we had Luffy here!" Blizzard shouted. "His Gum-Gum Balloon would really come in handy!"

"Nami, haven't you tried calling Luffy yet?!" Chopper asked.

"I'm trying, right now!" Nami answered.

XXX

Luffy sighed as he finally made it back to the campsite, scratching the back of his head.

"Damn Marines..." he cursed as he glanced back. "Can't get a moment's peace, can we?"

"Big Brother?"

Luffy turned to see Aika, who looked up at him worriedly. The sticks she had gathered for the fire had been made into a neat little pile, but she still seemed rather unnerved.

"Where did you go?" Aika asked. "I thought I heard fighting sounds."

"Uh...d-don't worry about it, Aika," Luffy said. "It was just some pests. I took care of 'em."

"...Pests, huh?" Aika asked, but then Luffy gently ruffled her hair and gave her that usual toothy grin of his.

"Hey, relax," said Luffy. "Remember? We're here to have a good time!"

"...Right," Aika nodded with a small (forced) smile.

"Now, how about we have something to eat?" Luffy asked as he grabbed his backpack. "I'm starving. I bet you're probably hungry, too, huh sis?"

"Uh-huh!" Aika nodded, eagerly as her older half-brother handed her a lunch box, which she opened up to reveal an assortment of foods, such as pork cutlets, some sweet potatoes, sandwiches, and some cinnamon cookies. Aika smiled, knowing that even in times of trouble, Sanji's cooking always helped her to feel better. The truth was she sensed something might have been wrong the moment she went out to get firewood, but she pushed her instincts aside because of her desire to just have a good time with Luffy.

Besides, what were the chances they were going to get attacked way out here?

As Aika opened her mouth to take another bite, she felt a jolt go up her spine. Her eyes flashed red, her Observation Haki kicking in. Luffy sensed it as well, immediately whirling around as he saw an aerial slash come flying towards him and Aika.

"WATCH OUT!" Luffy yelled as he grabbed his younger half-sister and leaped out of the way while the slash ended up destroying part of their camp as well as their lunch boxes.

"W-what was that?!" Aika asked as Luffy gently set her down, looking around for the instigator with a growl in his throat.

"Straw Hat Luffy! You are under arrest!"

Luffy looked up to see a hulking shadow standing in the tree branches.

"Who the hell are you?!" Luffy questioned. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"I should ask you the same question," the figure answered before he jumped down from out of the tree, then landed with a resounding THUD! As he raised his head...it was soon revealed to be Langstrom in his lion hybrid form!

"...A lion...?!" Aika whispered.

"I am Vice-Admiral 'Lion Fist' Langstrom!" Langstrom declared. "Straw Hat Luffy...you will pay for your transgressions!" He then held up his large paws, which were blackened with Armaments' Haki. "I won't forgive you for this!"

Aika's went wide, her nose suddenly twitching.

'That...that smell on his hands...is that...?'

"So, you figured out what I did to your little lackeys, huh?" Luffy asked. "Well, maybe you shouldn't have sent them after us!"

"I gave no one permission to track you down!" Langstrom barked. "You attacked them out of your own volition...and what's more, you killed my dear friend Derek!"

"Derek?" Luffy repeated. "Never heard of the guy!"

Hearing that only made Langstrom's eyes darken.

"Then I will make sure you remember his name," he began, "after I SEND YOU TO HELL!"

With that, he charged toward Luffy, who charged right back with a loud battle cry before they clashed, their hands interlocked with each other. As Luffy strained to hold Langstrom back...he suddenly found himself buckling to his knees.

"What's...going on...?!" Luffy asked. "Suddenly, I feel...like I can't...stand up...!"

Langstrom grinned at this.

"You think I came unprepared?" he asked. "I have heard of your infamy, Straw Hat...and I never face a fellow Devil Fruit user without my trusts Sea Prism Stone claws!"

Aika gasped before she took a closer look at Langstrom's hands, and that's when she saw two metal cloves with sharp claws on the fingertips. Luffy growled, trying to force himself to stand up before he reeled his fists back and threw several stretching punches at Langstrom. However, the Vice-Admiral began to parry the blows with his own fists. As Luffy continued to try and hit back...his knuckles started to bleed, causing Aika to gasp, worriedly.

"Oh, no...!" she whispered.

"Is that really the best you have to offer me, Straw Hat?!" asked Langstrom before he leaped up and kicked Luffy in his stomach...right in the scar that Katakuri left behind, causing him to grunt in pain as he was sent tumbling back. "Hmph...to think, I actually underestimated you. The newspaper made you sound like such a powerful pirate...but then again, Morgans tends to stretch the truth a bit."

"Haa...haa...!" Luffy panted as he held his side while Aika whimpered, anxiously. It appeared that Luffy's scar hadn't completely healed yet.

"Know this, Straw Hat Luffy," said Langstrom. "I almost achieved the rank of Admiral during your two-year absence. I even managed to go toe-to-toe with your grandfather, Monkey D. Garp!" He narrowed his eyes, his pupils slitting. "I am NOT to be underestimated...!" He then shifted his eyes on Aika, who gasped. "Neither you or that girl will escape!"

Luffy's eyes went wide before he turned to Aika, whose eyes went wide in terror...and at that moment, he could only think of one thing to do...

"RUN, AIKA!" Luffy yelled. "RUUUUUUN!"

Aika was already way ahead of her half-brother, morphing into her wolf form before she took off running, and Luffy soon bolted after her...but Langstrom let out a powerful roar before he took to trees and gave chase! As he did, he leaped up into the air and imbued his right claws with Haki, again as he pressed his fingers together.

