One Piece: Truly Precious
Ok, here's the long awaited next chapter of my One Piece fanfic. Sorry for the wait, but right now I need to know if you guys think I should have the crew pick up Sanji next and go through the whole Baratie arc or head to get Ussop first? Please tell me your thoughts in a review.
Now, on with the show.
Disclaimer: same as always. I own nothing.
Arlong glared at the three pirates that had decimated his crew and KOed his top three fighters with eyes filled with boiling rage.
"You humans dare to march into my palace and decimate my crew?" Arlong snarled as he got to his feet, "I will make you all suffer. But first I will make you watch as I torture every single villager on this island, making them beg for death!"
Arlong slammed his fist into his throne, shattering it with a single blow. He then brought his hands to his mouth and ripped his teeth from his mouth, allowing them to grow back before repeating the process, granting him one set of teeth in each hand to use as weapons.
"I'll show you why we are the master race," yelled Arlong.
"Gear Second!" said Luffy as he stomped his foot, causing his leg to move like a pump, "We'll see about that, fish face."
"I think my blades wouldn't mind tasting some shark today," smirked Zoro around Wado's hilt.
Arlong didn't respond, instead opting to charge at Luffy and Zoro, trying to attack them with the teeth in his hands. Luffy shot out of the way with his Gear Second enhanced speed, but Zoro opted to stand his ground and used his swords to block the teeth from reaching him. Zoro smirked when he saw small cracks form on the teeth. Before Arlong could attack again, Luffy appeared next to him with his fist back.
"Jet Pistol!"
The force of Luffy's punch hurled the fishman through the wall of Arlong Park, causing him to drop the teeth he had been using.
"Looks like this fish is cooked," said Luffy.
"Don't get cocky," warned Zoro, "it'll take more than that."
Suddenly Zoro moved in front of Luffy and brought his swords up to block Arlong shooting at them, nose first, like a living spear. Zoro managed to deflect the attack, but the force behind it sent him flying into the water.
"Ha!" laughed Arlong as he picked himself up, "You may have been strong on the land, but the ocean is my domain!"
Arlong then dived into the water, leaving Luffy on the shore, cursing the fact that he couldn't swim due to his Devil Fruit.
xXsceneXx
Zoro mentally cursed as he fell into the ocean and began to sink. He figured he shouldn't have tried to take Arlong's attack head on. As he sheathed his two katanas so he could swim back to the surface, he saw a figure streak past him, tearing a gash in his side. Turning around, he saw that Arlong had joined him in the underwater battle.
"Humans are like fish out of water when they have to swim," laughed Arlong, "but for us fishmen, the ocean is our natural domain. Shark on Darts!"
Arlong shot at Zoro again and again, forcing the swordsman to take Wado from his mouth and try to deflect the blows. Unfortunately, due to his limited strength underwater and the enhanced speed the water gave to Arlong's attacks, he was only able to slightly deflect the attacks and received several cuts on his body from the fishman's nose.
'I can't match him here,' thought Zoro as his lungs began to burn, 'I need to get back to dry land.'
Zoro gripped Wado as Arlong turned for another pass. As Arlong shot at him again, Zoro swung his sword, sending a powerful spiraling shockwave flying at Arlong that was so strong, it not only sent the fishman flying to the surface with cuts on his body, it actually parted the water he was submerged in, leaving the swordsman standing on dry land.
'Sanbakurokuju Pound Ho!'
xXsceneXx
Luffy and the townsfolk could only watch as the waters surged from Zoro and Arlong's battle. When they saw Arlong's body fly out of the water as the sea parted, the citizens' jaws hit the ground as Zoro jumped to land again.
"Want to tag in Luffy?" asked Zoro as he tried to catch his breath.
"You bet!" said Luffy as he smacked his hand into his palm.
"You humans," growled Arlong as he pulled himself out of a pile of rubble he had landed in, "Don't get cocky just yet. You want to play with swords? Then have a taste of mine!"
Arlong walked to the wall of his palace before punching through the stone into the room inside. Ripping his hand out of the wall, he withdrew a large weapon that looked like a cross between a saw and a nodachi. This was the Kiribachi, Arlong's infamous Shark Saw.
"I got this," smirked Luffy as he cracked his knuckles.
With a roar, Arlong charged at Luffy, swinging his blade to tear the rubber captain in two, but Luffy simply got into a stance and raised his arm up to block the swing.
"Busoshoku: Koka!" yelled Luffy, coating his arms in Haki, giving them a shiny black appearance.
