Chapter 2
Straw Hat Pirates vs. Shining Sea Circus
"Pwoooooo!" The fire performer breathed out a flame out of his mouth at Sanji.
Sanji kept his distance safe by jumping away from the fire, but the man wasn't giving him a chance to attack back.
'Damn it! I can't get close enough to attack this guy nor I can save Nami-san, too!' He thought as he dodged the fire attacks.
"Sanji-Kun!" Nami shouted. "Ah!"
The whip that was tightening her tightened so she couldn't move.
"Please stop this! You're all misunderstood!" Nami pleaded to the woman.
"Quiet you! Once Bobo finishes your friend, we will deal with you next," she said. "Along with the rest of your crew."
"What? But is that mean that the others are….?!" Nami thought aloud, now looking very worried and terrified.
Meanwhile, where the others were….
One side of the wall was sliced in a blink of the eye. A sound of steel made a sound through the hallway. The walls were being sliced everywhere.
"Grrgh!" Zoro stopped swords with his own. He was in a fight against another sword user, or rather swords user.
"Tch, you're not half bad… I never met another person who uses four sword style before," Zoro said as he smirked. "This is going to be exciting!"
"And, I admit that you by far the strongest swordsman I've ever met in life! I say you are remarkably interesting," said the man.
This man wore skin-tight black pants that made the buttock looked more recognizable, purple dress shirt, and white neck collar with a green broach in the center area of his neck, and pair of white high-heel sandals. He also wore makeup, which stood out his feature the most. However, the most interesting thing was his enormous orange beard that was acting as extra limbs, with four strands carrying a sword each.
"Interesting? Hah, you're the one to talk. I take it that you're Devil Fruit user?" Zoro asked.
"Precisely!" the man replied. "I ate the Hige-Hige Fruit, also known as the Beard-Beard Fruit, which granted me the power to control this luxurious beard and use it as my extra limbs. Though, even knowing that, it won't help you!"
The man attacked again with his swords. Zoro blocked each attack as he walked backward while staying calm. However, eventually, he had to attack back, but he couldn't find it where. Worse of all….
"Zoro, help us!" A familiar cowardly voice yelled from inside of the beard.
"Please! It's so hairy in here!" Yelled another.
"You guys!" Zoro exclaimed.
"Ah, so you are a type of guy who worries for your crewmates," said the man.
"What about it?" Zoro asked in a serious tone.
"All the pirates I faced before usually run away and ditch their crewmates to save their own life, but you are different. I say that I admire that, truthfully I am, but the pirate is a pirate, and I'm doing to this protect my crewmates," the man explained.
"Protect your crewmates? Wait for a second….!" Zoro quickly crouched before the sword almost sliced him in half.
Meanwhile, while the rest of the Straw Hats were in their predicament, their very own captain was stuck somewhere on the lower floor of the ship.
"Mmm…. Mmmm!" Luffy's head got stuck inside the ground, so he tried pulling himself out. After some tries, he managed to pull himself out.
"Baah! Man, that was a long fall!" Luffy exclaimed. "Some jerk must have pushed me behind!"
He stood up and looked up in the vent where he came through.
"I wonder if I can climb up back to the kitchen…" Luffy thought aloud.
"Grrrrr…."
"I know my stomach. I am hungry," Luffy moaned.
"Grrrr…"
"Wait a second… That isn't my stomach…" Luffy said as he turned around.
In front of him, he noticed that shadowy creatures with menacing, glowing red eyes surrounded him. Their mouth was drooling with saliva as they growled.
"Grraaaaahh!" One of the creatures roared, revealing it to be a male lion. Accompanying it were two lionesses.
"Oh, ho! So these are the lions! So cool!" Luffy was amazed before one of the lions jumped on him.
However, he quickly dodged away as the other two also tried to pounce on the rubber man.
"Gum-Gum Punch!" Luffy punched one of the lionesses, hitting her into the wall.
The second lioness attacked with her claws out.
"Gum-Gum Kick!" Luffy kicked the second lioness in her face, knocking her out easily like the first one.
It was now between him and the king of the jungle itself. The male lion walked slowly around as Luffy did the same while looking straight into their eyes.
The male lion ran towards Luffy as he also ran towards it with his fist ready.
"Aaaaaaaaahhh!" Luffy roared as the lion roared at him with its clawed paw out.
- One Piece –
"Fire-Style Phoenix Blitz!" Bobo, the fire dancer performed his attack, which he shot out a fire shaped of a phoenix.
'Crap! I won't able to dodge that!' Sanji thought.
The fire attack hit him, burning him alive.