"Shigan...STING!" yelled Langstrom as he made a flicking motion with four fingers, creating air-compressed projectiles that hit Luffy right in his back!

"AAAAAAAAAAGH!" Luffy screamed as he tumbled on the ground, forcing Aika to stop running as she gasped in shock.

"BIG BROTHER!" she cried while Luffy seethed in pain, blood dripping from the wounds on his back.

"Urgh...agh...!" he groaned as he tried to stand up...only for Langstrom to drop down from the trees and approach him with a dark look in his eyes. Try as Luffy might, it felt like his energy was being sapped right out of him, causing Langstrom to chuckle as he flexed his Sea Prism Stone claws.

"Those air-compressed bullets from my Shigan are combined with elements of my Sea Prism Stone claws," said Langstrom. "It probably hurts to even move, doesn't it? Don't worry...the effect will dissipate after some time."

"...Damn you...!" Luffy cursed.

"It's over," he growled as he reached down to pick the Straw Hat Captain up...but then, out of nowhere, he heard a loud yell, and following that, he felt a set of small but sharp fangs sinking into his nose, causing him to roar in pain. As Luffy looked up, he gasped upon seeing that it was Aika, biting the Lion-Man's nose as hard as possible, and for good measure, she summoned all her energy and used Electro to send a jolt of electricity through his body, causing him to yell in pain. However, he was still as powerful as ever, for he managed to reach up and yank Aika off of his nose, which bled from her fangs tearing into him before he forcefully threw her to the ground.

"AGH!" she cried as she hit the dirt while Langstrom growled, preparing to tear into her with his claws...but then...

"GUM-GUM RED HAAAAAAAAWK!"

KABLAM! Luffy, mustering whatever strength he could, punched Langstrom square in the gut with a blazing fist, sending him crashing through several trees! Then, once Luffy was certain that the Vice-Admiral was down, he grabbed Aika, stretched his and grabbed the nearest tree branch, even though it looked like it strained him to do so.

"Let's get outta here, Aika!" Luffy shouted. "Gum-Gum ROCKET!"

VWOOM! Luffy soon sent himself and Aika flying through the sky, disappearing beyond the tree line.

XXX

"Dammit!" Nami cursed as she slammed the Transponder Snail's receiver down, again. "I still can't reach Luffy!"

"Then what are we gonna do?!" Chopper questioned. "The Marines are still chasing us!"

Sanji turned back, glancing at the battleship that still pursued them, then he looked to the forest.

"Sanji?" asked Blizzard. "What are you thinking?"

"...I hate to do this," Sanji muttered before he looked to Nami and the others. "Nami...you think you, Chopper, Brook, and Carrot can hold your own for a while?"

"Uh...I guess," Nami answered. "Why?"

"Blizzard and I are gonna go find Luffy and Aika!" Sanji answered.

"What?!" Chopper questioned.

"But...but Sanji!" Brook cried.

"I have to!" Sanji replied. "As far as I know, the Marines could have gone after them! They could be on the run, right now, and they could have left all their supplies behind! What if they starve out there?!"

The four Straw Hats and Carrot gasped. When Sanji talked about things like starvation, they knew very well that he was dead serious about things like this. It was then that they knew that convincing him not to go would prove fruitless.

"...Okay, Sanji," Nami nodded. "Be careful!"

"We'll hold the fort!" Carrot added.

"Of course," Sanji replied before he went to the kitchen, gathered up some things such as meat, cookies, sandwiches, and other things, put them all in a backpack, and mounted on Blizzard's back.

"Ready to go, Sanji?" asked Blizzard.

"You bet," Sanji answered.

"We'll see you soon, Sanji!" Chopper exclaimed. "We'll try not to get captured while you're gone!"

"Or die trying!" Brook added. "Yohohoho! Although I'm already dead."

"We'll also try and call Luffy again," Nami added.

"Good," Sanji answered. "Blizzard...as Luffy would say, let's ride!"

With a grunt, Blizzard jumped off the Sunny to land, then ran off into the forest...leaving the others to escape the Marines.

"...I hope they'll be okay," Nami whispered.

"Me, too," Chopper added while Carrot looked out toward the bow of the ship...and almost instantly, her eyes widened and her ears perked straight up.

"Hey...what's that?" Carrot asked.

"Huh?" Nami asked. "What's what?"

"There, on the water!" Carrot answered as she pointed to the sea, causing the others to run to get a closer look...only to gasp in shock.

"Good heavens!" Brook cried. "It's a man!"

Yes, it was indeed a man...Captain Derek, who was floating on the water, unconscious, missing his Marine coat and cap.

"Don't just stand there!" Chopper shouted. "Someone save him!"


TO BE CONTINUED...


Next time on One Piece: Trek!

Derek: Ugh...w...where am I?

Chopper: Are you okay, sir?

*In the forest, late at night*

Luffy: *is sitting under a hollow tree with Aika to stay out of the rain*

Aika: ...Big Brother? Are we lost?

Luffy: ... *sighs* Yeah...I think we are. *smiles at Aika* Don't worry...we'll get through this.

*Meanwhile*

Sanji: Luffy?! Aika!

Blizzard: I don't think they're here, Sanji.

Sanji: Dammit...! They've gotta be here, somewhere!

*With Hendrickson*

Hendrickson: What?! Derek's still alive?! *thinks* If he's still alive, he'll ruin everything!

Next time: Lost


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