Swinging his arms to block the Shark Saw, Luffy's Haki enhanced arms shattered two of the 'teeth' on the saw as if they were made of glass.
"Impossible!" growled Arlong.
"I'm not done yet!" said Luffy as he got into a stance and let his Haki fade, Jet Pistol!"
Luffy's fist shot at Arlong faster than he could track, sending the Fishman skidding back from the blow. When Arlong looked again, Luffy was gone, with only a slight breeze remaining where he had stood. The next thing he knew, Luffy was next to him ready to throw another punch. Arlong brought his Kiribachi up to block the punch, but Luffy's strength shattered the blade's teeth and snapped the handle in two.
Appearing in front of Arlong in a burst of speed, Luffy slammed a punch into the chest of the fishman, fracturing several ribs, "Jet Bullet!"
Arlong was sent flying into the outer wall of Arlong park, creating a small crater in the stone.
"Pitiful!" growled Arlong as he spat some blood out, "I'll end this! Shark on Tooth!"
Arlong shot at Luffy as if he was using his Shark on Darts attack except this time, he was spinning like a drill, aiming to tear Luffy to shreds. The rubber captain wasn't worried though, channeling Haki to his leg, he slammed a kick into the incoming shark, sending him flying through the air.
Jumping after him, Luffy bit down on his thumb and inflated his arm, causing his fist to bulge like a balloon, "Gear Third!"
Focusing his Haki, Luffy coated his arm turning the massive fist shiny and black, "Busoshoku: Koka!"
When he was level with the airborne Arlong, he took aim, "Gum Gum: ELEPHANT GUN!"
The massive punch sent Arlong crashing into one of the upper rooms of the park, one that Nami immediately recognized, aided by the fact that the impact sent several papers and books fluttering out to land in the ocean. Luffy wasn't done though, he inflated his other arm and coated it with Haki as well, before punching forward at Arlong as he lay in the wreckage of what was once his map room.
"Gum Gum: Elephant GATTLING!" yelled Luffy, as he punched Arlong and the building he lay in over and over with his massive fists.
Splinters flew as Luffy's attacks all but destroyed Arlong Park, driving the Fishman Captain deeper and deeper into a crater that was formed from the barrage. The punches were so strong that the ground that Arlong Park was built on began to crumble and fall into the sea. The townsfolk watched as Luffy's attack drove Arlong deep into the ground allowing the falling debris and washing tides to entomb the fishman captain in the ruins of his palace.
Landing on the ground that hadn't been destroyed, Luffy turned to the watching villagers and raised his hand, "ARLONG PARK HAS FALLEN!"
There was silence for a moment before the crowd erupted in cheers. The force that had oppressed their island was now gone. Unfortunately, their cheers were interrupted by a snooty voice clearing his throat.
"Ahem," said a rat-faced (literally, the guy resembles a rat down to the whiskers) marine officer as he marched forward with his troops, "my name is Captain Nezumi. With the defeat of the Arlong Pirates, I believe it is my duty to finish cleaning up the mess here and take in these three pirates as well. I believe we should collect Arlong's treasure from the remains of his fortress as well."
The town was in outrage at that statement.
"How dare you!"
"These people saved us!"
"You were working with Arlong in the first place!"
"That treasure belongs to the town!"
"Silence," said Nezumi, "any more outbursts and I will have you detained. Soldiers, prepare to detain…"
Before he could continue, the end of Nami's staff slammed into his face, sending him skidding along the ground.
"Get out of our town, rat-face," spat Nami.
"You bitch!" yelled Nezumi, "I am a Marine Captain! Soldiers, take her in!"
The troops raised their weapons but hesitated when Luffy stepped forward with a dark look in his eyes.
"Don't touch my Nakama," he growled before releasing a focused blast of Conqueror's Haki that caused the men to pass out, foaming at the mouth.
"Now," said Zoro as he stepped forward and grabbed Nezumi's collar, "TAKE A HIKE!"
With a mighty heave, Nezumi was sent flying through the air until he vanished with a twinkle in the sky.
"My name is Monkey D. Luffy!" declared Luffy, "and this island is under my protection!"
xXsceneXx
The town partied for three days straight, celebrating their freedom from the Arlong pirates with feasting and dancing. At the dawn of the fourth day, the Straw Hat Pirates were ready to set sail in a boat the town gave to them. As they left, they found that there was a surprising addition to their crew: Nojiko. She explained that she wanted to travel with them to see the world and become strong like they were.
And thus, the crew gained their first new member and set off ripples in the stream that would impact greater things.