"Sanji-kuuuun!" Nami screamed as she saw her friend burned alive in horror.
"Your friend by far lasted the longest in fighting Bobo, but nobody has defeated Bobo in a fight thanks to his fire breathing technique. Not even I can, and I handle ferocious beasts like every day," the female animal tamer said.
"Well, that's that," Bobo said, thinking the fight was finished. "What should we do with the woman?"
As he thought he was over, a smell of cigarettes whipped over his nostrils. The smell came from behind, and he felt someone was breathing behind.
"Yes, that's that!" Suddenly, Bobo got a kick on the side, causing him to fly over until he hit a couple of box crates.
"Sanji-Kun!" Nami was relieved to see Sanji was alright.
"What?! But how?!" The animal tamer gasped. "How are you alive?!"
"Simple. I used one of your circus tricks," Sanji answered as he smoked.
"What?!" She said as she looked over what was supposed to be the curly eyebrow man's burning corpse.
However, it was revealed to be just his jacket that was burning but underneath revealed a hidden door.
"Ah! That is one of our hidden doors!" She realized. "You used one of our hidden doors to dodge and hide!"
"That's right," Sanji answered. "I admit. I thought I was a goner, but good thing I noticed it when Nami-swan and I came in here. I saw couples of the hidden doors on the floor here and there. I thought it was probably used for your circus performances, but luckily, I used it to save my own life."
"Wow, Sanji-Kun, I'm impressed. Good thinking!" Nami praised.
"Oh sucks, Nami-swan! Did you feel your heart skipped a beat?!" Sanji asked with his eyes full of hearts.
"Yes, yes," Nami sighed. "I did, but now…. Could you save me already?!"
- One Piece -
Somewhere else on the ship, Zoro continued fighting the beard-beard man. The beard-beard man continued with his attack, as Zoro dodged and blocked the attack while they constantly slashed everything in their path. They were currently around near the dome stage area.
'This is getting annoying! I got to finish this, but I don't want to hurt Usopp and Chopper while trapped by this weirdo's beard!" Zoro thought while blocking the okama man's beard with his two swords.
"What's wrong, darling? Are you not going to strike me while I held your crewmates hostages?!" The man dared.
"Help us, Zoro!" Usopp and Chopper cried as the beard swallowed them deeper and deeper.
"Hmph…" Zoro looked with a cold, calm expression. "Say, I didn't get your name."
"Huh? My name?" The man asked. "Very well. I didn't properly introduce myself, and that was rude of me. My name is Violet. What is yours, darling?"
"The name's Roronoa Zoro, the man who will become the greatest swordsman in the world," Zoro stated sternly, yet seriously.
"Hmm?!" Violet's eyes widened with a surprising look. He got into his battle position.
Zoro got into his stance as he put his third sword in his mouth.
"Ho, so you use the three-sword style. Interesting. Then, let's see what it can do against my four-sword beard style!" Violet declared.
"Santoryu!" Zoro jumped towards Violet quickly.
"He's fast!" Violet thought.
Zoro slashed Violet faster than he could see him. He cut his beard partially, releasing Chopper and Usopp.
"We're freeeeeee!" The two cheered.
"Gaaaahhh!" Violet was cut as he bleeds.
Zoro's sword attack was so powerful that it had also cut the wall, which broke apart, causing a big hole that connected the stage area.
"Huh?" Zoro looked over the broken wall.
"Z…Zoro?!" Nami gasped.
"Moss-Head?!" Sanji widened.
"Curly-Brow?!" Zoro surprised.
"Nami! Sanji!" Usopp and Chopper cried.
"Ah, Violet!" The animal tamer woman exclaimed. "Nooo!"
"What's going on here?!" Usopp asked.
"Nami is trapped by that woman with the whip!" Chopper pointed out.
Suddenly, they were surrounded by more members of the circus. Most of them were clowns, some short and some very tall, and others were different circus staff. Among them was the girl named Mira, and just behind her was a man clapping his hand as he walked towards the front of everyone.
He was about 10 feet tall and had a mild muscular body in a dark red overcoat with golden shoulder-pads and cape. The sleeve ended with a white fluffy collar. He also wore a black top-hat with three feathers, one red, one yellow, and one blue, and gold star, black slack, and black shoes His overcoat were half-opened, revealing a white shirt and pink necktie with black star pattern.
The man walked towards and looked at each present member of the Straw Hat Pirates. Usopp, Nami, and Chopper stayed calm, yet terrified. Sanji and Zoro looked serious at the man.
"Bravo, pirates. Bravo," said the man.
The Straw Hat looked confused about the man's reaction.
"I got to admit that a crew like you all is the first to ever get this far. You gave us quite an entertainment. You defeated both Bobo and Violet, who are two of the strongest men in my crew! I say, congratulations."
"Congratulations?" Nami repeated.
"What the hell is this guy talking about?" Zoro thought aloud.
"Beat me," Sanji added.
"This man scares me!" Usopp shivered in fear as he hugged with Chopper, who was also shivering in fear.
"I should've stayed with Robin on Merry!" Chopper cried.
"However, your fun ends here, and my crew here will finish the job, like what we do with all the pirates that come across our way!" He declared.
Zoro and Sanji were ready to face the entire circus. However, they were all interrupted when the floor below them cracked. A male lion crashed through the floor, surprising everyone.
"Yaaaaaaahhh!" A familiar male voice shouted, who revealed to be the captain of the Straw Hat himself.
"Lufffffy!" Nami, Usopp, and Chopper exclaimed.
"Ah, Mr. Yum-Yum!" The animal tamer let go of her whip, freeing Nami unintentionally.
"What the hell?! Why our lion is here?!" The man gasped.
"I don't know, Boss, but apparently, it was caused by him!" One of the circus members pointed.
"Wooo! Finally, I am back upstairs, but…" Luffy looked around his surroundings. "This is not the kitchen."
"Luffy! You're OK!" Usopp said.
"Luffy!" Nami walked angrily towards the captain and yanked his face.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Luffy cried.
"You idiot! Where were you all this time?!" Nami scolded.
"Nami, stop pulling my face!" Luffy argued.
"We've been looking all over for you, you big dimwit! Next time, don't go alone!" Nami scolded as she pulled his face further and let him go.
"Luffy, we're so glad you're OK," Chopper said happily.
"Oh! Hey, Chopper. Did you join to explore the ship? Is this place neat?" Luffy asked interestingly.
"Geez. You are such a troublesome, you know that?" Nami stated.
The members of the circus looked at the Straw Hats, feeling very dumbfounded.
"Hey, what are they doing, guys?" Boss asked.
"I think they're having a conversation, sir," said one of the members.
"It seems that way," said the other.
"And we're completely being ignored, honk-honk!" said one of the clowns.
"Hmmm…" Boss looked annoyed. "Hey, you lot!"
He caught the Straw Hat's attention.
"Huh?" They all replied with the same expression.
"Don't 'huh' me! Can't you lot see that we're gonna get rid of you?!" Boss fumed.
"Huh? Get rid of us? What is this guy talking about?" Luffy asked, looking very confused.
"Well, just as you crashed in here from below, we were ambushed by what appeared to be the entire circus!" Usopp explained.
"Ho! Really? Is that mean they're gonna put a show for us?" Luffy asked excitedly.
"Not that, you idiot!" Nami yelled. "They're gonna fight us!"
"Fight us? For what?" Luffy asked.
"Well, Luffy, it goes like this…." Usopp began explaining as they completely ignored Boss and his circus crew.
Boss was becoming irritated as he was ignored again. As he was about to declare to attack the Straw Hat, everyone stopped with the light turned off.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" They all heard laughter.
"What was that?" Nami asked.
"Hey, who turn out the light?!" Boss questioned.
"Don't worry, Boss. I will deal with the intruders if you may," said the voice.
A single spotlight shined on the top of the trapeze tower. Everyone looked up to see what the light was shining at, which revealed to be a young boy on the platform with his hat covering his face.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girl! Welcome to the Shining Sea Circus!" The young boy grabbed on the trapeze. He let go of the first trapeze, performing a triple spin, and then grabbed the second trapeze that came towards him. He landed on the second platform.
"For today's show, we have an unexpected, yet special guests today!" He threw a smoke bomb over himself, disappearing in the smoke.
Then, he reappeared in the middle of the Straw Hat group, surprising them.
"Our guest today is the infamous pirate group from an unknown place, who we know have kidnapped our beloved members of the circus!" The boy disappeared again in a cloud of smoke.
Then, he reappeared in front of them.
"But fear not! For I, Aster Houdini is here to save the day!" Aster declared with a smile
Sanji, Zoro, Nami, and Usopp were surprised. However, Chopper and Luffy especially were impressed and interested as their eyes glittered like a star.
Hello, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful and safe Independence Day if you live in the States.
It is almost two months since the last chapter update, but here we are with Chapter 2!
There is nothing else for me to say, but as always, stay safe and healthy even in the summer, and stay hydrated.
See you all in the next chapter soon!